Classical Conditioning Concepts

Questions and Answers

What is a neutral stimulus?

A sound that triggers salivation after conditioning

Food that causes a natural reflexive response

A response that occurs due to food

A sound that does not initially cause a reflexive response (correct)

What is an unconditioned stimulus?

Food that causes an unlearned reflexive response (correct)

A stimulus that does not trigger any response

A conditioned stimulus paired with an unconditioned response

A sound that leads to a learned response

What is an unconditioned response?

Salivating to food

What does a conditioned stimulus do?

Triggers a reflexive response after conditioning Signup and view all the answers

What is a conditioned response?

Salivating to the sound of a bell Signup and view all the answers

What does generalization in classical conditioning refer to?

A dog salivating to a sound similar to the bell Signup and view all the answers

What is discrimination in classical conditioning?

Recognizing different stimuli and not responding Signup and view all the answers

What happens during extinction in classical conditioning?

The dog no longer salivates to the bell Signup and view all the answers

What is spontaneous recovery in classical conditioning?

Quick recovery of the salivation response after reconditioning Signup and view all the answers

Food aversion is a real-world application of classical conditioning when someone associates a particular food with a feeling of ______.

nausea Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Classical Conditioning Concepts

Neutral Stimulus: Initially has no effect on behavior; example includes the sound of a bell before it becomes associated with food.
Unconditioned Stimulus: Naturally elicits a response without prior learning; in the example, food causes a reflexive response like salivation.
Unconditioned Response: The automatic response to an unconditioned stimulus; salivating to food is an instinctive action.
Conditioned Stimulus: An originally neutral stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus, triggers a conditioned response; the bell serves as this after conditioning.
Conditioned Response: The learned reaction to a conditioned stimulus; salivating at the sound of a bell demonstrates this learning.

Key Processes in Classical Conditioning

Generalization: The tendency to respond similarly to stimuli that resemble the conditioned stimulus, like salivating to sounds similar to the bell, such as a doorbell.
Discrimination: The ability to differentiate between different stimuli; a dog can recognize and not salivate to a trumpet sound, showing it understands the sound is not the bell.
Extinction: The process through which the conditioned response diminishes or disappears; occurs when the bell is repeatedly presented without food, leading the dog to stop salivating.
Spontaneous Recovery: Following extinction, the reappearance of the conditioned response after a period of rest if the conditioned stimulus is paired with the unconditioned stimulus again.

Real-World Application

Food Aversion: A specific application of classical conditioning where an individual associates a certain food with feelings of nausea, often due to a negative experience like food poisoning; this phenomenon is known as the Garcia Effect, named after John Garcia.

Description

Test your understanding of classical conditioning principles and key processes. This quiz covers neutral stimuli, unconditioned responses, and the nuances of generalization. Challenge yourself to identify how these components work together in creating learned behaviors.