Rescorla & Wagner's model

Question 1

blocking

Answer 1

the tone, which reached asymptote by the end of stage-1 has ‘blocked’ learning about the light

no new associative learning

Question 2

downshift unblocking

Answer 2

• like standard blocking except that 2 shocks are given during stage 1, with an 8s gap between them
• stops blocking from happening

Question 3

overshadowing

Answer 3

• tone ‘overshadowed’ learning about the light
• on trial 1 learning about the light is just the same as if they were conditioned without other’s presence
• on trial 2 total associative strength is bigger than it would be with just the light
• this is because both the tone & light contribute to the error term in RWM
• different way of creating blocking

RWM correctly anticipates overshadowing

Question 4

CS-UCS contingency

Answer 4

• a group of rats receive extra, un-signalled UCSs during the ITIs, reducing coniditioned responding relative to a group not receiving them
• context can block learning about light
• been tested by using a 2nd CS to signal extra shocks & prevent context from acting as a blocking CS

Question 5

latent inhibition

Answer 5

• the pre-exposure to the CS slows the rate of conditioning
• get to same lamba as it does in a non-pre-exposed group, just more slowly
• this is as though the pre-exposure reduces alpha, it’s just that the RWM has no means of accomodating that

Question 6

what can RWM explain

Answer 6

• blocking
• overshadowing
• CS-UCS contingency effects

Question 7

what did RWM fail to explain?

Answer 7

• downshift unblocking - 2 shocks down to 1 shock
• one-trial overshadowing
• latent inhibition

Question 8

RWM

Answer 8

describes the change in associative strength at each new learning trial