Psych 104 unit6a

Habitualation

• Process of responding less strongly over time to a repeat stimuli (ex: learning to ignore a sound)

• Simplest & earliest form of learning

Sensitization

• Responding more strongly to a stimulus after repeated exposure

• Most likely if stimulus is dangerous or annoying

Non-associative learning

An individuals response to a stimulus changes in the absence of new stimulu

Types of non-associative learning

Habituation & sensitization

Classical conditioning

• Creating associations between 2 stimuli

• Discovered by Pavlov

Unconditioned stimulus

A stimulus that innately elicits a response (ex: food)

Conditioned stimulus

A stimulus that gains value through learning (ex: sight of your fave restaurant)

Unconditioned response

A unlearned response to an innately important stimulus (ex: salivation in response to food)

Conditioned response

A response elicited by a stimulus whose importance depends on past learning (ex: feeling hungry when you see your fave restaurant)

Classical conditioning phases

Acquisition, extinction, & spontaneous recovery

Acquisition

• Gradual association of CS + US

Extinction

• Loss of CR to CS

• CS presented without UCS

• Not forgetting, it’s an active process

Spontaneous recovery

• CR reappears after delay period

• See that original association still exists

Stimulus generalization

• Stimuli similar to the original CS elicits a response

• Adaptive, can respond to new threats quickly

Stimulus discrimination

• Less CR to CSs that are similair

• Adaptive, prevents over responding

• Creates discrimination by showing that other similar stimuli are not paired with the UCR

• Can do discrimination training

Acquisition of fear

“Little Albert” baby was shown a white rat then a loud noise player after. He became afraid of white rats on their own after this was repeated

Overcoming fear

• “Little Peter” was a child afraid of rabbits. He was shown a rabbit then given candy after, after this was repeated he wasn’t afraid of rabbits anymore

• Basis of exposure therapy

Higher order conditioning

• Organisms develop conditioned responses to CSs associated with the original CS

• Context of drug taking is higher CS

Classical conditioning to drug tolerance

• Developed enhanced tolerance to a drug in setting taken

• Conditioned compensatory response

• Drug tolerance is also learned

Classical conditioning in advertising

Neutral stimuli (product: CS) become attractive after being paired with attractive stimuli (ex: celebrity / attractive models UCS)

Preparedness

• Evolutionary predisposition to learn some pairings of fearful stimuli over others due to their survival value

• Predisposed fears such as snakes, spiders, cliffs over others

Conditioned taste aversion

• CC leads to avoidance of tastes associated with nausea

• Adaptive learning (to avoid dangerous foods)

• Happens rapidly & very long lasting

• Since chemotherapy causes nausea scapegoat candies are used prior to treatment

Operant conditioning

• Learning controlled by consequences of voluntary behaviour

• Behaviour shaped by rewards or punishment (operants)

BF Skinner’s operant chamber / Skinner box

• Allows immediate delivery of reward or punishment

• No human observation necessary

• 
  

Reinforcement

Any outcome that increases the probability of a response (ex: praise)

Positive reinforcement

• A reward is given

• Good for reinforcing desirable response

Negative reinforcement

• Removing something unpleasant

• Aversion & escape conditioning (ex: wearing a jacket to stop feeling cold)

• NOT punishment

Punishment

Any outcome that weakens the likelihood of a response

Positive punishment

Adding something unpleasant (ex: yelling)

Negative punishment

• Removal of pleasant stimulus (ex: grounding)

• Not very effective in children if interpreted as neglect

• Favoured over positive punishment

Issues with punishment

• Only temporary, doesn’t teach them to stop

• Reinforcement works much better