Classical conditioning Flashcards
Classical conditioning
A simple form of learning which occurs through repeated association of 2 different stimuli
Has taken place when a certain stimulus produces a response that it did not previously elicit
UCS
a stimulus which naturally produces a response or a reflex
Pavlov: food
UCR
the response that occurs automatically when a stimulus (UCS) is present
Pavlov: salivation due to food
NS
a stimulus which did not provoke a response prior to learning
Pavlov: the bell
CS
the once neutral stimulus becomes the conditioned stimulus after numerous pairings with the UCS
Pavlov: the bell
CR
a learned reflex response to a NS/CS
Pavlov: salivation due to bell
3 phase process
Before, during and after conditioning
Pavlov’s experiment 3 phase process
Before conditioning, the UCS (food) would produce the UCR (salivation due to food).
During conditioning, the repeated pairing of the NS (bell) with the UCS (food) would elicit the UCR (salivation due to food)
After conditioning, the NS (bell) becomes the CS (bell) and elicits the CR (salivation due to bell)
Stimulus generalisation
The organism will respond by producing a CR to stimuli that are similar to the CS
The greater similarity between stimuli, the greater the similarity in the response
Pavlov: dog’s would salivate to a bell, chime and an alarm clock
Stimulus discrimination
The organism only responds to the CS and no other similar stimuli
Example: dog gets excited when you put your Nike runners on, not any other white shoes
Extinction
Occurs when a CR no longer occurs
when the UCS is no longer presented with the CS over a period of time
Eventually the CS becomes meaningless, CR stops
Spontaneous recovery
Extinction has occurs and a rest period takes place
when the CS is reintroduced, the CR appears again but it weaker than when first conditioned
