PSYCH 104 Final (Learning: Respondent Conditioning)

Question 1

Learning (What is it?)

Answer 1

• Learning: a change in behavior due to the enviroment
  ○ Behavior has numerous measurable (objective) dimensions which could change:
  § Frequency
  § Intensity
  § Speed
  - Form/topography

Question 2

What are the three types of learning?

Answer 2

○ Types of learning
§ Habituation
§ Respondent
§ Operant conditioning

Question 3

Unconditional stimulus (US) (What is it?)

Answer 3

• Unconditional stimulus (US)
  ○ An antecedent stimulus that elicits the behavior called the unconditional response without the need of any prior history of learning

Question 4

Unconditional response (UR) (What is it?)

Answer 4

• Unconditional response (UR)
  ○ The behavior elicited by antecedent stimulus called unconditional stimulus without the need of any prior history of learning

Question 5

Conditional stimulus (CS) (What is it?)

Answer 5

• Conditional stimulus (CS)
  ○ A previously neutral stimulus that acquires the ability to elicit a conditioned response when it is contingently paired with a unconditional stimulus
  § Example: the CS’s function is literally conditional on its relationship with the US

Question 6

Conditional response (CR) (What is it?)

Answer 6

• Conditional response (CR)
  ○ The behavior elicited by the antecedent stimulus called the conditioned stimulus

Question 7

Respondent conditioning (Probe trial)

Answer 7

• Probe trial
  § Present the CS alone
  § Also called test trials
  ○ In general more exposure = greater conditional responding
  ○ Early exposure produces more learning than later exposure
  § I.e. Non-linear
  ○ Conditional responding is “asymptotic”
  ○ Conditioning/learning can occur at different rates
  § Example: taste aversion can occur after only 1 exposure
  § Example: salivation requires numerous exposures

Question 8

Respondent conditioning (Temporal relationships: delayed conditioning)

Answer 8

• Delayed conditioning
  ○ The CS begins and US overlap partially
  ○ The CS begins first
  ○ Generally the most effective method when CS-US interval is short (0.4-1sec)
  § CS-US interval = time between CS onset and US onset
  ○ Common in the real world

Question 9

Respondent conditioning (Temporal relationships: Trace conditioning)

Answer 9

• Trace conditioning
  ○ The CS begins and ends before the US
  § Generally, longer intervals between the CS and US produce weaker responding
  □ Caveat: depends on the response being learnt
  § Common in the real world

Question 10

Respondent conditioning (Temporal relationships: Simultaneous conditioning)

Answer 10

• Simultaneous conditioning
  ○ The CS and US begin and end at the same time
  ○ Less common in the real world
  ○ Less effective then delayed and trace conditioning

Question 11

Respondent conditioning (Temporal relationships: Backwards conditioning)

Answer 11

• Backwards conditioning
  ○ The CS follows the US
  ○ Not effective but can be demonstrated in the lab

Question 12

Respondent conditioning (respondent extinction)

Answer 12

• Respondent extinction:
  ○ Presenting the conditional stimulus (CS) in the absense of the unconditional stimulus (US)

Question 13

Spontaneous recovery (Spontaneous recovery)

Answer 13

• Spontaneous recovery:
  ○ An increase in the magnitude of the conditional response (CR) after respondent extinction has occurred and time has passed
  § Demonstrates that extinction is not simply “forgotten” what is learnt

Question 14

Exposure therapy (What is it?)

Answer 14

It is a form of respondent extinction

Question 15

Respondent conditioning (Respondent/stimulus generalization)

Answer 15

• Respondent/stimulus generalization:
  ○ When an organism shows a conditioned response to values of the CS that were not trained during acquisition
  § Produces a generalization gradient

Question 16

Respondent conditioning (Respondent/stimulus gradient discrimination)

Answer 16

• Respondent/stimulus gradient discrimination:
  ○ When values of the CS, other than what is originally trained, elicit little to no conditioned response

Question 17

Respondent conditioning (Higher-order conditioning)

Answer 17

• Higher-order conditioning:
  ○ A type of conditioning in which a neutral stimulus becomes a conditional stimulus (CS2) because of its contingent relationship with an already effective conditional stimulus (CS1)
  ○ Also called (second-order conditioning) and (third order)

Question 18

Aversion therapy (What is it?)

Answer 18

• Aversion therapy
  ○ A therapy in which stimulus is contingently paired with a noxious (aversive) stimulus.
  § Example: disulfiram (Antabuse)