Classical Conditioning (Pavlov + that) Flashcards
Define ‘learning’
Relatively enduring change in behaviour resulting from experience
What is learning based on?
Associating events in time
Connects stimuli to responses
What is CLASSICAL conditioning?
Association of NEW EVENT w/INNATE REFLEX (ex. knee-jerk)
What is OPERANT conditioning?
Association of NEW EVENT w/VOLUNTARY behaviour
What does Pavlov believe as a behaviourist?
That we should focus on OBSERVABLE behaviour
What did Pavlov study?
Physiology of digestion - unlearned the automatic salivary reflex
DEFINE: Unconditioned Stimulus
a stimulus that is not learner.
Produces a reflexive response
DEFINE: Unconditioned Response
a response that is reflexive
Ex. salivation
What is a NEUTRAL STIMULUS?
something that occurs but doesn’t cause the UR
Describe how a CR is formed*****
- repeated trials cause connections to form between NS and US -> causes UR
- this repeats, and the NS becomes the conditioned stimulus.
Ex. dog associates salivating (UR) with bell ringing (NS)
What is EXTINCTION?
When the cue is no longer predictive of the US
CS-CR association weakens
the learned thing goes back to being a NS
Can extinguished associations recover?
YES.
- CS-CR association is weakened NOT erased.
What is generalisation?
a stimulus like the initial stimulus* can also prod. a CR
*NOT IDENTICAL TO ORIGINAL STIMULUS
What is stimulus discrimination?
Similar stimuli that do not signal US will NOT prod. CR
If you don’t pair similar things then a response won’t happen
Define ‘phobia’
Acquired fear out of proportion to the real threat. Generalisation from experience
Ex. Little Albert
Describe what ‘Conditioned Taste Aversion’ is
When you avoid a food due to a bad experience»_space; ex:
- pie is the NS
- Flu is the UCS
- nausea is the UCR
- the pie becomes paired w/ the flu
- pie becomes the CS that causes nausea
Why doesn’t classical conditioning explain everything?
Because some forms of learning aren’t linked to reflexes
What was E. Thorndike’s theory?
Instrumental learning: people keep doing something if there is a positive outcome
[ex. the cat in the puzzle box»_space; learns how to open it and then repeats the action faster]
What is the Law of Effect? [E. Thorndike]
behaviour leads to a satisfying outcome is more likely to be repeated in the future (learning curve idea).
What did B.F. Skinner do?
looked into the observable effects on the environment
What is an operant and how does it affect conditioning?
Operant = behaviour whose consequences affect future behaviour.
- learn from the consequences
- this increases/decreases chance of future behaviour.
What do we focus on when testing the effects of operants?
OBSERVABLES
What is a reinforcement?
increases the likelihood that a behaviour will be repeated
reinforcers can be ____?
positive or negative
