Task 4 - Classical Conditioning Flashcards
Unconditioned stimulus (US
a stimulus that naturally evokes some response (f.e. Food since is evoked a natural response, such as salivation)
Unconditioned response (UR)
(their relationship does not depend on learning) they both occur unconditionally without prior training – the naturally occurring response to an unconditioned stimulus
Appetitive conditioning
the name of the conditioning when the unconditioned stimulus is a positive event (such as food delivery for Pavlov’s dog or ice cream for Moira)
- In general, appetitive conditioning consists of learning to predict something that satisfies a desire or appetite
Aversive conditioning
Conditioning in which the US is a negative event (such as a shock or an airpuff to the eye)
Eyeblink conditioning
A classical conditioning procedure in which the Unconditioned Stimulus is an airpuff to the eye and the conditioned and unconditioned responses are eye blinks – perhaps the most thoroughly studied form of motor reflex
Tolerance
A decrease in reaction to a drug so that larger doses are required to achieve the same effect
Homeostasis
the tendency of the body (including the brain) to gravitate toward a state of equilibrium or balance
Extinction
the process of reducing a learned response to a stimulus by ceasing to pair that stimulus with a reward or punishment
- Extinction does not involve the total loss of what was previously learned
Delay
(less successful) - f.e. Not bringing the food out straight away
Compound conditioning
The simultaneous conditioning of two cues, usually presented at the same time
- Many studies have shown that the tone will have less association with the US if it is trained in compound than if it had been trained alone in a tone
Overshadowing
occurs when a more salient cue within a compound acquires far more of the share of attention and learning than the less salient cue – A effect seen in compound conditioning when a more salient cue within a compound acquires more association strength, and is thus more strongly conditioned, than does the less salient cue
Blocking
a two-phase training paradigm in which prior training to one cue (CS1 → US) blocks later learning of a second cue when the two are paired together in the second phase of the training (CS1 + CS2 → US)
- it demonstrates that classical conditioning occurs only when a cue is both a useful and a nonredundant predictor of the future
Prediction error (Rescorla-Wagner Model of Conditioning)
the difference between what was predicted and what actually occurred
Error-correction learning
a mathematical specification of the conditions for learning that holds that the degree to which an outcome is surprising modulates the amount of learning that takes place
Three key situations to consider in interpreting a prediction error
- A situation in which either no Conditioned Stimulus or a novel Conditioned Stimulus is presented followed by a Unconditioned stimulus, so that the unconditioned stimulus will be unexpected → this is considered a positive prediction error because there is more Unconditioned Stimulus than expected
- a well-trained CS is followed by the expected US, there is no error in prediction (the US was fully predicted by prior presentation of the CS), and thus no new learning is expected
- if the CS predicts a US and the US does not occur, the prediction error is considered negative, and Rescorla and Wagner expect it to be followed by a decrease in the CS US association
Rescorla–Wagner theory
this theory expects that the CS US association should increase proportional to the degree that the US is surprising; that is, the larger the error, the greater the learning
Associative weight
in the Rescorla-Wagner model of conditioning, a value representing the strength of association between a conditioned stimulus (CS) and an unconditioned stimulus (US)
Latent inhibition
A conditioning paradigm in which prior exposure to a CS retards later learning of the CS–US association during acquisition training – impaired learning following cue pre-exposure
US modulation theory
(this theory is correct) the Rescorla–Wagner model is often called a US modulation theory of learning because it proposes that the manner in which the US is processed determines what stimuli become associated with that US – measures strength of association to the stimulus
CS modulation theories
(this theory is correct) Any of the theories of conditioning holding that the stimulus that enters into an association is determined by a change in how the CS is processed
core idea of Mackintosh theory
that a previously conditioned stimulus derives its salience from its past success as a predictor of important events (Mackintosh, 1975), and this happens at the expense of other co-occurring cues that don’t get access to your limited pool of attention
Cerebellum
only responsible for the conditioned response (because the unconditioned response is reflexiv) – still processes the unconditioned stimulus
Purkinje cells
a type of large, drop shaped, and densely branching neuron in the cerebellar cortex
Interpositus
one of the cerebellar deep nuclei
Two major sensory-input pathways
- CS input pathway
2. US input pathway
Inferior olive
a nucleus of cells with connections to the thalamus, cerebellum, and spinal cord
relaying of sensory signals, including motor signals to the cerebral cortex, the regulation of consciousness, sleep and alertness
Bouton’s work suggests three principles that can help guide anyone trying to extinguish a habit or association
- Since extinction effects are highly context-sensitive, cue- exposure therapy should be conducted in as many different contexts as possible, including those that are part of the patient’s everyday life. This will prevent the extinction of drug craving from becoming dependent on any one context (such as a drug rehab center).
- The extinction training should be spread out over time rather than conducted all at once, because time serves as a powerful context. A 2-week stint in a rehab clinic may not be enough to make a long-term difference. Multiple therapy sessions at different times and in different contexts are more effective.
- Whenever possible, the cue-exposure therapy should take place in the same contexts in which the original drug habits were acquired. Thus, it is better to go through the cue-exposure therapy at home rather than in a very unfamiliar setting, such as a drug rehabilitation center
conditioning theory of tolerance
conditional compensatory responses serve to adaptively attenuate the pharmacological assault when the drug is delivered
Withdrawal symptoms (aka preparation symptoms)
the individual is displaying responses that would tend to cancel the pharmacologically-induced homeostatic imbalance usually experienced in these circumstances – happens when f.e. One is in the same place where one usually takes the drug but in this situation doesn’t
Craving
the psychological or cognitive correlate of a subclinical conditioned withdrawal syndrome
Negative error
extinction
Positive error
when learning occurs
No error
no learning occurs
