Respondent Conditioning

Question 1

Generating a Conditional Reflex

Answer 1

Step 1:
- Make administration of the US contingent on presentation of the novel stimulus.

Step 2:
* Present the CS (formerly the novel stimulus) on its own.

Question 2

Respondent Conditioning

Answer 2

The process of establishing a conditional probability between a CS and a US.

Question 3

Respondent

Respondant Conditioning

Answer 3

The response elicited by the CS.
* Respondent = Conditional Response

Question 4

What are the two classes of learned behaviour

Answer 4

Respondent
- Behaviour is elicited by a stimulus.
- Stimuli preceding the response.

Operant
- Behaviour is emitted to produce/remove a stimulus.
- Stimuli following the response.

Question 5

Phylogenetic Behaviour

Answer 5

Behaviour based on genetic endowment.
* Reflexes
* Fixed/Modal Action Patterns
* Reaction Chains
* Habituation/Sensitization
* Unconditional Reflex

Question 6

Primary Laws of The Reflex

Name and explain all three

Answer 6

1. Law of Threshold: There is a point (called the threshold) below which no response is elicited and above a response always occurs.
2. Law of Intensity-Magnitude: Increases in stimulus intensity (or magnitude), also increase the intensity (or magnitude) of the response.
3. Law of Latency: The more intense a stimulus is, the faster the response is elicited.

Question 7

What mistake did Pavlov make about conditional reflexes?

Answer 7

Unconditional reflexes follow the laws of the reflex.

Conditional reflexes do NOT follow the laws of the reflex.

Question 8

Respondent Discrimination

Answer 8

When values of the CS, other than what was originally trained, elicit little to no conditioned response.

Question 9

Respondent Generalization

Answer 9

When an organism shows a conditioned response to values of the CS that were not trained during acquisition.

Question 10

Explain how the definition changes depending on the theoretical approach

Associations

Answer 10

“The dog salivated because it associated the sound of the bell with the food.”

Psychological Interpretation:
* An unobservable, vaguely defined, mental cause or representation.

Neurological Interpretation
* A ‘place-holder’ for complex neurological processes.
* E.g. Long-Term Potentiation.

Behavioural Interpretation
* Short-hand for the actual history of events the organism experienced.

Question 11

First-Order Conditioning

Answer 11

A Primary conditioned stimulus elicts the response

Question 12

Higher-Order Conditioning
(also called Second-Order Conditioning in this case)

Answer 12

A neutral stimulus is paired with conditioned stimulus which elicts a response

Question 13

Measuring the
Respondent

Answer 13

Latency of the CR
- The interval of time between the CS presentation and the CR.

Intensity of the CR
- CRs tend to get stronger as conditioning proceeds.

Probe/Test Trials
- Present the CS alone (i.e., with no US)
- a.k.a. Extinction trial

Question 14

Respondent Extinction

Answer 14

Presentation of the CS without the US (after acquisition).
* Creates a gradual decline in responding.

Question 15

True or False

Re-acquisition of a extinguished CR occurs slower than during initial training.

Answer 15

False

Re-acquisition of an extinguished CR occurs quicker than during initial training.

Question 16

Delayed Conditioning

Temporal Relationships - Respondent Conditioning

Answer 16

• The CS begins and US overlap partially.
• The CS begins first.
• Generally the most effective method when CS-US interval is short (0.4 – 1 sec)
  
  • CS-US interval = Time between CS onset and US onset.
• Common in the real world.

Question 17

Trace Conditioning

Temporal Relationships - Respondent Conditioning

Answer 17

• The CS begins and ends before the US.
• Temporal Contiguity matters:
  
  • Generally, longer intervals between the CS and US produce weaker responding.
  • Depends on the response being learned.
• Common in the real world.

Question 18

Simultaneous Conditioning

Temporal Relationships - Respondent Conditioning

Answer 18

• The CS and US begin and end at the same time.
• Less common in the real world.
• Less effective than Delayed and Trace conditioning.

Question 19

Temporal Relationships Affecting Respondent Conditioning

Name all 4

Answer 19

• Delayed Conditioning - partial overlap
• Trace Conditioning - CS ends before US
• Simultaneous Conditioning - at the same time
• Backwards Conditioning - CS after the US

Question 20

Backwards Conditioning

Temporal Relationships - Respondent Conditioning

Answer 20

• The CS follows the US.
• Very ineffective, but can be produced in a laboratory.

Question 21

Amount of Exposure to the Contingencies

Variables Affecting Respondent Conditioning

Answer 21

In general, more exposure = greater conditional responding
- Early exposure produces more learning than later exposure.
- i.e. Non-linear.
- Conditional Responding is asymptotic
- Conditioning can occur at different rates
- E.g., Taste aversion can occur after only 1 exposure.
- E.g., Salivation requires numerous exposures to the contingency.

Question 22

C/t Ratio

Variables Affecting Respondent Conditioning

Answer 22

Ratio of “Cycle Time” to “Trial Time”.
* Cycle Time (C): Time between US presentations.
* Trial Time (t): Time between CS onset and US offset.
* Larger Ratio’s cause the CR to be acquired with less conditioning trials.
- i.e., learning is faster with larger C/t ratios.

Question 23

Stimulus Features

Variables Affecting Respondent Conditioning

Answer 23

Physical characteristics effect the pace of conditioning.
- Ex. Overshadowing: When a compound stimulus is used as a CS, but only a particular element of that compound is able to elicit a CR.

Question 24

Overshadowing

Respondent Conditioning

Answer 24

When a compound stimulus is used as a CS, but only a particular element of that compound is able to elicit a CR.
- Ex. A bell and light is presented at the same time, but only the bell elicts a response

Overshadowing is influenced by:
- Stimulus Intensity
- More intense stimuli will overshadow less intense stimuli.
- Nature of the US to the species
- E.g. An odour will condition sickness easier than a tone will.

Question 25

Continuum of Preparedness

Answer 25

The idea that organisms are genetically disposed to learn some things and not others.

Question 26

Prior Experience with CS and US | Variables Affecting Respondent Conditioning

Answer 26

**Latent Inhibition** - Pre-exposure of a stimulus in the absence of a US interferes with the ability of that stimulus to become a CS. **Blocking:** - Failure of a stimulus to become a CS when it is part of a compound stimulus because the compound stimulus already includes an effective CS. **Sensory Preconditioning:** 1) Two neutral stimuli, A & B, occur together. 2) One of those stimuli, B, is conditioned to become a CS. 3) When A is presented alone, it too will elicit the same CR as B.

Question 27

Latent Inhibition | Variables Affecting Respondent Conditioning

Answer 27

Pre-exposure of a stimulus in the absence of a **US interferes with the ability of that stimulus to become a CS.**

Question 28

Blocking | Variables Affecting Respondent Conditioning

Answer 28

**Failure of a stimulus to become a CS** when it is part of a compound stimulus **because the compound stimulus already includes an effective CS.**

Question 29

Sensory Preconditioning | Variables Affecting Respondent Conditioning

Answer 29

1) Two neutral stimuli, A & B, occur together. 2) One of those stimuli, B, is conditioned to become a CS. 3) When A is presented alone, it too will elicit the same CR as B. Ex. bell and horn initially occur together, bell conditioned alone, horn acts as a CS as well

Question 30

Age | Variables Affecting Respondent Conditioning

Answer 30

- Degenerative/health effects of aging. * Learning History

Question 31

Context (i.e., Occasion Setting) | Variables Affecting Respondent Conditioning

Answer 31

A single CS can elicit different CR’s, in different contexts. E.g., * Context A: Tone ➔ Shock (CR = freezing) * Context B: Tone ➔ Food (CR = head-jerking)

Question 32

Conditioned Emotional Responses

Answer 32

An emotional response to a stimulus that is acquired through Respondent Conditioning. * Little Albert - Prejudice (ei. Islamphobia when "muslim" is paired with "terrorist") - Advertising - Paraphilia (weird sex prefrences)

Question 33

Conditioned Place Preference/Aversion

Answer 33

The location organisms are conditioned in can create place preference or aversion Example: - US = ethanol * **Grid+** - Ethanol associated with grid pattern chamber. - Saline solution (control) associated with other chamber. * **Grid-** - Saline solution (control) associated with grid pattern chamber. - Ethanol associated with other chamber. - Ethanol received immediately **prior** to chamber exposure produced **place-preference.** * Ethanol received **during or after** chamber exposure produced **place-aversion.**

Question 34

Conditioned Compensatory Responses & Drug Tolerance

Answer 34

Example: Heroin Abuse * US = Heroin * UR = Hypoventilation (slowed breathing) * CS = Context Cues * CR = Hyperventilation (increased breathing) * Conditioned response **counteracts/compensates** the effect of the drug. * As conditioned responding is acquired, increased drug amounts are required to achieve desired drug effect (**i.e., tolerance develops**). * Administration of drug without CSs that generate the compensatory CR can prove fatal.

Question 35

Conditioned Immune Function

Answer 35

**Conditioned Immunosuppression** * A drug that supresses immune system function can be used as a US to create a CS that also supresses immune system function. **Allergic Reactions** * US which elicit allergic reactions can be used to create CSs that produce similarly strong allergic reactions. **Placebo Effects**