Ch 3 - Resondent Conditioning

Respondent Conditioning

• Definition:

  • Deals with behaviors that are automatically elicited by stimuli.

  • Does not produce new behaviors but causes existing behaviors to occur.

  • Involves reflexive behaviors and involves learning new stimulus-response connections.

Key Concepts

• Operant Conditioning:

  • Behavior modification based on consequences.

  • Operant behavior interacts with the environment and can be altered based on its outcomes.

• Respondent Conditioning:

  • Also known as Pavlovian conditioning.

  • Involves behaviors elicited by specific stimuli that can be conditioned to new stimuli through pairing.

  • Produces new stimulus-response connections.

Terminology

• Unconditioned Reflex:

  • Reflexive stimulus-response relationships that do not require prior conditioning.

  • Includes Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS) and Unconditioned Response (UCR).

• Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS):

  • Stimulus that elicits an unconditioned response (UCR) without prior conditioning.

  • Example: Bright light causes pupil dilation.

• Unconditioned Response (UCR):

  • Automatic response to a UCS with no evaluation needed.

• Neutral Stimulus (NS):

  • Stimulus that does not elicit a response.

• Conditioned Reflex:

  • Occurs when an NS is followed by a UCS, leading the NS to signal the UCS, thus acquiring some of UCS's power.

  • Example: Repeatedly stating "light" before shining a flashlight eventually leads to pupil constriction upon just stating "light".

• Conditioned Stimulus (CS):

  • An NS that has been paired with a UCS, now eliciting a Conditioned Response (CR).

• Conditioned Response (CR):

  • Response to a CS, typically similar to the UCR.

Factors Influencing Respondent Conditioning

• Number of Trials:

  • More pairings of CS with UCS enhance the CS's ability to elicit the CR.

• Latency:

  • Optimal conditioning occurs when the CS precedes the UCS by about half a second.

  • Exception: Conditioned taste aversion.

• Schedule:

  • Greater response elicitation with consistent pairing of CS and UCS compared to occasional pairings.

• Degree of Association:

  • The stimulus most consistently associated with the UCS becomes the strongest CS when multiple neutral stimuli precede a UCS.

• Intensity:

  • Stronger conditioning occurs with more intense CS or UCS than with weaker stimuli.

Higher Order Conditioning

• 1st Order:

  • Pairing an NS with a UCS produces a UCR; afterward, the CS elicits a CR.

  • Example: Bell paired with food resulting in salivation, where bell alone elicits salivation after conditioning.

• 2nd Order:

  • A new NS is paired with the first CS, further conditioning occurs.

  • Example: Light paired with a bell to produce salivation; light alone eventually causes salivation.

  • Requires close pairing with the initial CS.

Respondent Stimulus Generalization and Discrimination

• Stimulus Generalization:

  • Similar stimuli to the CS tend to elicit the CR.

• Stimulus Discrimination:

  • Dissimilar stimuli to the CS are less likely to elicit the CR.

  • The more similar a stimulus is to the CR, the higher the likelihood of eliciting it.

Respondent Extinction

• Practicing the CS without the UCS leads to a reduction in the CS's ability to elicit the CR.

• Example: Repeatedly saying "light" without shining a light will eventually lead to a lack of response to "light".

Counterconditioning

• Involves conditioning a new response to a CS while extinguishing the previous CR.

• Most effective when the new response is incompatible with the original CR.

Common Respondent Conditioned Responses

• Biological Adaptive Responses:

  • Digestive system: Salivation, gastric juices secretion.

  • Circulatory system: Increased heart rate, blood flow.

  • Respiratory system: Coughing, sneezing, asthma attacks.

  • Other systems: Urinary, reproductive systems.

• Biological Preparedness:

  • Species have predispositions to be conditioned more readily by certain stimuli.

  • Example: Taste aversion in the digestive system.

Comparison: Respondent vs. Operant Conditioning

• Responses:

  • Respondent behaviors are typically reflexive; operant behaviors are voluntary.

• Reinforcement Mechanisms:

  • Respondent conditioning pairs NS with US before the response; operant conditioning reinforces after the response.

• Extinction:

  • Respondent: presentation of CS without US.

  • Operant: withholding the reinforcer after a previously reinforced response.

• Terminology Differences:

  • CSs elicit conditioned responses; Sds evoke encouraged responses.

Applications of Respondent Conditioning

• Aversion Therapy:

  • Pairing troublesome reinforcers with aversive events, applying counterconditioning rationale.

• Chronic Constipation Treatment:

  • Use of mild, non-painful electric currents to elicit defecation, applying the current consistently to condition a response.

• Treatment of Nocturnal Enuresis (Bed-wetting):

  • Bell-pad method where bell sounds upon urine contact to elicit awakening before urination.