Classical Conditioning and Higher Order Conditioning Quiz

Study Notes

Classical Conditioning

Unconditioned Stimulus (US): a stimulus that naturally evokes a response without any prior learning.

Advertising and Classical Conditioning

Conditioned Stimulus (CS): in the Superbowl ad example, the CS is the advertisement itself, which becomes associated with the Unconditioned Stimulus (US) to elicit a response.

Blocking Study with Rats

Main principle: the "blocking" study (Kamin, 1969) demonstrates that if a conditioned stimulus (CS) is presented simultaneously with an already established conditioned stimulus, it will not elicit a conditioned response (CR).

Belongingness Principle

Main principle: in John Garcia's experiment, the "belongingness" principle states that organisms associate tastes, smells, and internal sensations with the consequences of consumption, leading to learned food preferences.

Contingency Principle

Main principle: in classical conditioning, the contingency principle states that a conditioned stimulus (CS) must be paired with an unconditioned stimulus (US) in order to elicit a conditioned response (CR).

Forward and Backward Conditioning

Main difference: forward conditioning occurs when the conditioned stimulus (CS) is presented before the unconditioned stimulus (US), while backward conditioning occurs when the unconditioned stimulus (US) is presented before the conditioned stimulus (CS).

Classical Conditioning Abbreviations

UR: Unconditioned Response, a natural response to an unconditioned stimulus (US).

Opponent Process Theory

Principle: according to the Opponent Process Theory, when a person takes a drug in a new environment, the drug's effects are associated with the environment, leading to a conditioned response.

Classical vs. Instrumental Conditioning

Main difference: classical conditioning involves associative learning between stimuli, while instrumental conditioning involves associative learning between behavior and its consequences.

Little Albert Experiment

Conditioned Response (CR): in the Little Albert experiment, the CR was fear, which was elicited by the conditioned stimulus (CS), a loud noise.

Reinforcement Types

Positive Reinforcement: the presentation of a stimulus that increases the probability of a behavior.
Negative Reinforcement: the removal of an unpleasant stimulus that increases the probability of a behavior.

Reward Issues

Potential issue: using rewards in certain situations can lead to overjustification, where intrinsic motivation is lost due to external rewards.

Description

Test your knowledge on classical conditioning terms like US, UR, CS, CR, and examples like the Superbowl Ad. Also explore concepts like higher order conditioning, cognitive alternative explanations, extinction, and active inhibition.