Lecture_9_-_Classical_Conditioning

Learning

  • Definition: Change in behavior due to experience.

  • How do we learn?

    • Classical Conditioning: Learning to respond to a new stimulus associated with another stimulus that produces a response.

    • Operant Conditioning: Learning behaviors through experiences with their consequences.

    • Observational Learning: Learning via observation and imitation.

Conditioning

  • Classical Conditioning: Learning to respond to a new stimulus associated with an existing stimulus.

  • Pavlov's Experiment:

    • Studied digestion in dogs.

    • Noticed dogs salivated at the sight of food dishes.

    • Experimented with food and a neutral stimulus (bell).

    • Measured salivation in response to bell presented alone.

Pavlov – Classical Conditioning (Terms)

  • Unconditioned Stimulus (US): Automatically elicits a response without prior conditioning.

  • Unconditioned Response (UR): Innate response to the unconditioned stimulus.

    • Example: US = food; UR = salivation.

Pavlov – Classical Conditioning (Terms)

  • Conditioned Stimulus (CS): Previously neutral stimulus that elicits a conditioned response due to its association with a US.

  • Conditioned Response (CR): Learned response to a stimulus that did not initially elicit the response.

    • Example: CS = bell; CR = salivation.

Classical Conditioning (Terms)

  • Acquisition: Stage where the association between US and CS is being learned.

  • Generalization: Conditioned response occurs to similar stimuli, not just the CS.

  • Discrimination: Conditioned response occurs only to a specific stimulus.

Classical Conditioning (Terms)

  • Extinction: Failure to show CR to CS when CS no longer predicts the US.

  • Spontaneous Recovery: Brief reappearance of CR to CS after extinction, often short-lived.

Classical Conditioning (Terms)

  • Second-order Conditioning: New neutral stimulus becomes associated with the previously conditioned stimulus; weaker than first-order conditioning.

Classical Conditioning – Conditioned Aversion

  • Conditioned Aversion: Classically conditioned association causing an unpleasant response.

    • Example: John Garcia's (1966) study on rats developed aversions to flavored water.

Classical Conditioning – Learning to Fear

  • Little Albert Experiment: Watson & Raynor (1920) paired a loud noise with a rat, instilling fear in Albert, who generalized this fear to other similar fuzzy objects.

Classical Conditioning - Counterconditioning

  • Counterconditioning: Replacing an unwanted conditioned response (CR) with a desired response.

    • Example: Pairing a rabbit (CS) with cookies to produce pleasant feelings that compete with fear response.

  • Purpose: To eliminate unwanted responses.