Ch. 8 - Classical Conditioning

Question 1

How is classical/respondent conditioning different from operant conditioning (defined by the text)?

Answer 1

Respondent conditioning involves the manipulation of antecedent stimuli. Operant conditioning involves the manipulation of consequences.

Question 2

Define an unconditioned response (UR).

Answer 2

A bodily response that certain types of stimuli elicit (unconditioned stimulus, US).

Question 3

Give an example of a UR.

Answer 3

• gag reflex
• startle reflex
• blinking when air is puffed in eye

Question 4

Define the US, UR, NS CS and CR for Pavlov’s dog experiment.

Answer 4

US: meat powder
UR - initial: salivation
NS - initial: metronome
CS - outcome: metronome
CR- outcome: salivation

Question 5

What is trace conditioning?

Answer 5

the NS precedes the US, but the NS ends before the US is presented

Question 6

In what type of classical conditioning is the NS presented and then the US is presented before the NS ends?

Answer 6

Delay conditioning

Question 7

What is the least effective type of classical conditioning? Define it.

Answer 7

Backward conditioning: the US is presented before the NS

Question 8

Define simultaneous conditioning?

Answer 8

the NS and US are presented at the same time.

Question 9

What are the two most effective types of classical conditioning?

Answer 9

Delay and trace

Question 10

In what type of conditioning is the temporal proximity of the NS and US NOT important?

Answer 10

Taste aversion

Question 11

What famous experiment is an example of a conditioned emotional response?

Answer 11

Little Albert

Question 12

Why can there be some difficulty in measuring the emotional responses of CER?

Answer 12

Some responses are covert (However, some physiological covert responses can be measured)

Question 13

What is respondent extinction?

Answer 13

extinction of a CR

Question 14

How does respondent extinction occur?

Answer 14

The repeated presentation of the CS with out presenting the US. If the CS continues to occur in the absence of the US, the CR eventually decreases in intensity and they stops.

Question 15

What is discrimination?

Answer 15

Situation in which the CR is elicited by a single CS or a narrow range of CS’s

Question 16

What is generalization?

Answer 16

A number of similar CS’s or a broader range elicit the same CR

Question 17

How can generalization become enhanced during conditioning?

Answer 17

A number of similar stimuli are paired initially with the US.

Question 18

The strength of conditioning depends on…

Answer 18

• the nature (intensity) of the US and CS
• the temporal relationship between the US and CS
• the number of pairings
• contingency between the US and CS
• previous exposure to the CS

Question 19

In general, if the nature or intensity of the US increases then…

Answer 19

the effectiveness of conditioning increases as well.

Question 20

We say the are more intense stimulus is more ____.

Answer 20

Salient

Question 21

A stimulus is ____ likely to become a CS when paired with a US if the person has been exposed to that stimulus in the past without the US.

Answer 21

LESS

Question 22

In lecture, the unconditioned stimulus is defined as…

Answer 22

a pre-existing environmental trigger

Question 23

In lecture, the unconditioned response is defined as…

Answer 23

a response to the US, a reflex that is already present

Question 24

In lecture, the neutral stimulus is defined as…

Answer 24

the stimulus that precedes the US… the stimulus that becomes the CS but is initially neutral.

Question 25

What is the classical conditioning paradigm?

Answer 25

(During conditioning)
NS and US are presented together, resulting in the UR

(After conditioning)
CS: stimulus that, though initially neutral, comes to elicit a response
CR: a response that comes to be elicited from the CS

Question 26

What aspect of society thrives on using conditioned emotional responses?

Answer 26

Marketing; associating products/brands (NS–>CS) with good stimuli and emotions (US/UR)

Question 27

Are fears considered intrinsic?

Answer 27

No, most fears are learned and very few fears are built into is.

Question 28

Descrive phobias in terms of conditioning.

Answer 28

Initial trauma (US+UR) create an irrational fear to an otherwise neutral stimulus (CS+CR)

Question 29

What reflex response occurs before conditioning?

Answer 29

UR

Question 30

What stimulus elicits the UR before conditioning?

Answer 30

US

Question 31

What reflex response occurs as a result of conditioning?

Answer 31

CR

Question 32

What stimuli elicits the CR?

Answer 32

NS–>CS

Question 33

In lecture, what was the defined difference between operant and respondent conditioning?

Answer 33

Operant behaviours operate on the environment in order to produce a desired outcome.
Respondent behaviours anticipate changes in the environment predicted b stimuli that normally come before them.

Question 34

Describe drug taking behaviours in terms of classical conditioning.

Answer 34

US: pharmacological/chemical stimulation of the drug
UR: physiological effects of drug
CS: cues related to drug taking (ex. location, paraphernalia)
CR: physiological effects (compensatory response) following exposure to strongly associated CS