Learning Chapter 4: Classical Conditioning

Study Notes

Classical Conditioning Mechanisms

Augmentation: Enhances conditioning of a new stimulus due to a previously conditioned stimulus; also known as contra-blocking effect.
Blocking Effect: Hinders the conditioning of a new stimulus because a previously conditioned stimulus is present, preventing new associations from forming.
Comparator Hypothesis: Suggests that conditioned responses rely on a comparison between the associative strengths of the conditioned stimulus (CS) and other cues present during training.
Conditioned Compensatory-Response: A learned response that counteracts the effect of the unconditioned stimulus (US), serving to maintain balance.
CS-preexposure Effect: Interference in conditioning caused by prior exposure to the CS, known as latent-inhibition effect, making later conditioning less effective.
Drug Tolerance: Diminished effectiveness of a drug after repeated use, affecting the body's response to the substance over time.
Higher-order Conditioning: A process where a previously conditioned stimulus (CS1) is used to condition a new stimulus (CS2), expanding associative networks.
Homeostasis: Physiological concept that maintains critical bodily functions within acceptable ranges through negative feedback and feedforward mechanisms.
Relative-Waiting-Time Hypothesis: Proposes that the conditioned response is influenced by the difference in waiting times for the US in the presence or absence of the CS.
Stimulus-Response (S-R) Learning: Involves learning the association between a stimulus and a specific response, leading to elicitation of the response by the stimulus.
Stimulus-Stimulus (S-S) Learning: Involves learning the association between two stimuli, so that exposure to one activates a mental representation of the other.
Sensory Preconditioning: Involves pairing two biologically weak stimuli (CS1 and CS2), allowing CS2 to evoke a conditioned response after CS1 is conditioned with a US, despite CS2 not being directly paired with the US.
Stimulus Salience: Refers to how noticeable or significant a stimulus is; more salient stimuli generally lead to more rapid conditioning.
Stimulus Substitution: Theoretical perspective that suggests participants respond to the CS similarly to how they respond to the US due to conditioning.
US-preexposure Effect: Interference arising from prior exposure to the unconditioned stimulus before conditioning trials, which can hinder later conditioning phases.
US Devaluation: The process of reducing the attractiveness of an unconditioned stimulus through methods like aversion conditioning or habituation.