ch8 respondent conditioning

Chapter 8: Respondent Conditioning

Section Overview

  • Basic Procedures

  • Higher-Order Conditioning

  • Measuring Pavlovian Learning

  • Variables Affecting Pavlovian Conditioning

  • Extinction of Conditional Responses

  • Conditioned Emotional Responses

  • Discrimination and Generalization of Respondent Behavior

  • Contrasting Respondent and Operant Conditioning

  • Respondent Conditioning and Behavior Modification

I. Basic Procedures

  • Ivan Pavlov (1849-1941)

    • Renowned psychologist known for his work in classical conditioning.

  • Unconditioned Reflex

    • Definition: Consists of an unconditional stimulus (US) and an unconditional response (UR).

  • Conditional Reflex

    • Definition: A reflex acquired through Pavlovian conditioning that consists of a conditional stimulus (CS) and a conditional response (CR).

Details on Reflexes

  • Unconditional Stimulus (US)

    • Definition: The stimulus that elicits an unconditional response.

    • Example: Meat powder causing salivation (US → UR).

  • Unconditional Response (UR)

    • Definition: The response elicited by an unconditional stimulus.

    • Example: Salivation in response to meat powder.

  • Conditional Stimulus (CS)

    • Definition: The stimulus that elicits the conditional response.

    • Example: Food dish causing salivation (CS → CR).

  • Conditional Response (CR)

    • Definition: The response elicited by a conditional stimulus.

    • Example: Salivation in response to the food dish.

Pairing in Conditioning

  • Basic pairing example:

    • CS → US → UR:

    • Clap (CS) → Bread (US) → Salivate (UR)

    • After conditioning: Clap (CS) → Salivate (CR)

  • Pavlovian Conditioning

    • Definition: The procedure of pairing a neutral stimulus (CS) with an US.

II. Higher-Order Conditioning

  • Higher-Order Conditioning

    • Definition: A variation of Pavlovian conditioning in which a stimulus is paired with a well-established CS instead of directly with a US.

    • Example:

    • Black square (CS2) leading to metronome (CS1) leading to salivation (CR).

III. Measuring Pavlovian Learning

  • Test Trial

    • Definition: In Pavlovian conditioning, the procedure of presenting the CS on some occasions without the US to determine whether learning has occurred.

IV. Variables Affecting Pavlovian Conditioning

  • Pairing CS and US

    • Types:

    • Trace Conditioning: CS begins and ends before US is presented.

    • Delayed Conditioning: CS and US overlap.

    • Simultaneous Conditioning: CS and US coincide exactly.

    • Backward Conditioning: CS follows the US.

  • CS-US Contingency

    • Contingency: A dependency between events, where one event (Y) occurs if and only if another event (X) occurs.

  • CS-US Contiguity

    • Contiguity: The closeness in time or space between two events, often affecting learning rates.

Stimulus Features

  • Compound Stimulus

    • Definition: Two or more stimuli presented simultaneously, often as a CS.

  • Overshadowing

    • Definition: The failure of a stimulus that is part of a compound stimulus to become a CS due to the presence of a more salient stimulus.

Prior Experience with CS and US

  • Latent Inhibition

    • Definition: The failure of a CR to appear as a result of prior presentation of the CS in the absence of the US.

  • Blocking

    • Definition: The failure of a stimulus to become a CS when it is part of a compound stimulus that includes an effective CS.

  • Sensory Preconditioning

    • Definition: A procedure where two neutral stimuli are paired together. One is later paired with a US, leading the other to elicit a CR even without pairing with the US.

  • Number of CS-US Pairings

  • Intertrial Interval

  • Other Variables Affecting Conditioned Responses

V. Extinction of Conditional Responses

  • Extinction

    • Definition: The procedure of repeatedly presenting a CS without the US, leading to a decrease or cessation of the CR.

  • Spontaneous Recovery

    • Definition: The sudden reappearance of a behavior following its extinction; implies that extinction does not erase the learning, just inhibits it.

VI. Conditioned Emotional Responses

  • Conditioned Emotional Response

    • Definition: An emotional response to a stimulus that is acquired through Pavlovian conditioning.

  • Types of Conditioned Emotional Responses

    • Negative (unpleasant): Fear, Anxiety, Anger.

    • Positive (pleasant): Love, Happiness, Pleasure.

VII. Discrimination and Generalization of Respondent Behavior

  • Discrimination

    • Definition: A specific CS or a narrow range of CSs elicits a CR.

    • Example: Fear of one specific dog.

  • Generalization

    • Definition: A number of similar CSs elicit the same CR.

    • Example: Fear of all dogs.

VIII. Contrasting Respondent and Operant Conditioning

Key Differences

  • Respondent Conditioning

    • Response is elicited.

    • Control is by antecedents.

    • Involves autonomic nervous system responses and smooth muscles and glands.

    • Example: CS (e.g., bell) leads to CR (salivation).

  • Operant Conditioning

    • Response is emitted.

    • Control is by consequences.

    • Involves voluntary actions using the skeletal muscles.

    • Example: SD (discriminative stimulus) leads to behavior (response) and is followed by reinforcement (SR).

IX. Respondent Conditioning and Behavior Modification

  • Applications

    • Relaxation training.

    • Treatment for fears/phobias (e.g., systematic desensitization).

    • Anger management training.

    • Treatment for enuresis (bed-wetting).

Chapter 8: Respondent Applications

Section Overview

  • Fear Conditioning

  • Conditioning & Advertising

  • Conditioning & Paraphilias

  • Conditioning & Taste Aversions

  • Conditioning & Immune Functioning

I. Fear Conditioning

  • Conditioned Emotional Response

    • Definition: An emotional response acquired through Pavlovian conditioning.

  • Key Researchers

    • John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner: Infant studies on innate fear (Little Albert experiment).

    • Arne Ohman: Research on pictures of snakes and fear conditioning using shock.

    • Instances like dentist and doctor visits: Fear can be conditioned.

  • Counterconditioning

    • Definition: Using Pavlovian conditioning to reverse unwanted effects of prior conditioning.

    • Example: Mary Cover Jones treating Peter’s fear of rabbits through gradual exposure.

    • Techniques: Systematic Desensitization, Virtual Reality therapy for phobias.

II. Conditioning & Advertising

  • Marketing Techniques

    • Pairing products with stimuli that elicit positive emotions (e.g., happy music, scenic backgrounds).

    • Gerald Gorn study comparing different music types in ads for their effects on product choice.

    • Ads for toothpaste often combine positive imagery.

  • Political Advertising

    • Negative conditioning: Pair competitors with negative emotion-evoking stimuli.

    • Placement of ads in adverse emotional contexts to evoke a stronger response.

III. Conditioning & Paraphilias

  • Definition: Sexual pleasure derived from socially disapproved acts.

    • Types: Voyeurism, Exhibitionism, Fetishism, Transvestism, Sadism, Masochism, Pedophilia, Rape.

  • Treatment Approaches

    • Aversion Therapy: A form of counterconditioning where a CS (e.g., inappropriate sexual arousal) is paired with an aversive US (e.g., nausea-inducing drug).

    • Example Cases:

      • Lavin's case of treating transvestism with aversion therapy.

      • Maletzky’s treatment of exhibitionists with unpleasant odors.

    • Note: Paraphilias can be particularly difficult to treat, especially in the cases of pedophilia and rape survivors.

IV. Conditioning & Taste Aversions

  • Conditioned Taste Aversion

    • Definition: An aversion acquired through Pavlovian conditioning to foods with a particular flavor.

    • Notable Research:

    • Garcia's studies on taste aversions following illness after eating specific foods.

  • Unique Characteristics

    • Can occur after one trial (e.g., Garcia's rat studies with sugar water).

    • Evolutionary Advantage: Quick learning to avoid harmful foods.

  • Case Examples

    • Brower's research on blue jays avoiding monarch butterflies, associating them with bad experiences.

    • Chemotherapy’s effects on taste aversions in cancer patients, suggesting dietary adjustments ahead of treatment could alleviate adverse reactions.

V. Conditioning & Immune Functioning

  • Research Insights

    • Mackenzie’s study: Patient developed an allergic reaction through Pavlovian conditioning to a specific stimulus (e.g., a fake rose).

    • Chemotherapy’s known immunosuppressive effects: Its association with other stimuli may lead to diminished immune responses.

  • Questions Raised

    • The potential to utilize Pavlovian conditioning to enhance immune system responses remains an open area of exploration in clinical psychology.

Chapter Review Questions

  1. Suppose your doctor advises you to eat liver, which you despise. How might you overcome your aversion to liver?

  2. You are a dietitian in charge of cancer patients at a hospital. How might you apply your knowledge of taste aversions to improve the health of your patients?

  3. Pavlovian learning usually requires CS-US intervals of no more than a few seconds. Taste aversion conditioning is an exception. Why does this exception exist?

  4. A man named Albert seeks help for an irrational fear of white, furry creatures. What strategies can a psychologist implement?

  5. Why are people more likely to develop aversions to foods they have not often eaten?

  6. How is Pavlovian conditioning used to sell beer?