Cognition: Fundamental Mechanisms

pavlovian (classical) conditioning

associative learning phenomenon that occurs when there is a short delay btwn stimulus and response being paired over time

instrumental (operant) conditioning

where an association is made btwn a behavior and a consequence of that behavior

consequence

something produced by a cause or necessarily following from a set of conditions

taste aversion learning

occurs w a long delay btwn the stimulus and response

sensitization

occurs when an animal becomes MORE sensitive to a particular stimulus over time

habituation

1) reduction and 2) lack of response to a stimulus over time

imprinting

the development of a preference during a critical sensitive phase, generally early in the animal’s life

example(s) of sexual imprinting

1) women w adoptive fathers and had higher scores of emotional wellbeing meant they were more likely to have partners that resembled their father’s appearance-wise

2) zebra finches - the newly-hatchlings →

a) half → fostered by the same species → mates w the same species

b) other half → fostered by Bengalese → mates w the Bengalese

examples of filial imprinting

1) Konrad Lorenz’s boots were the first object seen by newly-hatched ducklings → ducklings followed him everywhere

2) a mother hen plushie were the first animal seen by precocial birds → ducklings followed her everywhere

a) disassembled the mother hen plushie → the head and neck are the primary areas precocial birds imprint upon the most

features of filial imprinting

1) cannot be shown at the time of learning

2) cannot be undone

3) occurs early in life

a) during a sensitive period

4) learns the characteristics of its species (normally the mother)

example of habituation

expt on a rat exposed to a sound over time → rat had a high stimulus response, but over time, there was no harm associated w the sound → rat had a low stimulus response

give an example of taste aversion learning. what is the cs? what is the us?

1st seq: rat eat saccharin soln (cs) → LiCl soln injected into the rat (us) → rat gets sickness

2nd seq: rat eat saccharin soln → rat does not eat the soln (rejective rcts)

what condition is this?

instrumental (operant) conditioning

what is the US (unconditioned stimulus)?

sucrose

what is the CS (conditioned stimulus) in the top panel?

blue flower

what is the CS in the bottom panel?

string

CS only

a novel sound

both stimuli played at diff times

examples of instrumental (operant) conditioning

1) rat photographing themselves

a) every time the designated lever (to take a photo) was pushed → food pellets were dispensed

2) pigeon → taught to push boxes and take bananas → combine the behaviors to reach the bananas that are out of reach

examples of pavlovian (classical) conditioning

1) dog salivated to the sound of a bell

a) before conditioning:

• presented w food → dog salivates

• presented w bell → dog does not salivates (neutral response)

b) during conditioning:

• bell rings and food is presented → dog salivates

c) after conditioning:

• bell rings → dog salivates

absolute conditioning

only 1 specific stimulus is presented and consistently reinforced during training

differential conditioning

2 or more distinct (but often similar) stimuli are presented

appetitive conditioning

unconditioned stimuli is the reward

aversive conditioning

unconditioned stimuli is punishment

second order conditioning

1) neutral stimulus (CS₁) paired w an unconditioned stimulus

2) second neutral stimulus (CS₂) introduced and paired w the existing CS₁

3) CS₂ presented by itself and the subject exhibits a response to it