Learning and Classical Conditioning (Notes Review)

Flashcards covering the basic concepts of learning and classical conditioning, including definitions of learning, the conditioning process, and its key stages (acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery).

What is learning?

Learning is knowing something you did not know before or being able to do something you were previously unable to do; it is a fundamental concept in psychology that can shape habits, beliefs, personal traits, emotional preferences, and responses, and it underlies changes in observable behavior.

What type of learning is classical conditioning?

A type of learning in which a neutral stimulus comes to elicit a response that originally was produced by a different stimulus, through pairing with that stimulus.

What are the three processes described in classical conditioning in these notes?

Acquisition, Extinction, and Spontaneous Recovery.

Acquisition (in classical conditioning)

The initial stage of learning where a conditioned response is formed; its success depends on the contiguity or repeated pairing of stimuli in time and space.

Extinction (in classical conditioning)

The gradual weakening or reduction of the conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus is no longer paired with the unconditioned stimulus.

Spontaneous Recovery

The reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response after a period without exposure to the conditioned stimulus.

What happens to a neutral stimulus in classical conditioning?

Through pairing with an unconditioned stimulus, it acquires the ability to elicit the conditioned response.

What is the relationship between learning and observable behavior?

Learning is the process that underlies observable changes in behavior.