2PavlovianConditioning

Question 1

Describe the 4 elements of Pavlovian conditioning

Answer 1

Unconditioned Stimulus (US) – stimulus elicits an unlearned response; Unconditioned Response (UR) – unlearned response to a US; Conditioned Stimulus (CS) – stimulus to which an organism must learn to respond; Conditioned Response (CR) – learned response to CS

Question 2

Who popularized Pavlov’s research in the West as the fundamental basis for psychology?

Answer 2

John Watson

Question 3

What are some of the reasons why classical conditioning took off?

Answer 3

Consciousness & introspection is hard to measure; could objectively measure behaviour (can measure strength of association); it provided a set of principles about how behaviour worked

Question 4

What are some clinical applications of Pavlovian conditioning?;
How else can it be applied?

Answer 4

Understanding acquisition of fear; treating phobias; treating anxiety; overcome problematic behaviour;
To investigate other psychological phenomena (e.g. intergroup relations)

Question 5

What did Watson & Rayner in 1920 investigate in their experiments with Little Albert & rats?;
What did this result in?

Answer 5

Acquisition of emotional responses (coupled a rat with loud noise);
Generalised fear to all furry objects (i.e. rabbits & white fluffy beards)

Question 6

In the case of Little Albert, what was the US?;
What was the UR?
What was the CS?

Answer 6

Loud noise;
Being upset;
A rat

Question 7

In a typical conditioning experiment, describe stage 1;
Describe stage 2;
Describe stage 3

Answer 7

Habituation – CS presented alone;
Acquisition – CS presented along with US;
Extinction – CS presented alone again

Question 8

What are two factors that influence the acquisition curve?

Answer 8

Intensity of US (more intense, more rapid learning); order & timing (CS before US is better)

Question 9

What is it called when the CS is presented before the US but there is a delay between the end of the first stimulus & beginning of the second?

Answer 9

Trace Conditioning

Question 10

What’s the difference between interstimulus interval & trace interval?

Answer 10

Interstimulus is space between when CS starts & US starts; trace interval is space between end of CS & beginning of US

Question 11

What is it called when the US is presented before the CS?

Answer 11

Backward Conditioning

Question 12

Is there an optimal ISI (interstimulus interval)?;

Is there an optimal ITI (intertrial interval – space between trials)

Answer 12

It depends; with humans, probably 0.4 to 1 sec (if US is something like a shock);
The longer the better; if too short it can be confusing about which is causing the response

Question 13

What’s the optimal ISI for eyeblink reflex?;

Taste aversion?

Answer 13

Relatively short (around 300ms);
Need more time as it’s a slower process in the body (around half an hour)

Question 14

What two tests must an inhibitor pass to know if the organism has learnt anything?

Answer 14

Summation & retardation tests

Question 15

How is a retardation test conducted?

Answer 15

Inhibitory conditioning first (B becomes inhibitor); train inhibitor & a neutral stimulus to both become excitatory (slower learning to inhibitor I<N); should see less response with inhibitor than neutral stimulus; still resisting learning based on previous learning (less expectation from inhibitor)

Question 16

How is a Summation test conducted?

Answer 16

Inhibitory conditioning first (B becomes inhibitor); new excitatory CS presented alone (A); new excitatory CS + inhibitor (A+I); responses: A+I<A ; should sum together to mean we’d expect the US less than with A alone

Question 17

Explain the process of Excitatory Conditioning;
Explain the process of Inhibitory Conditioning;
What about Extinction?

Answer 17

CS predicts US; CS usually elicits CR;
CS predicts absence of US; no CR; requires tests;
CS becomes ambiguous

Question 18

Every time you go to statistics class your lecturer gives you chocolate. You see the same lecturer for learning & cognition class & receive no chocolate. When you return to statistics class you still expect chocolate. What is this an example of?

Answer 18

Renewal

Question 19

Is Extinction due to inhibitory conditioning?

Answer 19

No, as re-acquisition is much faster; we would see retardation if it was inhibitory

Question 20

What phenomena show us that extinction is not forgetting (passive decay) or unlearning?

Answer 20

Spontaneous recovery, renewal & reinstatement

Question 21

Explain Spontaneous Recovery

Answer 21

Occurs when the CS is reintroduced after a break; the CR reappears

Question 22

Explain Renewal

Answer 22

Occurs when extinction is context specific (acquisition in context x, extinction in context y, present CS in context x = CR)

Question 23

Explain Reinstatement (or reminder effect)

Answer 23

Present US alone after extinction; later present CS; present US again & CS will be expected, resulting in CR

Question 24

What were the hidden assumptions of classical conditioning?;

What two phenomena shows us these assumptions are wrong?

Answer 24

Any stimulus can be paired with any response (equipotentiality); the more 2 stimuli are paired, the stronger the individual will associate them (contiguity); conditioning changes trial to trial in a regular way (contigency);
Blocking & Superconditioning

Question 25

When a neutral stimulus & excitatory stimulus together are paired with the US, what is this called?;
What occurs in the learning process?

Answer 25

Blocking;

Learner does not form an association between the neutral stimulus & the US

Question 26

When a neutral stimulus & inhibitory stimulus together are paired with the US, what is this called?;
What occurs in this learning process?

Answer 26

Superconditioning;

Learner forms an association between the neutral stimulus & the US

Question 27

In Kamin’s 1968 study, when the rats in the blocking condition first heard a noise paired with the US (shock), then heard the noise & saw a light paired with the shock, what occurred?

Answer 27

They didn’t react to the light by avoiding the shock (they blocked it)

Question 28

In Rescorla’s 1971 study, when the rats were played a tone without a shock, then presented with the tone & light followed by a shock, then the light alone, what occurred?

Answer 28

They showed stronger conditioning to the light than rats in the control condition (superconditioning)

Question 29

Is pairing of CS & US sufficient for learning

Answer 29

Not if prior learning has taken place; surprise is necessary for learning (i.e. blocking & superconditioning)