Psychology Chapter 4 Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What are the four procedures that demonstrate that conditioning doesn't automatically occur simply because a neutral stimulus (NS) and an unconditioned stimulus (US) have been paired?

Overshadowing, Blocking, Occasion Setting, Latent Inhibition

Which two processes involve the presentation of a compound stimulus?

Occasion Setting

Latent Inhibition

Blocking (correct)

Overshadowing (correct)

Define a compound stimulus.

A compound stimulus consists of the simultaneous presentation of two or more individual stimuli.

What occurs in overshadowing? Give an example.

In overshadowing, the more salient member of a compound stimulus is more readily conditioned as a conditioned stimulus (CS) and interferes with the conditioning of the less salient member. Example: developing a conditioned fear response to a distinctive stimulus associated with an event. Signup and view all the answers

Explain an experimental example of overshadowing.

Pairing a bright light and a faint-sounding metronome with food. After several pairings, the light elicits salivation while the metronome elicits little or no response. Signup and view all the answers

Give a real-world application of overshadowing.

Head managers assign an assistant to announce unpopular decisions. Signup and view all the answers

What does the phenomenon of overshadowing demonstrate? What other phenomenon demonstrates this more clearly?

Overshadowing demonstrates that mere contiguity between a neutral stimulus and a US is insufficient for conditioning. Blocking also demonstrates this. Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between blocking and overshadowing?

Blocking occurs when the compound consists of a neutral stimulus (NS) and a conditioned stimulus (CS), rather than two neutral stimuli that differ in salience. Signup and view all the answers

Define blocking.

In blocking, the presence of an established conditioned stimulus (CS) interferes with the conditioning of a new CS. Signup and view all the answers

Give an experimental example of blocking.

A light is conditioned as a CS for salivation. When combined with a metronome and paired with food, little or no condition occurs to the metronome due to the light's prior conditioning. Signup and view all the answers

What is a real-life example of the blocking effect?

Making an unpopular announcement to your employees alongside a disliked manager. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Specificity in Classical Conditioning

Conditioning does not automatically arise from pairing a neutral stimulus (NS) and an unconditioned stimulus (US); it often occurs with specific stimuli or conditions.
Four key procedures illustrating this are overshadowing, blocking, occasion setting, and latent inhibition.

Compound Stimulus

A compound stimulus involves the simultaneous presentation of two or more stimuli, such as a sound and a light.

Overshadowing

In overshadowing, the more noticeable stimulus (more salient) in a compound stimulus is more readily conditioned as a conditioned stimulus (CS), which hampers conditioning of the less salient stimulus.
Example: When exposed to a wasp, a person may develop a fear response primarily to the most distinctive feature of the wasp, overshadowing other stimuli.

Experimental Example of Overshadowing

An experiment pairs a bright light with a faint metronome alongside food, leading to conditioned salivation.
On testing each separately, only the bright light elicits a strong salivation response, while the faint metronome elicits little or no response, demonstrating overshadowing due to the presence of the more salient light.

Real-World Application of Overshadowing

Managers utilize the overshadowing effect by having an assistant announce unpopular decisions, as employees may direct their dislike towards the assistant, despite the manager being primarily responsible.

Significance of Overshadowing

Overshadowing indicates that simple pairings of NS and US are not sufficient for conditioning to occur; this is similarly shown through the phenomenon of blocking.

Difference Between Blocking and Overshadowing

Blocking involves the interference caused by an established CS which limits conditioning of a new CS, as opposed to overshadowing, which deals with two neutral stimuli differing in salience.

Definition of Blocking

Blocking occurs when an established CS prevents the conditioning of a new CS due to its prior association with the US.

Experimental Example of Blocking

Initially conditioning a light as a CS for salivation, followed by pairing it with a metronome. The presence of the light inhibits the metronome's ability to condition, as the light already predicts the food.

Real-Life Example of Blocking

In a workplace scenario, delivering an unpopular announcement jointly with an already disliked manager ensures that the negative response is attributed to the disliked individual rather than the speaker.

Description

Dive into Chapter 4 of psychology with these flashcards that explore specificity in classical conditioning. Learn about key concepts such as overshadowing, blocking, occasion setting, and latent inhibition, which highlight the intricate processes involved in conditioning. Test your understanding with these engaging flashcards.