PSYC*2330 Chapter 3: Classical Conditioning Foundations Flashcards
What is the simplest mechanism whereby organisms learn about the relations between two events?
Classical conditioning
What is object learning?
The learning of associations between different features of an object
What is a conditional stimulus?
A stimulus that doesn’t initially elicit a particular response, but comes to do so when associated with an unconditional stimulus
What is an unconditional stimulus?
A stimulus that elicits a response without prior training
What is a conditional response?
The response that comes to be elicited by the conditional stimulus due to training
What is an unconditional response?
The response elicited to a stimulus without prior training
T or F: The CR and UR are always the same.
False
What is the typical US in eye blink conditioning?
A puff of air to the eye
What is the typical CS in eye blink conditioning?
An auditory tone
What is the UR in eye blink conditioning?
An eye blink
What is the CR in eye blink conditioning?
An eye blink
What is the typical US in fear conditioning?
A shock
What are three typical CS in fear conditioning?
- A light
- A tone
- Context
What is the UR in fear conditioning?
Jumping
What is the CR in fear conditioning?
Freezing
What is the typical US in place conditioning?
Drugs
What is the CS in place conditioning?
The environmental context
What is the typical UR in place conditioning?
The effects of the drug
What are the two potential CR in place conditioning?
- Approach
- Avoidance
What is the typical US in taste conditioning?
Illness
What is the typical CS in taste conditioning?
Flavour
What is the UR in taste conditioning?
Nausea/negative affect
What is the CS in taste conditioning?
Nausea/negative affect
What is conditioned suppression?
The suppression of ongoing behaviour produced by the presentation of a CS that elicits fear
How is the suppression ratio calculated?
A/(A+B)
A= the total # of responses with CS
B= the total # of responses before the CS
What are the three phases of place conditioning?
- Pre-test phase
- Place conditioning phase
- Test of preference
What occurs during the pretest phase of place conditioning?
The rat is given access to both compartments and the time spent in each is measured without US
What occurs during the place conditioning phase of a place conditioning procedure?
The rat switches between being placed in the US compartment and the non-US compartment
What occurs during the test of preference phase of place conditioning?
The rat is given access to both compartments and the time spent in each is measured without US
What is conditioned place preference?
When the pairing of a specific context/environment with the US evoked an approach response to that context/environment (more time spent in US compartment)
What is conditioned place aversion/avoidance?
When the pairing of a specific context/environment with the US evoked an avoidance response to that context/environment (less time spent in US compartment)
What is it called when an organism moves towards or makes contact with a stimulus that signals the availability of a positive reinforcer?
Sign tracking/ autoshaping
What is it called when a conditioned organism is presented with CS, and they approach the location where the US is typically presented?
Goal tracking
Do rats selectively bred for high locomotor responsivity show sign tracking or goal tracking when in a novel environment?
Sign tracking
Do rats selectively bred for low locomotor responsivity show sign tracking or goal tracking when in a novel environment?
Goal tracking
T or F: Taste aversions are selective for novel tastes.
True
What is evaluative conditioning?
Changing the liking of an initially neutral stimulus by associating it with something that is already liked or disliked
What is a conditioning trial?
A training episode involving the presentation of a CS with or without a US
What is an intertrial interval?
The amount of time between two successive trials
What is an interstimulus interval/ CS-US interval?
The amount of time between the start of the CS and the start of the US
For conditioned responses to develop, is it recommended to make the interstimulus interval longer or shorter than the intertrial interval?
It’s recommended to make the interstimulus interval much shorter than the intertrial interval
What is the procedure for short-delayed conditioning?
The CS is presented less than a minute before the US on each trial
What is the most frequently used procedure for classical conditioning?
Short-delayed conditioning
T or F: In short-delayed conditioning, the CS may continue during the US or end when the US begins.
True
What is the procedure for trace-conditioning?
The US is presented after the CS has been terminated for a short period of time
What is a trace interval?
The period of time between the end of the CS and the start of the US in trace-conditioning trials
T or F: Trace intervals can vary in length in a trace-conditioning procedure.
True
Which conditioning procedure requires memory?
Trace-conditioning
What is the procedure for long-delayed conditioning?
The CS is presented much before the US on each trial
What is the difference between trace-conditioning and long-delayed conditioning?
In long-delayed conditioning, there is no trace interval (the CS continues until the US begins)
What is the procedure for simultaneous conditioning?
The CS and US are presented at the same time on each trial
What is the procedure for backwards conditioning?
The CS is presented shortly after the US on each trial
What is a test trial?
Trials in which the CS is presented alone to assess the behaviour
During a test trial, what does the magnitude of a response signify?
How strong the CR is or how much the CR occurs
During a test trial, what does the probability of a response signify?
How likely the CS is to elicit the CR
During a test trial, what does the latency of a response signify?
How soon after the CS the CR occurs
What is it called when responding increases due to increased exposure to the US and not the establishment of an association?
Pseudo-conditioning
What is required to determine if responses to a CS represent a genuine association and not pseudo-conditioning?
Control procedures
What is a truly random control?
A procedure in which the CS and US are presented at random times with respect to each other
What is an explicitly unpaired control?
A procedure in which the CS and US are presented far enough apart to prevent their association
Which is more effective, truly random control or explicitly unpaired control?
Explicitly unpaired control
What is inhibitory conditioning?
When the CS becomes a signal for the absence of the US
What is needed for a conditioned inhibitor to acquire meaning?
An excitatory context/background for the US
What are three procedures to induce conditioned inhibition?
- Differential inhibition
- Conditioned inhibition
- Negative CS-US contingency
What is involved in the differential inhibition procedure?
In an alternating or random fashion, the following occur:
- CS1 is paired with the US to become an excitatory CS (CS+)
- CS2 is presented with no US to become an inhibitory CS (CS-)
What is involved in the conditioned inhibition procedure?
In an alternating or random fashion, the following occur:
- CS1 is paired with the US to become an excitatory CS (CS+)
- CS1, CS2, and no US are presented together and CS2 becomes an inhibitory CS (CS-)
What is involved in the negative CS-US contingency procedure?
The US is periodically presented by itself, but after each occurrence of the CS- there is a predictable absence of the US for a while
What are bidirectional response systems?
Responses that change in opposite directions depending on the presentation of conditioned excitation or inhibition
What are two ways to test conditioned inhibition?
- Compound-stimulus test/ summation test
- Retardation of acquisition test
How does a compound-stimulus test/ summation test determine if a stimulus is a conditioned inhibitor?
If the presentation of a CS- disrupts or suppresses responding that would normally be elicited by the CS+
How does the retardation if acquisition test identify if a stimulus is a conditioned inhibitor?
If the previously conditioned CS- is slower to acquire excitatory properties than a comparison stimulus
Why might results from a summation test provide a false positive?
Too much attention may have been paid to the CS-, diverting attention away from the CS+ rather than truly inhibiting a response
Why might results from a retardation of acquisition test provide a false positive?
Too little attention may have been paid to the CS- given it was previously unreinforced in the first stage of training
