A-level Psychology key content part 2

what significance did timing have in pavlov’s experiment

if NS cant be used to predict UCS and time difference is too big then conditioning doesn’t occur

what is extinction in pavlov’s experiment

If the CS is shown without the UCS, the conditioned response fades.

spontaneous recovery

After extinction, when the CS and UCS are paired again, the connection is relearned faster

what is stimulus generalisation

once an animal has been conditioned they also respond similar to other stimuli that are similar

what happened when the rat first pressed the lever

a food pellet fell so the rat began pressing it constantly (positive reinforcement)

how did they stop the rat pressing the lever the first time

stopped dispensing food (extinction)

what happened when the loud sound was played

the rat pressed the lever to get rid of it (unpleasant stimuli)

what did the lever stopping the loud sound do to the rat

acted as a reward for the rat

what happened when the electrical shock was delivered

the rat stopped pressing the lever as it gave him a shock

what did the electric shock act as

a punishment

what are schedules of reinforcement

continuous reinforcement solidifies a response but a variable ratio of reinforcement is more effecting in maintaining the response to avoid extinction

what are practical applications of behaviourist and operant approaches

-classical conditioning had led to treatment of phobias

-operant conditioning has led to token economy

what is controlled environment in regards to behaviourist and operant approaches

-by manipulating consequences of behaviour skinner could measure its effect on rats behaviour

what is deterministic approach to behaviourist and operant approaches

-both classical and operant conditioning are deterministic

-behaviour is controlled by external forces

-disregarding the role of free will is unrealistic

-involves cognitive thinking

what is animal testing in regards to behaviourist and operant approaches

Pavlov and Skinner both use animals during their experiments which tells little about HUMAN behaviour

what is oversimplicism in regards to behaviourist and operant approaches

-behaviourist focuses solely on the role of learning via conditioning

-ignores and other factors that may play a part in human behaviour

-holistic approach

Who was “Little Albert”?

A 9-month-old boy used in the experiment; his real name was not revealed for anonymity.

What was Little Albert’s initial reaction to animals?

He showed curiosity, tried to play with them, and had no fear.

What stimulus was paired with the animals to create fear?

A loud steel bar being hit behind his head.

What was Little Albert’s first reaction to the loud noise?

He was startled and held his breath for a second.

How did his reaction change after a second loud noise?

His lip trembled, and he cried—the first strong emotional response during the experiment.

At 11 months old, what was Little Albert’s reaction to the white rat before pairing it with the noise?

He was naturally curious and reached out to touch it.

What happened when the white rat was paired with the steel bar noise?

He jumped in fear, buried his face in the mattress, and later whimpered which was repeated 5 times

What was the result of repeatedly pairing the rat with the noise?

Little Albert developed a fear of the white rat.

How did Little Albert respond to the rat without the noise after conditioning?

He turned his face away, whimpered, and cried—showing a conditioned fear.

What was the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) in the experiment?

The loud steel bar noise.

What was the unconditioned response (UCR)?

Fear/startle response to the loud noise.

What was the conditioned stimulus (CS)?

The white rat.

What was the conditioned response (CR)?

Fear of the white rat.

how many times did they repeat the loud sound when he was 11 months old

5 times