Unit Test 2 (CH3+4+5) Flashcards
unconditional reflex
largely inborn and usually permanent reflex found in virtually all members of a species and that varies little from individual to individual.
conditional reflex
type of reflex is not present at birth; it must be acquired through experience
unconditional stimulus
A stimulus that elicits an unconditional response.
conditional stimulus
the stimulus that is regularly paired with a US
unconditional response
The reflex response elicited by an unconditional stimulus.
conditional response
the response elicited by a conditional stimulus.
Two defining features of classical conditioning
the behavior elicited by the US is a reflex response; the appearance of the two stimuli is independent of behavior.
higher-order conditioning
The procedure of pairing a neutral stimulus with a well-established CS
Four different ways of pairing a CS and a US
Trace pairing – the CS begins and ends before the US appears.
Delayed pairing – the CS and US overlap.
Simultaneous pairing – the CS and US coincide exactly.
Backward pairing – the CS follows the US.
Contingency
an if–then statement. One event, X, is contingent on another event, Y, to the extent that X occurs if and only if Y occurs.
Contiguity
to the closeness in time or space between two events; the CS and US
Compound stimulus
A CS that consists of two or more stimuli (e.g., a red light and presented simultaneously.
Overshadowing
Failure of a stimulus that is part of a compound stimulus to become a CS.
Latent inhibition
the appearance of a (neutral) stimulus without the US interferes with the ability of that stimulus to become a CS later
Blocking
Failure of a stimulus to become a CS when it is part of a compound stimulus that includes an effective CS
Sensory preconditioning
A procedure in which two neutral stimuli are paired, after which one is repeatedly paired with a US
Pavlovian (classical) extinction
The procedure of repeatedly presenting the CS alone
Spontaneous recovery
The reappearance of a CR after extinction
Stimulus substation theory
The CS merely substitutes for the US in evoking the reflex response.
Preparatory response theory
the CR prepares the organism for the US.
Compensatory response theory
that the CR prepares the organism for the US by compensating for its effects.
John Watson
the first person to study human emotions systematically
Counterconditioning
use of Pavlovian conditioning to reverse the unwanted effects of previous conditioning
Systematic desensitization
A form of counterconditioning in which a patient imagines progressively anxiety evoking scenes while relaxed.
Conditioned emotional responses (CERs)
An emotional response to a stimulus that is acquired through Pavlovian conditioning
Exposure therapy
person is gradually exposed to the fear-evoking stimulus while feeling relaxed
Virtual reality exposure therapy
A form of exposure therapy that relies on technology that created stimulated scenes that arouse anxiety
Paraphilias
perverse or unnatural ways someone receives sexual pleasure.
Aversion therapy
a CS that elicits inappropriate sexual arousal is followed by a noxious US.
Conditioned taste aversion (conditioned food avoidance)
an aversion to foods with a particular flavor acquired through Pavlovian conditioning
Taste-aversion experiments
A taste (NS) is paired with a US (e.g. poison) that makes the organism sick such that the taste becomes a CS for sickness (CR).
Two important ways taste aversion differs from typical Pavlovian conditioning procedures
1) the CS and US occur together (are paired) only once
2) the interval between the CS and US (the ISI) is much longer
Tolerance
After a period of repeated drug use, more of the drug is required to produce a high, or, the same amount of drug procedures less of an effect.
Withdrawal
the opposite of the main drug effect
definitions of learning
Relatively permanent changes in environment-behavior relation due to
Parsimonious explanation
an explanation is one that makes the least assumptions
determinism
All behavior is caused
Behavior is lawful and orderly
circular explanation
the evidence for an explanation (of a behavior) is simply the behavior itself
stimulus
an energy change that affects (sensory receptors and) behavior
natural selection
small, random, inheritable differences among individuals that result in different chances of survival and reproduction
Most effective Pavlovian pairing
Trace and Delayed pairing
Least effective Pavlovian pairing
Simultaneous and Backward pairing
The ways that CR and UR that contradict Pavlov’s substitution theory.
But the CR is not identical to the UR
1. It is weaker
2. It occurs less reliably
3. It is slower (longer latency)
4. There are qualitative differences
5. The CR is sometimes opposite of the UR
Latent inhibition
Phenomenon that makes it less likely to develop taste aversion to a familiar food or develop a phobia to things like cars or sharpen knives
Conditional Compensatory Response
mediate the development of tolerance by counteracting the drug effect.
Drug cues (sights, sounds, smells, etc.)
situational specificity of tolerance is illustrated
Difference between overshadowing and blocking.
Blocking: One stimulus is already a CS and you pair it as a
component of compound stimulus (CS + NS) with a US, but it
blocks the other stimulus (NS) from being conditioned.
* Overshadowing: Neither stimulus has been established as CS
prior, but one is conditioned and the other is not (or is less so)
Variables Affecting Pavlovian
Conditioning
Law of Effect
Behavior is a function of its consequences (Behavior is determined by its consequences.)
Operant conditioning (learning)
Any procedure or experience in which a behavior becomes stronger or weaker (e.g. more or less likely to occur) depending on its consequences
Reinforcement
An increase in the strength of a behavior
Three characteristics to qualify as reinforcement
- a behavior must have a consequence
- the behavior must increase in strength (e.g. occur of the consequence)
- the increase in strength must be the result of the consequence
Positive reinforcement
the consequence is added (or presented)
Negative Reinforcement
the consequence is subtracted (or withdrawn/removed)
Behavioral momentum
A term to refer to the strength of a reinforced behavior
Unconditioned (primary) reinforcement
reinforcers not dependent on learning experiences
Generalized conditioned reinforcement
reinforcers that have been paired with many different kinds of reinforcers
Conditioned (secondary) reinforcement
reinforcers dependent on learning experiences
Natural reinforcers
events that follow spontaneously from a behavior.
Contrived reinforcers
events that are provided by someone for the purpose of modifying behavior
automatic reinforcement
reinforcing events are automatic consequence of an action
Contingency
the degree of correlation between a behavior and its consequence
Temporal contiguity
the gap in time between a behavior and its reinforcing consequence
Motivating operations
anything that changes the effectiveness of a consequence
reward pathway/dopamine
the reward center of the brain, in particular, an area in the septal region running from the middle of the brain to the frontal cortex where dopamine is the most important neurotransmitter
three major theories of positive reinforcement
- Hull’s drive reduction theory
- Premack’s relative value theory
- Response deprivation theory
Hull’s drive reduction theory
attributed a reinforcer’s affectiveness to the reduction of a drive
Premack’s relative value theory
considers reinforcer to be behaviors rather then stimuli and that attributes a reinforcer’s effectiveness to its probability relative to other behaviors.
Premack principle
high-probability behavior reinforces low-probability behavior
Response deprivation theory
behavior becomes reinforcing when the individual is prevented from engaging in the behavior at its normal frequency
environment
all stimuli that affect behavior at any given moment
