Theory of Learning 2 Flashcards
Associative learning:
In order to form an association, you need a pairing between CS and US but you also need the predicting event to be surprising (US).
How can learning be inhibited?
If you present the learning without the US (food/shock)
You get a period of ‘expecting food’ then food isnt presented
then learning declines phase of Extinction as the omission of food is surprising!
So the lambda negative (0 - EV)
What is the term used to describe the process where:
You get a strong association of light (light is conditioned to asphotote)
V light = Lambda
As trials continue, you also pair light with other stimulus (no food)
=negative associative learning which is shared between the light and the noise?
Conditioned Inhibition
Conditioned Inhibitors are stimuli with negative associative strengths
Any stimulus that predicts food which is then presented with an inhibitor (light on but no food) will increase or decrease the CR?
Decrease the CR
-its negative associative strength subtracts from other predictors of the US
What will condition the animal faster:
A neutral stimulus or a negative stimulus (inhibitor) paired with food (US)?
A neutral stimulus
In avoidance learning avoidance responses persist even though warning signals haven’t been paired with shock of ages
What is the role of an animal displaying avoidance behaviour (such as freezing when hearing a tone)?
The avoidance response is a conditioned inhibitor conditioned inhibitors predicting the absence of shock
Animal pairs CS (predicts shock) with inhibitor of freezing
Even though the warning signal is presented without shock, it is accompanied by the response which is inhibitory= this makes a difference to learning!
Tone+ inhibitory (light)= NO SURPRISE NO LEARNING
Rescorla Wagner’s theory is very important as it explains selective learning about correlated events and other important effects. However, what is it not right about?
Extinction doesn’t eliminate learning (e.g. spontaneous recovery).
