Classical Conditioning Flashcards
What is classical conditioning?
A three-phase process that involves developing an association with a stimulus (or stimuli) that results in a learned response. Usually requires repeated association for the response to be learned.
Classical conditioning is an…
involuntary response.
What are the three phases of classical conditioning?
> Pre-conditioning (baseline phase)
> During conditioning (acquisition)
> After conditioning
What happens during the baseline phase?
There is neural stimulus that causes no response, but an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) produces an unconditioned response (UCR)
What is acquisition?
The development of a conditioned response through the repeated association between the UCS and NS
What happens after conditioning?
An association is made between the now conditioned stimulus, producing a conditioned response.
What is extinction?
The disappearance of the conditioned response following a lack of pairing of the unconditioned stimulus with the conditioned stimulus.
It occurs if the conditioned stimulus was used repetitively without being paired with the unconditioned stimulus.
What is spontaneous recovery?
Recovery follows extinction and a rest period where the conditioned response reappears at the presentation of the conditioned response.
It occurs if the conditioned stimulus wasn’t used for a period of time, and when after a while it is used a causes a small conditioned response.
What is stimulus generalisation?
Generalisation occurs when another stimulus similar to the conditioned stimulus produces a conditioned response.
What is stimulus discrimination?
Discrimination occurs when the conditioned response only occurs to the original stimulus.
What are conditioned reflexes?
Where the effects of classical conditioning, can become a specific phobia
What is aversion therapy?
The application of classical conditioning where a person with an unwanted behaviour learns to associate the unwanted behaviour with an unpleasant event
What ethical considerations were breached in the Little Albert experiment?
> No physical or psychological harm must come to participants, which was ignored as ‘Little Albert’ left the study psychologically harmed with a fear of many furry objects.
> Failed to obtain informed consent from the participant or in this case, his mother on his behalf.
> Wasn’t debriefed and reversed effects of the experiment if harm did occur, which would involve extinction of the conditioned response.
