Lecture 7 - Fear Acquisition Flashcards
In conditioning, what changed from the original view to the contemporary view?
- Original view assumed conditioned stimulus and conditioned response were associated
- Contemporary assumes conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus are associated
Mowrer’s Two-process model for CS? “Why does fear persist if CS is harmless”?
- Fear acquisition = classical conditioning
- Maintainance of fear = operant conditioning
Basically, CS is avoided, which reduces fear (negative reinforcement), avoidance continues- this means the person never learns that the CS is harmless
How does the startle response, respond to a person being anxious/tense?
The startle response strengthens (fear potentiated startle reflex)
What are two patterns observed after fear conditioning happens?
Tied to the US
- US-expectancy is higher for CS+ than CS-
- Startle response higher for CS+ than CS-
Amygdala in conditioning?
- Evidence for its importance in animal fear conditioning
- No convincing evidence for its involvement in human fear conditioning
Little Albert?
Baby that wanted to play with white rat, but the researchers screamed loudly everytime he did so > conditioned yay, first scientific demonstration of fear learning
How do classical and operant conditioning play different roles in fear learning?
classical = development, operant = maintainance
How do traditional learning theories consider the etiology of anxiety disorders?
classical conditioning as etiology
Rachman’s three pathways of fear learning? Meant to explain what criticism of traditional learning theory?
Direct US experience not necessary for fear learning: criticism, Pathways: explanation
- Trauma (direct learning)
- Vicarious learning (observational and modelling)
- Information transfer (learning by instruction)
I.e., direct learning not necessary
Four criticisms against traditional learning theory?
- Direct US experience not necessary for fear learning: cannot remember traumatic event, fear stimuli never encountered
- US not sufficient for fear learning (traumatic experience does not equate developing phobia or anxiety disorder)
- Selectivity of phobias (spiders/heights more common that, e.g., cars)
- CS-CR association assumed in traditional, but the CS does not always equal the UR
What explanations are there for the US not being sufficient enough for fear learning?
Individual differences
- Genetic predisposition and psychological traits
- Latent inhibition
What is preparedness evolutionary theory and which criticism of traditional learning theory is it meant to explain?
Selectivity of phobias = criticism, preparedness = explanation:
- Fear for prepared stimuli (evolutionary wise) are easier to learn and harder to extinguish
What evidence is there for selectivity of phobias being evolutionary?
Fear-relevant stimuli exists and are easier conditioned then fear-irrelevant stimuli (picture of spider vs. picture of car, respectively)
Garcia & Koelling’s belongingness? Ties into what?
fear conditioning context
Certain CS-US combinations are more easily associated than other combinations (e.g., tasta and nausea is easire than taste and pain)
- second explanation for selectivity of phobias
How does contemporary learning theory explain the CR and the UR not always being equal?
- The association is actually between the CS and a cognitive representation of the US
- Feared stimulus (CS) works as a predictor for bad outcomes (US)
- CR prepares the body for said bad outcome (which is why it is not always the same as UR)
What other word can be given to the CS-US association?
fear memory
Three ways in which initially appropriate fears may turn into maladaptive/irrational fears?
- Persistence after threat passed
- Generalization
- Accompanied by avoidance that interferes with daily functioning
How to use fear conditiong to better understand the development and
maintenance of fear?
By modeling the maladaptive processes
Four maladaptive processes within fear learning/conditioning?
- Reduced safety learning
- Generalization
- Avoidance
- Resistance to extinction
