CH 7 Learning (QUESTIONS) Flashcards
What did Pavlov study? (6)
The digestive processes of dogs and observed âpsychic reflexesâ
Wanted to know how much animals salivate depending on the food quality he gave them
Conducted a surgical procedure where he would attach tubes to the salvation glands to dogs to measure
Pavlov notices a problem: dogs start to salivate without any food in mouth, but when Pavlov entered the room (which they didnât initially do)
Pavlovâs study takes a turn: focused on studying this: noticed âpsychic reflexesâ
Dog starts salivating because they are predicting that they will be fed
What are 2 other terms for classical conditioning?
Pavlovian or Respondent conditioning
What type of learning occurs in classical conditioning?
Stimulus-stimulus learning (associating two stimuli together)
How does classical conditioning make responses more effective?
It provides an advance warning, so responses can happen faster and more efficiently
How can an unimportant stimulus gain meaning?
Through conditioning, it takes on symbolic value by predicting something significant
What is classical conditioning based on?
Reflexes (fixed action patterns/ unconditioned stimulus)
What happens when the NS is paired with the UCS multiple times?
The NS starts triggering the same response as the UCS
Example of UCS and UCR?
Food (UCS) â Salivation (UCR)
Example of NS being paired with UCS?
Bell (NS) + Food (UCS) â Salivation (UCR)
What happens to the neutral stimulus (NS) after repeated pairing with the UCS?
It becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS)
Example of CS and CR?
Bell (CS) â Salivation (CR)
What is an example of forward, delayed conditioning?
Bell (CS) rings â Food (UCS) appears â Salivation (CR)
Why is forward, delayed conditioning the most efficient form of conditioning?
The CS predicts the UCS, making learning stronger and faster
When does conditioning occur?
When the CR appears before the unconditioned stimulus UCS starts
Example of generalization
Yellow light (NS) â Air puff (US) â Eye blink (UR)
Presenting an orange light will generate the same response as the UR (eye blink, becomes generalized response)
What is the generalization gradient in classical conditioning?
Stimuli closer to the CS produces a higher probability of a CR
What does the phenomenon of generalization and discrimination suggest?
Suggests that conditioning can be context dependent (can adapt based off context)
What is the evolutionary purpose for discrimination?
Helps organisms identify subtle differences in the environment and react appropriately
Classical conditioning can occur faster when there is a(n) ______ _______
Emotional Component
What are 2 examples of a conditioned emotional response in humans?
Fetishes and Phobias
Who was Little Albert and what experiment did John B. Watson do to him? What did this experiment show about Conditioned Emotional Responses?
- Little Albert was a baby who was conditioned by Watson to fear white rats by pairing the rat (CS) with a loud noise (UCS), causing a fear response (CR)
- Little Albert developed a conditioned fear (CR) to the white rat (CS) and showed generalization to other similar stimuli, like a rabbit and a fur coat
Example of the generalization of conditioned fear responses
PTSD in war veterans: UCS can generalize to other UCS which can easily take over peopleâs lives
ex. Hearing fireworks can trigger a conditioned response to hearing bombs
Example of the law of effect?
Thorndikeâs puzzle box
What is the 3-term contingency in operant conditioning?
- Discriminative stimulus (SD): Sets the occasion for a response.
- Operant behaviour (R): The response made by the organism.
- Consequence (C): The result or outcome that follows the behaviour, influencing future responses.
