WEEK 3 TUT LEARNING 1 - CLASSICAL CONDITIONING 2

Learning Objectives

  • By the end of the lecture students can:

    • Apply classical-conditioning concepts to new scenarios.

    • Explain and exemplify extinction.

    • Describe clinical applications of classical conditioning.

Foundational Concept: Learning

  • Defined as enduring, observable behavioural change produced by experience (environmental interaction).

    • Includes habituation and sensitisation.

    • Behaviourist lens emphasises observable output over internal states.

Classical Conditioning Refresher

  • Discovered by Ivan Pavlov; focuses on involuntary responses.

  • Core idea: learn an association between two previously unrelated stimuli.

Key Terminology

  1. Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS) – naturally elicits response without learning.

  2. Unconditioned Response (UCR) – reflexive response to UCS.

  3. Conditioned Stimulus (CS) – originally neutral; gains power via pairing.

  4. Conditioned Response (CR) – learned response to CS; formerly UCR.

Temporal Stages

  • Before conditioning: UCS → UCR; neutral stimulus ≠ response.

  • During conditioning: neutral stimulus precedes UCS repeatedly.

  • After conditioning: CS alone → CR (automatic).

In-Class Activity – Two Everyday Examples

  1. Lost Item + Black Cockatoos

    • Emotion: uneasy/panicky when hearing black-cockatoo calls now.

    • Demonstrates stimulus discrimination (other bird calls not aversive).

  2. Dog Bite → Dog Fear

    • General uneasy feeling toward all dogs; could reflect stimulus generalisation if fear extends beyond the specific dog.

Students asked to identify:

  • UCS, UCR, CS, CR

  • Whether generalisation or discrimination is observed.

Learning Efficiency & Exceptions

  • Typical conditioning requires multiple pairings.

  • Taste-Aversion Learning = exception; often one-trial learning.

    • Evolutionary logic: survival advantage to rapidly associate taste with illness.

Demonstration – Soup & Disgust (Rozin’s paradigm)

  • Participants rate soup desirability on 11–99 Likert scale:

    • "Clean fly-swatter soup": 82%82\% rated < 4 (dislike).

    • "Brand-new fly-swatter soup": 58%58\% rated < 4.

    • "Clean comb soup": 76%76\% rated < 4.

    • "Dog-bowl soup": 71%71\% rated < 4.

  • Highlights power of association principle even when contamination is objectively absent.

Biological Preparedness (Garcia & Koelling, 19661966)

  • Rats more readily link taste (CS) with nausea (UCR) than with light/sound.

  • When UCR is pain, reverse pattern: auditory/visual CS pair more easily.

  • Conclusion: organisms are biologically predisposed to form certain CS–US links.

Extinction, Spontaneous Recovery & Graphical Review

  • Acquisition: reinforced (CS→US) trials → rising CR magnitude (e.g., salivation).

  • Extinction: repeated CS-only presentations ↓ CR.

  • Spontaneous Recovery: after rest interval ≈120 min\approx 120\,\text{min}, CR partially re-emerges.

Therapeutic Applications of Extinction

  • Systematic desensitisation / Exposure therapy for height phobia.

  • Gradual, non-reinforced contact with feared stimulus → CS no longer predicts aversive US.

  • Similar protocol for dental fear and chemotherapy-related food aversions.

    • Incorporate counter-conditioning (pair CS with pleasant US) when appropriate.

Media Illustrations

  • Video: The Office "Pavlov Experiment" shows practical joke pairing computer chime (CS) with mint offer (US) → colleague expects mint upon hearing CS.

  • BMW ad reference—illustrates conditioning in marketing (brand CS + pleasure US).

Linking to Future Content – Operant Conditioning Preview

  • Students asked to reflect on behaviours in friends/pets they wish to increase or decrease.

    • Sets stage for reinforcement/punishment principles next class.

Action Items Before Next Class

  • Complete Week 33 quiz on Moodle.

  • Watch assigned video clip on operant conditioning.

  • Read textbook chapter on Operant Conditioning.

  • Continue Written Assignment (requires correct referencing).

  • Review Referencing & Plagiarism materials on Moodle.

Practical & Ethical Take-Aways

  • Responsible scholarship demands proper referencing; plagiarism penalties compromise academic integrity.

  • Understanding conditioning aids in therapy, marketing, habit change, and ethical considerations (e.g., respecting autonomy when applying behavioural techniques).