Classical conditioning theory Flashcards
how does classical conditioning take place?
when 2 stimuli are repeatedly paired together, the unconditioned stimuli and the neutral stimulus. The neutral stimulus eventually produces the same response as that produces by the UCS (the conditioned response)
what happens before conditioning?
the unconditioned stimulus triggers a reflex response called the unconditioned respone (UCR), and unrelated neutral stimulus (NS) does not produce the response
what happens during conditioning?
the unconditioned stimulus and neutral stimulus are repeatedly paired together (experienced contiguously) and has to take place many times for conditioning to occur
when is the pairing of the stimuli greatest during conditioning?
when the neutral stimulus occurs just before the unconditioned stimulus
what happens after conditioning?
the neutral stimulus produces the same response as the unconditioned stimulus. The neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS) and the response to it is called a conditioned response (CR)
What is classical conditioning?
a form of learning where a neutral stimulus is associated with an unconditioned stimulus taking on its properties so that a new stimulus response is learned
what is a neutral stimulus (NS)?
any stimulus that doesn’t produce the desired response
what is an unconditioned stimulus(UCS)?
any stimulus that DOES produce the response without any learning taking place
what is an unconditioned response (UCR)?
an unlearned response to an unconditioned stimulus
what is a conditioned stimulus (CS)?
a stimulus that only produces the desired response after pairing with the unconditioned stimulus
what is a conditioned response (CR)?
the response produced by the conditioned stimulus on its own. A new association has been formed so the neutral stimulus now produces the UCR/CR
what is extinction?
when a conditioned stimulus is experienced without the unconditioned stimulus over a period of time the conditioned response is extinguished. The conditioned stimulus no longer to elicit the conditioned response effectively making it extinct
what is an example of extinction?
teaching a dog to shake hands but soon becomes less interesting to the owner and so they stop asking for the behaviour, the response goes extinct and no longer asks for behaviour
what is spontaneous recovery?
when an extinct response reappears even without new pairings with the unconditioned stimulus. The responses are weaker than the original ones,
what is an example of spontaneous recovery?
An individual is conditioned to salivate at the sight of chocolate wrappers and then went through a period of having chocolate unwrapped without sight of the wrappers. They may see wrappers and not respond but you wouldn’t have completely unlearned the salivation response
what is stimulus generalisation?
where we become conditioned to respond to one stimulus but we find ourselves exhibiting the response to other similar stimuli
what is an example of stimulus generalisation?
someone can have a negative/traumatic experience with a dog and generalise that fear to all dogs or even other animals
which 2 pieces of research adds credibility to the classical conditioning theory?
(C.o.d.a)
Pavlov’s 1927 study
Watson and Rayner 1920 study
how does brain scanning add credibility to the classical conditioning theory?
(C.o.d.a)
brain scanning reveals “reward centres” in the brain that activate when pleasant associations are formed
