Chapter 1

Respondent Conditioning Overview

  • Textbook Reference: Principles of Behavior, Eighth Edition by Richard W. Malott and Kelly T. Kohler

  • Chapter: Respondent Conditioning

Definition of Behavior

  • Behavior = Response

Types of Behavior

  • Respondent Behavior

    • Part of the organism’s genetic endowment

    • Characterized as unlearned or built-in responses to specific stimuli

  • Operant Behavior

    • Prone to change through its consequences

Examples of Respondent Behavior

  • Stimulus: Puff of air in the eye

    • Response: Eyeblink

  • Stimulus: Food in mouth

    • Response: Salivation

  • Stimulus: Low temperature

    • Response: Shivering

  • Stimulus: Irritation to nasal mucosa

    • Response: Sneezing

  • Stimulus: Stimulation to throat

    • Response: Coughing

  • Stimulus: Painful stimulation to the body

    • Response: Rapid withdrawal

  • Stimulus: Loud noise

    • Response: Startle reflex

Characteristics of Respondent Behavior

  • Reflex illustrates stimulus-response relationships

  • Example: High temperature elicits sweating

    • Stimulus: High temperature

    • Response: Sweating

Case Study: Sammy

  • Situation Overview:

    • Six-year-old boy named Sammy developed fear of the night after a burglary at his home.

    • Psychological strategies employed:

    • Imagining Batman alongside him for reassurance

    • Gradual exposure to darkness (e.g., turning off lights one at a time)

  • Results:

    • Reduction in the number of nights he was frightened

    • After 60 days of therapy, no further problems reported during a 3-month follow-up

Fundamental Concepts in Respondent Conditioning

  • Ivan Pavlov:

    • Noted for his experiments with dogs resulting in salivation based on stimuli.

    • Observation: Dogs salivated at the sight of the food and even at the sight of Pavlov entering the room.

  • Definitions:

    • Unconditioned Stimulus (US):

    • A stimulus that elicits a response without prior pairing with another stimulus (e.g., food).

    • Unconditioned Response (UR):

    • An unlearned response elicited by an unconditioned stimulus (e.g., salivation from food).

    • Conditioned Stimulus (CS):

    • A stimulus that elicits a response due to prior pairing with an unconditioned stimulus (e.g., a bell after training).

    • Conditioned Response (CR):

    • A response elicited by a conditioned stimulus (e.g., salivation at the sound of the bell).

Pavlov's Experiment

  • Procedure:

    • Initial trials involved pairing a bell sound with food presented to the dogs.

    • Eventually, the dogs salivated in response to the bell alone, indicating the bell had become a conditioned stimulus.

Respondent Extinction

  • Defined as presenting the conditioned stimulus without pairing it with the unconditioned stimulus or with an already conditioned stimulus.

  • Result: The conditioned stimulus loses its ability to elicit the conditioned response.

Application of Respondent Conditioning

  • Case Study: Little Albert

    • Experiment demonstrating phobia through conditioning.

    • Fear response developed through pairing a neutral stimulus (white rat) with an unconditioned stimulus (loud noise).

Contemporary Examples of Respondent Conditioning

  • Conditioned Happiness: Door chimes associated with a loved one (e.g., wife).

  • Phobia Development: A long-lasting, intense, and irrational fear acquired through respondent conditioning, such as nighttime fears in children.

Homework Questions

  • Define a phobia: A long-lasting, intense, irrational fear.

  • Respondent conditioning can lead to:

    • A neutral stimulus acquiring aversive properties when associated with unconditioned stimuli that provoke fear.

Summary of Concepts and Techniques

  • Respondent conditioning as a foundational principle of behavior analysis demonstrating the interplay between stimuli and responses.

  • Theoretically and practically significant for understanding behaviors' development and modification, including therapeutic interventions.