Applications of Classical Conditioning

Question 1

Name some instances of CC in real life.

Answer 1

• Taste Aversion: Feeling nausea when we see a food that had previously made us sick.
• We associate burgers with salivation. We are constanty seeing the ‘golden M.’ Our appetite increases when we see the ‘golden M’ even if there is no burger.
• Conditioned immune response. Chemotherapy causes nausea, after eating the patient is nauseous –> the patient begins to think nausea is caused by the food.

Question 2

What is anxiety?

Answer 2

Apprehension about an anticipated issue

Question 3

What is fear or panic?

Answer 3

Apprehensive response to immediate threat or danger

Question 4

What are the three components of fear? (CPB)

Answer 4

• Cognitive/subjective
• Physiological
• Behavioural

Question 5

What are the types of anxiety disorders?

Answer 5

• Phobias
• Specific Phobias
• Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder)
• Agoraphobia
• Panic Disorder
• Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Question 6

Characteristic of anxiety disorders (3)

Answer 6

• Physiology and emotional experience
• Etiology
• Treatment methods

Question 7

Features that distinguish anxiety disorders (3).

Answer 7

• Nature and frequency of symptoms
• Emphasis on factors in theoretical models
• Treatment targets

Question 8

What is dual-processing theory & who was it proposed by?

Answer 8

• Both classical conditioning (fear) and operant
conditioning principles (escape and avoidance) play
a role in the onset and maintenance of anxiety
disorders

Mawer.

Question 9

What are some behaviours & habits associated with phobias?

Answer 9

• Feared stimulus, disproportionate
• Avoidance
• Interferes with normal functioning

Question 10

Name three types of phobias.

Answer 10

• Specific phobia
• Social phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder)
• Agoraphobia

Question 11

Phobias result for a process of ______.

Answer 11

overgeneralisation

Question 12

Can we determine CC to be the only cause of phobias? Why?

Answer 12

Many people with phobias have no direct experience – thus classical conditioning cannot be the whole story
• Many people in extremely frightening situations do not develop phobias

Question 13

What are the 6 factors influencing acquisition?

Answer 13

1. Observational learning
2. Temperament
3. Preparedness
4. History of control
5. Incubation
6. Selective sensitisation

Question 14

How does observational learning influence acquisition of fear?

Answer 14

• Observing fear reaction in others

I see in my mum:
Spider (NS) : observe fear (US) –> feel fear (UR)

Therefore, when I see a spider:
spider (CS) —> feel fear (CR)

Question 15

Describe the influence of temperament on fear conditioning:

Answer 15

• Base level of emotionality or reactivity to stimulation
• Genetically determined
• For example:
• Pavlov’s dogs that were shy and withdrawn more easily
conditioned than outgoing
• Little Albert selected due to emotional stability
• Generally, anxiety disorders show concordance in families
• Influences how easily an individual could develop a phobia

Question 16

Describe the influence of prepardness on fear conditioning:

Answer 16

• Predisposition in a species to learn specific associations more than others
• Inherited predisposition to fear specific objects or events
• Cook & Mineka (1989)
• Rhesus monkeys observed another reacting fearfully or nonfearfully to fear-relevant stimulus (e.g. snake) or fearirrelevant stimulus (flowers)
• Conditioned fear resulted from observing model reacting fearfully to fear-relevant stimulus
• Influences how easily a particular phobia could be acquired

Question 17

Describe the influence of History on fear conditioning:

Answer 17

History of control
• History of being able to control important events in
environment
• Having a degree of control reduces impact of traumatic events

Question 18

Describe the influence of Incubation on fear conditioning:

Answer 18

• Classically conditioned fears do not extinguish in way
expected (through repeated exposure to CS without US) due to avoidance – loss of opportunity
• If develop a fear through classical conditioning and then engage in escape/avoidance each time, the fear may grow worse (counters extinction and UR>CR rule)

Question 19

Describe the influence of Selective Sensitisation on fear conditioning:

Answer 19

• Increase in reactivity to a potentially fearful stimulus
following exposure to an unrelated stressful event
• Through periods of stress or anxiety, minor fears and
anxieties may become enhanced

During exam period, do minor events become more
severe?