Chapter 8 — Respondent Conditioning

Question 1

What are properties of respondent behaviours?

Answer 1

They are elicited or controlled by stimuli. Typically, biologically significant stimuli elicit reflexive responses that have survival value.

Question 2

What is the unconditioned stimulus (US)?

Answer 2

Stimulus that naturally elicits a reflexive responses, without nay learning or conditioning.

Question 3

What is the unconditioned response (UR)?

Answer 3

Reflexive response naturally elicited by an unconditioned stimulus.

Question 4

What is the neutral stimulus (NS)?

Answer 4

Stimulus that has no effect on reflexive responses.

Question 5

What is the conditioned stimulus (CS)?

Answer 5

Initially neutral stimulus that is paired with an unconditioned stimulus.

Question 6

What is the conditioned response (CR)?

Answer 6

Response elicited by a conditioned stimulus.

Question 7

What is respondent (classical/Pavlovian) conditioning?

Answer 7

Entails manipulating stimuli that elicit reflexives responses:
- the process of associating an NS with a US to form a CS is called “conditioning”
- “conditional” = dependent on learning
- “unconditional” = reflexive; not dependent on learning

Question 8

What is trace conditioning?

Answer 8

NS presented before US; they do not overlap in time.

Question 9

What is delay conditioning?

Answer 9

Onset of NS occurs before onset of US; both overlap in time.

Question 10

What is simultaneous conditioning?

Answer 10

NS and US are presented at the same time.

Question 11

What is backward conditioning?

Answer 11

US presented before NS.

Question 12

What is higher-order conditioning?

Answer 12

If an NS is paired with an established CS a number of times, the NS becomes a CS that will then elicit the same CR.

Question 13

What is respondent extinction?

Answer 13

Repeated presentation of CS without the US causes weakening of CR.

Question 14

What is spontaneous recovery?

Answer 14

Presenting CS after extinction elicits a CR.

Question 15

What is the difference between respondent and operant conditioning?

Answer 15

• Respondent behaviours are elicited (automatic, reflexive, involuntary) by CS or US vs. Operant behaviours are evoked (voluntary) by an S(D)
• Respondent conditioning involves pairing an NS with a US before a response vs. Operant conditioning involves consequences after a response
• Respondent extinction occurs when a CS Is presented without the US vs. Operant extinction occurs when reinforcement no longer occurs after a behaviour

Question 16

What factors influence effectiveness of respondent conditioning?

Answer 16

• The nature of the US and the CS: high intensity US, high salience CS are more effective
• Temporal relationship between the NS and the US: NS should precede US; shorter interval is better 0.5s optimal) but the exception is conditioned taste aversion
• Contingency between the NS and the US, should occur together every time
• If there are multiple NSs, use the one most strongly associated
• Number of pairings
• Previous exposure to CS/prior learning