Ch 6-6.1: Classical Conditioning

learning

the relatively persistent change in behavior because of experiences 

behaviorism

branch of psychology that is interested in recording and understanding the causes of animal and human behavior

two types of associative learning

classical conditioning

instrumental or operant conditioning

associative learning

type of learning where an animal makes connections between stimuli or stimuli and responses

stimulus 

something an animal can perceive through its senses

response

animal’s behavior or actions

in research, changes in responses can indicate learning

general process approach

idea that rules that govern associative learning are same across different species of animals

non-associative learning 

changes with experience that do not require making connections between stimuli and responses 

types of non-associative learning

habituation

sensitization

habituation

decline in response to a non-threatening stimulus

sensitization 

increase in response to stimuli after experiencing a painful or fear-inducing stimulus 

classical conditioning

type of associative learning researched by ivan pavlov where an animal makes a connection between two stimuli that are paired together in time

unconditioned stimulus 

stimulus that naturally produces a response without learning, such as food or a shock 

unconditioned response

natural response to an unconditioned stimulus, such as salivating to food or freezing when shocked 

conditioned stimulus 

animal changes its response to a CS with training

conditioned response 

response to cs after pairing cs with us

measure of learning

crucial components for classical conditioning to take place according to pavlov

1. cs and us need to be paired in temporal contiguity

2. cs and us must be paired together for several trials - acquisition

3. cs should come before us, making sound of bell predict coming of food

4. if there are two stimuli together, both paired with us, the animal makes an association with each of two stimuli independent of each other - independence rule

5. eventually, animal will show a maximal level of a conditioned response- asymptotic level of behavior

acquisition 

process of learning over several trials of pairing a cs and a us 

cr increases 

excitatory associations

connections made between cs and us during acquisition

area of brain that perceives cs makes excitatory associations with area of brain that represents us

inhibitory association

when cs predicts absence of us

pavlov thought that inhibitory connections compete with excitatory connections during extinction

extinction 

when cs is no longer presented with us after acquisition 

cr declines 

disinhibition

increase in cr during extinction because of a distraction

spontaneous recovery

after extinction and some time passes, animal is presented with cs again, which increases cr

rapid reacquisition

after extinction, if cs and us are paired again, cr increases much faster than normal pattern of acquisition 

autoshaping 

technique used in classical conditioning that often uses pigeons where a keylight is presented with food, and the animal comes to peck keylight as cr 

conditioned suppression 

technique used in classical conditioning where stimulus like a tone (CS) is paired with a shock US

CR is a decline in a previously established instrumental response, such as halting lever pressing when cs is present 

eyeblink conditioning 

technique used in classical conditioning where a cs is paired with a puff of air to the eye, and the cr is blinking when cs is present 

cs and us connection takes place in an area of the

cerebellum

conditioned taste aversion

technique used in classical conditioning where cs is food, and us is something that makes animal sick

cr is decline in animal’s willingness to eat the food in future

proboscis extension design 

technique used in classical conditioning with honeybees 

odor (CS) is paired with sugar water (US) and CR is extension of proboscis when odor is presented 

generalization 

finding that animals will respond to stimuli that are similar to original cs 

discrimination 

opposite of generalization 

degree to which an animal perceives two stimuli as different and will show a decline in a conditioned response 

overshadowing

finding in classical conditioning that if two stimuli are used as a cs and paired with us, the more salient of the two will gain more associative strength than the other

contradicts some of pavlov’s ideas about classical conditioning

blocking

procedure where one cs is conditioned, and then that stimulus is presented in compound with another stimulus, and both are paired with US

although second stimulus is paired with a US, it does not gain excitatory associative strength

contradicts some of pavlov’s ideas about classical conditioning

Rescorla-Wagner model 

model of classical conditioning that says for an animal to make an association, it must be surprised by what follows CS

predicts overshadowing and blocking 

systematic desensitization

presenting stimulus in a controlled and relaxing environment and allowing fear response to go down in presence of stimulus

involves extinction