Classical Conditioning Flashcards
Classical conditioning is learning via …
Association between stimulus and response
Neutral Stimuli (NS)
Something in the environment which does not initially cause a response
E.G. a dog would not normally salivate in response to a bell
Unconditioned Stimuli (UCS)
Anything that naturally has the power to produce a response in a human or animal
E.G. the smell of food
Unconditioned Response (UCR)
A natural reflex to an unconditioned stimulus
E.G. salivation in response to the presence of food.
Conditioned Stimulus (CS)
The neutral stimulus becomes the conditioned stimulus when it acquires the ability to produce a specific response
E.G. the bell (in Pavlov)
Conditioned Response (CR)
A learnt response to something that doesn’t naturally have the power to produce a response in a human or animal
E.G. Salivating to sound of the bell
Generalisation
When a stimuli similar to the CS produces the CR
E.G. the dog will salivate to stimuli similar to bells such as the door bell.
Discrimination
The CR is only produced in response to the CS and not to similar stimuli
E.G. the dog will only salivate in response to the specific bell it has been conditioned with.
Extinction
When the CR declines and disappears because the CS is repeatedly presented in the absence of the UCS
E.G. when the bell is presented repeatedly without food present the salivation will eventually disappear.
Spontaneous Recovery
When the CR reappears in a weakened form in response to the CS
E.G. , the bell is rung some time later and the dog will salivate a little.
Describe Pavlov
- 1927
- Dog’s salivation increased every time someone entered the laboratory
- The dogs associated the ringing of the bell on the door with arrival of food so the dogs salivated every time the bell rang
Aversion Therapy
A form of psychological treatment in which the patient is exposed to a stimulus while simultaneously being subjected to some form of discomfort
Supporting evidence
Supported by Pavlov and Little Albert which shows how this conditioning works
How is this reductionist?
Ignores other things such as biology
How is this deterministic?
Says you are merely operating through the formula, you have no choice in your actions
