Chp 4 Flashcards
Learning helps individuals…
Survive in an ever changing environment
Phylogenetically selected behaviors
Behaviors we inherit from our parents. They are well suited to stable environmental conditions. It’s a natural selection process that provides a survival advantage
Moro reflex
Reflex when head support is lost. Extended head, widely spread arms w palms in front, finger extended
Palmar grasp reflex
Pinky fingers in the palm of infants can hold its weight
A stimulus elicits a response when
A specific stimulus occasions a specific reflex response
Why are reflexes/responses so adaptive?
Bc they only occur at the moment they will increase the individual’s likelihood of survival
Habituation
Gradual reduction in responding following repeated presentations of the eliciting stimulus. (Your mouth salivates less the more you eat something in one sitting)
“Nature only” world:
Completely reflexive actions. All behavior would be elicited by stimuli. We wouldn’t learn from our experiences and we wouldn’t adapt to new environments
Evoke
When a stimulus causes a non-reflexive response it is evoked
Neutral stimulus
Doesn’t evoke a response
Unconditioned stimulus
Stimulus that elicits a response without any prior learning
Unconditioned response
Response reliably elicited by the unconditioned stimulus
3 things learned during Pavlovian conditioning
- The conditioned stimulus signals a delay reduction to the unconditioned stimulus (the time to the next US is less than before)
- The CS signals when the US is coming (if the US reliably occurs 10 seconds after the CS onset, the CS will not immediately evoke the CR). CR’s are timed to the delivery of the US so learning occurs when the US occurs.
- The CS signals which US is coming.
Ways to increase efficacy of Pavlovian conditions
- Use an important US
- Use a salient CS (noticeable)
- Use a CS that signals a large delay reduction to the US
- Make sure the CS is not redundant
Delay-reduction ratio
Measures the amount of delay reduction signaled by CS
1st: determine the avg time bw US events
2nd- measure the CS>US interval
3rd- enter these two values into the delay reduction ratio
Blocking effect
When a established CS blocks the redundant neutral stimulant from acquiring CS function
Pavlovian generalization.
Conditioned responding to a novel stimulus that resembles the CS.
Generalization gradient
Spectrum from discrimination to over generalization.
Discrimination: only the exact CS will elicit the CR
over generalization: anything that remotely resembles the CS will elicit the CR
Pavlovian extinction theory
The procedure of repeatedly presenting the CS without the US, the effect of which is a reduction or elimination of the CS’s ability to evoke the CR.
Now know an graduated exposure therapy
Graduated exposure therapy
The client is gradually exposed to successively stronger approximations of the CS. Before each new CS-approximation is presented, steps are taken to reduce/eliminate any fear evoked by the prior CS-approximation
Spontaneous recovery
The increase in conditioned responding following the passage of time since Pavlovian extinction
Extinction based therapies
Will be more effective when several sessions are conducted, sessions are conducted often, sessions continue until the CS no longer evokes CR
Taste aversion learning
Example: getting sick after eating cheese, the sight of cheese makes your stomach turn
Mary cover Jones
First one to use operant conditioning. Little Peter experiment: moved the rabbit closer and closer until fear dissolved
