Chapter 3 - Classical Conditioning: Foundations Flashcards
What was the first major theoretical perspective of learning?
Behaviourism
What are the two theories of behaviourism?
- classical
2. operant
How does behaviourism attempt to explain human learning and behaviour?
All human learning and behaviour is a product of associations
What are the basic assumptions of behaviourism?
- principles of learning apply across all species (equipotentiality) therefore we can apply research findings from animal studies to humans
- S-R psychology (stimulus - response)
- focus on what can be measured and observed
- Today: stimulus - organism - response (takes internal processes into account) - organisms are born as blank slates
- aside from reflexes, we are shaped by our environment - learning is largely the result of environmental events
- beyond organism’s control
- we can predict behaviour based on history
- modern behaviourists do not agree with this anymore
What kind of learning did Pavlov study?
associative learning
What is associative learning?
New reflexes to stimuli can be acquired through learning (modify the reflex)
What is the end result of classical conditioning?
A conditioned reflex that is formed to a once neutral stimulus
What are two clues that tell us that reflexes are involuntary?
- they can be unlearned (unconditioned)
2. they can be learned (conditioned)
describe the classical pavlovian conditioning
before conditioning trials:
food –> salivation (food=unconditioned stimulus; salivation = unconditioned response)
after conditioning trials:
bell –> salivation (bell = neutral stimulus/conditioned stimulus; salivation = conditioned response)
What is object learning?
learning the properties of an object
What is the definition of classical conditioning?
It is a form of learning in which an association is formed between a stimulus/stimuli and another
When does a neutral stimulus become a conditioned stimulus?
Through learning
What is the reflexive line?
US — UR (what naturally occurs)
What is the pairing line?
NS + US (conditioning - pairing NS and US)
What is the result line?
CS—CR (happens reflexively)
What are some characteristics of classical pavlovian conditioning?
- can occur quickly (5 or 6, or even 1 pairing)
- most likely to occur if the CS is presented first (before the US, less likely at same time and almost never afterwards)
- involves involuntary responses (that are learned)
What are some examples of human learning?
- taste aversions
- phobias
- test anxiety (fear of failure)
What is generalization?
occurs when a stimulus, similar to the CS, elicits the CR
ex. bitten by a bulldog becomes a fear of all dogs
- similar properties have to be shared (adaptive evolutionarily)
What is discrimination?
occurs when the CR is made only to the CS and not to any other similar stimuli
ex. Pavlov’s dogs were conditioned to the note “C”
- showed discrimination when notes were far from C
- showed generalization the closer the piano got to C
Describe the study performed by Watson and Rayner in 1920 on conditioning emotional responses?
Little Albert
- conditioned a 9 month old to fear a white rat
rat - no fear
rats + noise
rat = fear
- little Albert generalized his response to fear white fluffly things as well
How can we condition fear in rats?
using a conditioned emotional response procedure
phase 1: trained to press lever for food
phase 2: trained to associate CS with US (shock)
phase 3: CS presented during lever pressing
Dependent variable: suppression ratio (indirect fear response) or freezing (direct fear response)
- change in response (decrease) = suppression
What is the suppression ratio?
CS responding/(CS responding + pre CS responding)
Describe the study that was performed by Ivkovich et. al (1999) on eye blink conditioning?
Pavlovian conditioned eye-blink response in 5 month old infants
CS = 750 ms tone
US = puff of air in eye
- group 1 (paired) - conditioning trials 12 seconds apart
- group 2 (not paired)
Describe the study performed by Smith and Roll (1967) on conditioned taste aversion?
- water deprived rats
- conditioning day: 0.1% saccharine in water
- sickness induced following saccharin exposure (X-Rays)
- control rats received sham radiation
- 24 hours after treatment, measured consumption of saccharin water in a two bottle choice test
- radiated rats avoided saccharin (only if the rats were radiated 24 hours after saccharin exposure did the association not form)
