Psychology Chapter 6 Flashcards

Study Notes

Classical Conditioning

Involves pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a response.
Example from "The Office": Jim pairs a computer noise with offering Dwight a mint, leading Dwight to reach out for a mint upon hearing the noise.

Ivan Pavlov

Developed the concept of Classical Conditioning through experiments with dogs.
Dogs learned to associate a bell sound (neutral stimulus) with food (unconditioned stimulus), resulting in salivation (unconditioned response).

Unconditional Stimulus (US)

A stimulus that naturally triggers a response without prior learning.
Examples include food for Pavlov's dogs and Altoids for Dwight, both causing positive reactions.

Unconditional Response (UR)

The automatic reaction to an unconditional stimulus.
For Pavlov, it was dogs salivating in response to meat; for Dwight, it was instinctively reaching for the mint.

Conditional Stimulus (CS)

A previously neutral stimulus that elicits a conditioned response after being associated with an unconditioned stimulus.
Examples: the bell in Pavlov's experiment and the computer noise in "The Office."

Conditional Response (CR)

A learned response to a conditioned stimulus, usually similar to the unconditioned response.
Examples: dogs salivating when hearing the bell and Dwight holding out his hand for a mint.

Trials

The repeated pairing of the unconditioned and conditioned stimuli.
Instances include Pavlov ringing the bell while presenting food and Jim giving Dwight a mint after the computer noise.

Examples of Classical Conditioning

Water Spray Example: A whistle followed by a spray creates a fear response; the student flinches at the whistle.
- US: Water spray
- UR: Flinching
- CS: Whistle
- CR: Flinching
Shower Example: The sound of a toilet flushing causes someone to jump out of the shower due to a learned association with cold water.
- US: Cold water
- UR: Jumping out
- CS: Toilet flush
- CR: Jumping out

Conditioned Fear/Anxiety

Occurs when a neutral stimulus is associated with a traumatic experience, leading to a fear response.

Examples of Conditioned Fear/Anxiety

Bridge Phobia: A girl learns to fear bridges due to her father's screaming while on one.
- US: Father's scream
- UR: Fear
- CS: Bridge
- CR: Fear of bridges
Taco Bell Aversion: Ross develops an avoidance of Taco Bell after experiencing food poisoning there.
- US: Food poisoning
- UR: Illness
- CS: Taco Bell
- CR: Avoiding Taco Bell

Other Conditional Responses - Feelings

Experiences can create emotional associations with stimuli, such as ice cream after winning a baseball game leading to positive feelings.

Evaluative Conditioning

Employed mostly in advertising, involves pairing a product with a positive stimulus to create a favorable response.
- Example: George Clooney associated with a whiskey brand to evoke positive feelings toward the product.

Acquisition

The process of learning a conditioned response through repeated associations.
Example: Dwight learns to respond with his hand when he hears the computer noise.

Extinction

Refers to the decrease of the conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus is no longer paired with the unconditioned stimulus.
Example: Jim aims to eliminate Dwight's desire for mints by stopping the pairing of the noise with the offer of mints.

Description

This quiz focuses on Chapter 6 of psychology, specifically covering the concept of classical conditioning. Learn how neutral stimuli can elicit responses through association, using engaging examples. Test your knowledge with these flashcards to strengthen your understanding of foundational psychological principles.