PSYC2050 Learning & Cognition — Classical Conditioning Flashcards

A comprehensive set of practice flashcards covering classical conditioning basics, phases, timing, learning processes, extinction, and key phenomena drawn from the lecture notes.

What does US stand for in classical conditioning, and what does it do?

Unconditioned Stimulus; a stimulus that naturally elicits an unlearned response without prior learning.

What does UR stand for in classical conditioning?

Unconditioned Response—the natural, unlearned response to the US.

What does CS stand for in classical conditioning?

Conditioned Stimulus—the initially neutral stimulus that, after pairing with the US, comes to elicit a response.

What does CR stand for in classical conditioning?

Conditioned Response—the learned response to the conditioned stimulus.

List the four elements of classical conditioning.

Unconditioned Stimulus (US), Unconditioned Response (UR), Conditioned Stimulus (CS), Conditioned Response (CR).

What is acquisition in classical conditioning?

The learning phase during which the CS is paired with the US, leading to an increasing CR.

What is extinction in classical conditioning?

The process by which the CS is presented without the US, causing the CR to weaken; not erasing the original association, just new learning.

What is spontaneous recovery?

The reappearance of the CR after a break following extinction when the CS is presented again.

What is renewal in classical conditioning?

CR reappears when the CS is tested in a context different from where extinction occurred.

What is reinstatement?

Reappearance of the CR after presenting the US again following extinction, when the CS is later presented.

What is excitatory conditioning?

A type of conditioning where the CS predicts the occurrence of the US (CS+US paired).

What is inhibitory conditioning?

A type of conditioning where the CS predicts the absence of the US (predicts no US).

What is the retardation test?

A test for conditioned inhibition; after inhibitory conditioning, pairing the supposed inhibitor with a US shows slower learning than a neutral stimulus.

What is the summation test?

A test for inhibition; presenting an inhibitor with a new excitatory CS results in a weaker CR than the new CS alone.

What is blocking?

When a well-established CS blocks learning about a new CS that is paired with the same US; the new CS fails to elicit a CR.

What is superconditioning?

The opposite of blocking; an inhibitory CS previously paired with the US can lead to stronger conditioning to a later paired CS.

What is delay conditioning?

CS begins before and overlaps with the US; typically yields faster acquisition.

What is trace conditioning?

CS ends before the US is presented; there is a temporal gap between CS offset and US onset.

What is simultaneous conditioning?

CS and US start at the same time; learning is typically weaker than delay conditioning.

What is backward conditioning?

CS follows the US; generally produces little or no conditioning.

What is temporal conditioning?

A time-based cue (such as a clock or time of day) predicting the US.

In eyeblink conditioning, what are the CS and US?

CS: a tone; US: an air puff; UR: eyelid blink; after conditioning, the tone can elicit the CR (blink).

What are the four basics elements Pavlov studied in his salivation experiments?

US (food) elicits UR (salivation); after conditioning, CS (bell) elicits CR (salivation).

What did Watson & Rayner’s Little Albert study demonstrate?

Acquisition of conditioned fear and generalized fear to other stimuli.

What are the two main forms of associative learning discussed in Weeks 2-5?

Classical Conditioning (Pavlov) and Operant Conditioning (Skinner).

What is habituation?

Non-associative learning: decline in response to a repeated, unimportant stimulus.

What are the typical phases of a conditioning experiment?

Habituation, Acquisition, Extinction.

What are equipotentiality, contiguity, and contingency in classical conditioning?

Hidden assumptions that are challenged by phenomena like blocking and superconditioning: equipotentiality (any two stimuli can be paired), contiguity (more pairings strengthen associations), and contingency (consistent CS–US relation).

What is the Free Energy Principle in brief?

Karl Friston’s theory that biological systems minimize long-term surprise (entropy) to maintain order, unifying action, perception, and learning as a predictive Bayesian brain.