Unit 4 (Part 1)

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)

something that elicits a natural response

Unconditioned Response (UCR)

natural, involuntary response

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

an originally irrelevant stimulus that comes to trigger a particular behavior

Conditioned Response (CR)

the learned response that initially occurred to the unconditioned stimulus and now occurs to the conditioned stimulus

Acquisition

Learning has taken place when the animal/person responds to the conditioned stimulus

Higher Order (aka second order) Conditioning

a procedure in which the conditioned stimulus in one conditioning experience is paired with a new neutral stimulus, creating a second (often weaker) conditioned stimulus.

Extinction

the diminishing of a CR if the CS is not presented with the UCS

Spontaneous Recovery

the reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response after a rest period

Generalization

after conditioning, the tendency for a stimulus, similar to the CS, to evoke a similar response

Discrimination

the learned ability to distinguish between CS and another stimulus

Learned Helplessness

the hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or person learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events

Garcia Effect (Taste Aversions)

once nauseous on particular food then always nauseous - taste aversions

Little Albert Experiment

• Little Albert feared loud noises but not white rats.

• Loud noise (UCS) – fear (UCR)

• Presentation of rat (NS) – no fear

• Pair rat (NS) and loud noise (UCS) – fear (UCR)

• After several repetitions, the sight of the rat (CS) produced fear (CR)