Learning: Classical Conditioning -> Pavlov

Classical conditioning

learning to illicit an involuntary response or reflex to a stimulus other than the original

conditioned

learned

Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)

the original stimulus

unconditioned response (UCR)

involuntary response to the UCS

Conditioned stimulus (CS)

previously neutral stimulus that cause the same involuntary response because it has been paired to the UCS

Conditioned response (CR)

Response to the CS

Pavlov’s Experiment

He took food (UCS) and gave it to dog in a dish; the dog would salivate (UCR). Then realized that when he brought out dish (CS), even when it had no food, the dog would salivate (CR)

Stimulus generalization

response to a stimulus similar to the original conditioned stimulus

Stimulus discrimnation

able to differentiate from the CS and another competing stimulus

Acquisition

process of learning (acquiring knowledge)

Extinction

when the response dies out if you eliminate the UCS

“Little Albert Experiment”

conducted by John Watson

• Little kid was exposed to a loud noise

USC (loud noise) → UCR (fear of loud noise)

• When the loud noise would come on, a rat would appear beforehand

CS (rat) → CR (fear of rat)

Conditioned taste aversion

conducted by John Garcia/also known as Garcia effect

• the exception to classical conditioning

• repeated pairing is not necessary; taste something once that’s awful and you never want to eat it again

• have these instincts due to evolution

  → specifically biological preparedness