Classical Conditioning Flashcards
Classical conditioning
A neutral stimulus produces a response after being paired with a stimulus that naturally produces a response. A passive process that does not take into account when organisms engage in instrumental behavior
Unconditioned stimulus (US)
something that reliably produces a naturally occurring reaction in an organism
Unconditioned response (UR)
a reflexive reaction that is reliably produced by an unconditioned stimulus
Conditioned stimulus (CS)
a stimulus that is initially neutral and produces no reliable response in an organism
Conditioned response (CR)
a reaction that resembles an unconditioned response but is produced by a conditioned stimulus
Acquisition
The phase of classical conditioning when the CS and the US are presented together - gradual increase in learning occurs
Second-order conditioning
conditioning where the stimulus that functions as the US is actually the CS from an earlier procedure in which it acquired its ability to produce learning.
Extinction
the gradual elimination of a learned response that occurs when the US is no longer presented
Spontaneous recovery
the tendency of a learned behavior to recover from extinction after a rest period
Generalization
the CR is observed even though the CS is slightly different from the original one used during acquisition.
Discrimination
the capacity to distinguish between similar but distinct stimuli
Presenting drug addicts with cues associated with drug ingestion leads to what?
Cravings + withdrawal symptoms
Drug tolerance and setting
Setting functions as the CS, and the brain works to counteract effects (CR) prior to use of the drug The CR (as a protective function) in new locations either is reduced or does not occur at all. Can lead to overdose
Fear conditioning
Organisms learn to predict aversive events. An aversive stimulus is paired with a neutral context or neutral stimulus - results in fear response to neutral stimulus
Phobia
an acquired fear that is out of proportion to the real threat
Behavior therapy
therapy that applies learning principles to the elimination of unwanted behaviors
Counterconditioning
Procedure that conditions new responses to stimuli that trigger unwanted behaviors. Includes systematic desensitization and aversive conditioning
Systematic Desensitization
Associates a pleasant, relaxed state with gradually increasing anxiety-triggering stimuli. Commonly used to treat phobias
Exposure therapy
Treat anxieties by exposing people (in imagination or reality) to the things they fear and avoid
Which parts of the brain are implicated in trace and delay conditioning?
Cerebellum is critical for both delay and trace conditioning. Hippocampus is important for trace conditioning but not delay conditioning.
Which part of the brain is implicated in fear conditioning?
Amygdala
How can “freezing” be conditioned in rats?
“Freezing” can be conditioned in rats through pairing a tone and shock. Amygdala – midbrain connection produces freezing, amygdala - hypothalamus connection produces autonomic response.
Taste aversion
CS is the food, US is the bacterium and nausea is the UR. The CR becomes aversion to that food. Only requires one acquisition trial and aversion generalizes to taste or smell rather than ingestion. Occurs more often with novel foods than familiar ones
Biological preparedness
a propensity for learning particular kinds of associations over others
Aversive conditioning
Type of counterconditioning that associates an unpleasant state with an unwanted behavior (e.g. nausea and alcohol)
Delay conditioning
CS (tone) is followed immediately by the US (puff of air).
Increased overlap over time
Conditioning occurs after a few trials
Trace conditioning
involves an interval of time from when the tone ends to when the puff of air is delivered.
Is awareness of the relationship between the CS and US necessary for conditioning?
Delay conditioning does not require awareness but trace conditioning does. Informing participants in advance about the relationship between the tone and puff increased trace conditioning but not delay conditioning
What kind of conditioning do amnesiacs show?
intact delay conditioning but no trace conditioning
What kind of conditioning do individuals in a vegetative state/anesthesized state show?
Vegetative patients show trace conditioning while patients who have been anesthetized do not.
