Ch 4 Vid 1 Acquisition and Extinction

Classical Conditioning

A learning process in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response.

Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

A stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response without any conditioning.

Neutral Stimulus (NS)

A stimulus that initially produces no specific response until it is paired with the unconditioned stimulus.

Acquisition

The phase in which the conditioned response is established through repeated pairing of the conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus.

Asymptote

The maximum strength of a conditioned response that can be achieved during the conditioning process.

Extinction

The process through which a conditioned response is weakened or eliminated by repeatedly presenting the conditioned stimulus without the unconditioned stimulus.

Spontaneous Recovery

The re-emergence of a previously extinguished conditioned response after a period of rest, demonstrating that the learned association is not completely gone.

Disinhibition

The recovery of a response during an extinction procedure due to the introduction of a novel stimulus.

Conditioned Response (CR)

The learned response to the previously neutral stimulus after it has been paired with the unconditioned stimulus.

Excitatory Conditioning

A type of conditioning that leads to an increase in the likelihood of a conditioned response, often associated with positive states.

Habituation

A decrease in response to a stimulus after repeated presentations, leading to diminished awareness of that stimulus.

Avoidance Behavior

Behavior enacted to prevent exposure to a conditioned stimulus that triggers an unconditioned response (e.g., anxiety).