Classical conditioning 1

What is classical conditioning

its where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus, and eventually triggers a similar response on its own

Describe Pavlov’s experiement

• he trained the dogs that the sound of a bell signalled the delivery of food.

• prior to learning, the bell is neutral stimulus that would only provoke an orienting response (the dog would look for where the sound was coming from) or no response.

• the food is a biologically relevant stimulus that would provoke responses related to eating. The dog would salivate – and the saliva contains enzymes that begin the digestion of food

 

• during learning, the sound of the bell is repeatedly paired with the delivery of food

• the dogs can learn that the event of the bell signals the event of food

• with repeated pairings, an associative link forms between the bell and the food

• once, an association between bell-food has been formed, presentation of just the bell will lead to the salivation

• the presence of the tone activates the memory for food via the associative connection

• we see salivation, even if no food is present

What is an unconditioned stimulus

a biologically relevant stimulus that will elicit a response without any learning, e.g. food

What is an unconditoned response

an innate response to a stimulus elicited without any learning, e.g. salivation

What is a conditioned stimulus

a previously neutral stimulus that comes to elicit a conditioned response after being paired with something biologically significant, e.g. tone

What is a conditioned response

the response that is elicited by the conditional stimulus after conditioning has take place

What is excitatory conditioning

its where the conditioned stimulus (CS) predicts the presence of the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) — and the learner begins to expect something will happen when the CS appears

What is inhibitory conditioning

its where the conditioned stimulus (CS) predicts the absence of the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) — meaning the organism learns that something won't happen when that CS is present

What is inhibitory learning

learning that a specific stimulus predicts the absence of an expected outcome, suppressing a conditioned response

• we don’t unlearn a fear, instead we acquire a new learning pathway

• e.g. a safety signal (e.g. a green light) inhibits fear of a dangerous cue

Describe Wasserman, Franklin & Hearst (1974) study

• Group 1: light – food

Excitatory, as the light predicts presences of food

 

• Group 2: light – no food

Inhibitory, as the light predicts absence of food

 

• Group 3: light / random food

No learning, as the light-food parings are random

 

• Measure which half of the box the pigeon stands in when the light is on

• Excitatory versus inhibitory learning is indexed via the percentage of time the pigeons spend near the light

• More than 50% time near the light = approach behaviour = excitatory

• Less than 50% time near the light = avoidance behaviour = inhibitory

• Around 50% in each side of the box = no preference

• An inhibitory conditional stimulus elicits the opposite response to an excitatory conditional stimulus. However, sometimes the inhibitory properties of a conditional stimulus are not evident.

Learning is explained via

a conceptual nervous system, each node represents a stimulus in the environment

Learning consists of the establishment of

connections (associations) between the mental representations of the conditional stimulus and the unconditional stimulus

Describe the summation test but the experimental group

• Tone - food

• Light - no food

• Tone: excitatory conditional stimulus which activates salivation

• Light: inhibitory conditional stimulus which inhibits salivation

 

• The presence of the inhibitor at test counteracts the excitatory response

• We see less salivation when the tone and light are presented at test

Describe the summation test but the control group

• Tone – food

• Light – no consequence

 

• Tone: excitatory conditional stimulus which activates salivation

• Light: neutral stimulus which has no effect

 

• The presence of a neutral stimulus has no effect on the excitatory response

• The addition of the light at test does not alter salivation response to the tone

Excitatory associations can form between

nodes

Inhibitory learning establishes an

inhibitory link between the inhibitory conditional stimulus and the unconditional stimulus

Presentation of the excitatory conditions stimulus results in activation of the

unconditional stimulus node, we see a strong conditioned response

If the inhibitory conditional stimulus is present it will

counteract the excitatory conditional stimulus activation of the unconditional stimulus node, we see a weaker conditioned response

What is habituation

a decrease in response to a repeated stimulus over time due to familiarity or lack of significance