Learning Processes: Elicited Behaviors, Non-Associative Learning, and Classical Conditioning

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering elicited behaviors, modal action patterns, habituation, sensitization, opponent process theory, classical conditioning procedures, and conditioned inhibition based on class lecture materials.

Elicited Behavior

A behavior triggered by a specific stimulus, where the response is ready and waiting for the right eliciting stimulus (including reflexes and modal action patterns).

Reflex Arc

A simple neural circuit consisting of a receptor in the skin, sensory neuron (afferent neuron), interneuron (relay neuron), motor neuron (efferent neuron), and effector muscle.

Modal Action Patterns (MAPs)

Species-typical response sequences performed by an individual organism that are elicited by specific species-typical sign stimuli.

Sign Stimulus

A specific, essential stimulus feature in the environment that elicits a modal action pattern in a given species.

Supernormal Stimulus

An exaggerated or artificial stimulus designed to elicit an exceptionally vigorous or strong behavioral response beyond what a natural sign stimulus produces.

Appetitive Behavior

The early components of a behavioral sequence that bring an organism into contact with goal-oriented stimuli, divided into general search mode and focal search mode.

Consummatory Behavior

The final components of a behavioral sequence that complete an action toward a goal, divided into handling and consumption.

Habituation Effect

A progressive decline in behavioral responding that occurs with repeated presentations of an eliciting stimulus; it is non-associative, stimulus-specific, and sensitive to time and distraction.

Sensory Adaptation

A non-learned reduction in neuron responsiveness occurring at the sense organ when sensory receptors become temporarily overloaded or disabled by intense stimulation.

Response Fatigue

A temporary performance-based decrease in responding caused by exhaustion in muscle effectors or motor neurons, distinct from neural habituation.

Spontaneous Recovery

The return or recovery of a habituated response that occurs after a period of time has elapsed without stimulus presentation.

Dishabituation

The sudden recovery or restoration of a habituated response caused by the presentation of an unexpected distracting stimulus.

Sensitization Effect

An enhancement of an elicited behavioral response that occurs when an organism is already in an aroused or heightened emotional state.

Dual-Process Theory

A theory proposing that habituation and sensitization processes occur concurrently in different neural systems, with habituation occurring in the S-R system and sensitization occurring in the state system.

S-R System

The shortest neural pathway connecting sensory receptors to muscle effectors, which is activated every time an eliciting stimulus occurs and serves as the site for habituation processes.

State System

Neural mechanisms in the central nervous system that modulate overall responsiveness and activate only in the presence of arousing stimuli, serving as the site for sensitization processes.

Opponent Process Theory of Motivation

A theory stating that emotional reactions are biphasic and homeostatically regulated, consisting of a primary Process $a$ and a secondary opposing Process $b$ that strengthens with repeated experience.

Process a (Primary Process)

In opponent process theory, the initial affective response directly elicited by an emotionally arousing stimulus.

Process b (Opponent Process)

In opponent process theory, the compensatory opposite reaction elicited by Process $a$ to return the organism to emotional neutrality; it strengthens with repeated experience.

Aplysia californica

A sea slug species used as a primary animal model to study non-associative learning mechanisms through its gill and siphon withdrawal reflex.

Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

A stimulus that automatically elicits a behavioral response without any prior training or conditioning experience.

Unconditioned Response (UR)

An unlearned, automatic response elicited directly by an unconditioned stimulus without prior training.

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

An initially neutral stimulus or cue that comes to elicit a conditioned response after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus.

Conditioned Response (CR)

A response elicited by a conditioned stimulus whose occurrence is conditional on prior associative learning experience.

Object Learning

The classical conditioning process of associating different sensory features (such as visual cues and orosensory features) belonging to a single complex object.

Short-Delayed Conditioning

A classical conditioning procedure where the onset of the CS precedes the US by a short time and overlaps with it, resulting in rapid learning and acquisition.

Trace Conditioning

A classical conditioning procedure where the CS starts and ends before the US is presented, leaving a temporal gap (trace interval) between CS offset and US onset.

Long-Delayed Conditioning

A classical conditioning procedure where the CS precedes the US by a long duration, causing the CR to be delayed until right before the US arrives.

Simultaneous Conditioning

A classical conditioning procedure where the CS and US are presented at the exact same time, which generally yields weak conditioning due to lack of predictive value.

Backward Conditioning

A procedure where the US is presented before the CS, causing the CS to signal the end of the US or an inter-trial interval rather than predicting US onset.

Conditioned Taste Aversion (CTA)

A specialized form of classical conditioning, established in as little as one trial, where ingestion of a novel flavor CS paired with illness leads to future avoidance of that flavor.

Sign Tracking

A conditioned response (also known as autoshaping) in which an animal approaches and physically interacts with the CS cue (sign) that signals availability of a US.

Goal Tracking

A conditioned response in which an animal tracks and approaches the location of the goal object (such as a food cup) upon CS presentation rather than interacting with the CS cue.

Temporal Coding Hypothesis

The hypothesis stating that classical conditioning involves learning not only that a US is coming, but also the specific temporal timing of when it will occur.

Conditioned Inhibition

An associative learning process where a conditioned stimulus ($CS-$) acquires the ability to signal the absence or non-occurrence of an unconditioned stimulus.

Summation Test

A test for conditioned inhibition (also called compound-stimulus test) where a suspected inhibitory stimulus ($CS-$) is presented together with a known excitatory stimulus ($CS+$) to observe if it suppresses the expected CR.

Retardation of Acquisition Test

A test for conditioned inhibition where a suspected conditioned inhibitor ($CS-$) is repeatedly paired excitatory-style with a US to determine if acquisition of excitatory conditioning is significantly delayed.

Pseudo-Conditioning

A non-associative increase in responding to a neutral stimulus caused solely by prior exposure to an intense US, rather than a learned CS-US association.

Random Control Procedure

An associative control procedure where the US is presented at random times during both the CS and the inter-trial interval, maintaining equal probability of US occurrence across both.

Explicitly Unpaired Control

An associative control procedure where the CS and US are presented far apart on separate trials to prevent associative pairing while providing equal stimulus exposures.