B6 - Conditioned Reflexes

Question 1

Reflex responses that are conditioned are…

Answer 1

Learned.

Question 2

The final response has no direct connection to…

Answer 2

The secondary stimulus.

Question 3

What was the primary stimulus in Pavlov’s dog experiment ? The secondary one?

Answer 3

P - the smell of the food.

S - the ringing of the bell.

Question 4

The dogs salivated without the food when the bell was rung because…

Answer 4

The salivating to the bell was associated with the food and so the dogs were conditioned to salivate even without food.

Question 5

Describe how conditioned reflexes can increase survival in birds…

Answer 5

Some insects are brightly coloured, ( the secondary stimulus). These can be poisonous and make birds that consume them feel unwell, (primary). These birds connect feeling unwell with the colours of the insects, and they avoid the insect next time. This makes the bird and insect survive.

Question 6

Reflex responses can be modified. An example is…

Answer 6

If a hot plate is picked up, the impulse is to drop it for survival. This can be overridden by a neurone between the the brain and effector, saving the dinner.