Psychology Classical Conditioning

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Questions and Answers

What is classical conditioning?

A type of learning where a neural stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response.

What is an unconditioned response (UR)?

A natural unlearned reaction to an unconditioned stimulus.

What is an unconditioned stimulus (US)?

A stimulus that naturally triggers an unconditioned response without any prior learning.

What is a conditioned response (CR)?

A learned response to a previously neutral stimulus that has become a conditioned stimulus. Signup and view all the answers

What is a conditioned stimulus (CS)?

A previously neutral stimulus that triggers a conditioned response after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus. Signup and view all the answers

What is acquisition in classical conditioning?

The initial phase where the conditioned stimulus is paired with the unconditioned stimulus to establish a conditioned response. Signup and view all the answers

What is latent inhibition?

The phenomenon where a familiar stimulus takes longer to acquire meaning as a conditioned stimulus than a new stimulus. Signup and view all the answers

What is renewal in the context of classical conditioning?

The return of a conditioned response when an organism is placed back into the environment where the conditioning originally occurred, after extinction. Signup and view all the answers

What does stimulus generalization mean?

When a conditioned response is triggered by stimuli similar to the original conditioned stimulus. Signup and view all the answers

What is stimulus discrimination?

The learned ability to differentiate between the conditioned stimulus and other stimuli that do not predict the unconditioned stimulus. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Little Albert experiment an example of?

Conditioning fear responses and demonstrating stimulus generalization. Signup and view all the answers

What does the self-prioritization effect refer to?

The phenomenon where individuals show a preference for processing information related to themselves over information related to others. Signup and view all the answers

What is self-recognition?

The ability of an individual to identify themselves as distinct from others. Signup and view all the answers

Why is self-recognition considered important?

It is linked to self-awareness and various cognitive and social abilities. Signup and view all the answers

What is the debate surrounding self-recognition?

Some argue that recognizing oneself in the mirror does not equate to a deeper understanding of one's identity or existence. Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes System 1 based judgment?

It is a fast, automatic, and intuitive way of thinking that operates quickly and with little effort. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Classical Conditioning

Definition: A type of learning where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response.
Unconditioned Response (UR): A natural unlearned reaction to an unconditioned stimulus, like salivating when hearing food is in your mouth.
Unconditioned Stimulus (US): A stimulus that naturally triggers an unconditioned response without prior learning, like the food that makes the dog salivate.
Conditioned Response (CR): A learned response to a previously neutral stimulus, which has become a conditioned stimulus, like salivating when hearing a bell.
Conditioned Stimulus (CS): A previously neutral stimulus that, after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus, triggers a conditioned response, like the bell.
Acquisition: The initial phase where the conditioned stimulus is paired with the unconditioned stimulus to establish a conditioned response.
Latent Inhibition: The phenomenon where a familiar stimulus takes longer to acquire meaning as a conditioned stimulus than a new stimulus.
Renewal: The return of a conditioned response when an organism is placed back into the environment where the conditioning originally occurred, after extinction.

Stimulus Generalisation

When a conditioned response is triggered by stimuli similar to the original conditioned stimulus.
A dog that salivates to a bell may also salivate to a doorbell, even though it's slightly different.

Stimulus Discrimination

The learned ability to differentiate between the conditioned stimulus and other stimuli that do not predict the unconditioned stimulus.
The dog only salivates to a specific bell and not similar sounds.

The Little Albert Experiment

CS: Baby Albert was conditioned to fear a white rat.
US: By pairing it with a loud sound.
CR: Causing Albert to show fear.
Albert generalised this fear to other similar stimuli.
Shows how emotions like fear can be conditioned.
Demonstrates stimulus generalisation.

Self-Prioritisation Effect

Definition: Refers to the phenomenon where individuals show a preference for processing information related to themselves over information related to others.
Evidence: Research demonstrates that individuals respond faster and more accurately to stimuli associated with themselves compared to those associated with friends or strangers.
Implications: For understanding social cognition and how individuals navigate their social environments. Suggests that self-relevance can significantly influence cognitive processing and decision making.

Self-Recognition

Definition: Refers to the ability of an individual to identify themselves as distinct from others, often assessed through tasks like the mirror test where individuals recognise their reflections as themselves.
Importance: Considered an indicator of self-awareness and is linked to various cognitive and social abilities. A significant milestone in cognitive development.
Debate: Some argue that recognising oneself in the mirror does not equate to a deeper understanding of one's identity or existence.

Decision Making and Judgement

System 1 Based Judgement: Fast, automatic, and intuitive way of thinking. Operates quickly and with little effort, relying on heuristics.
Instinctive
Quick Decisions Based On Limited Information

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Description

This quiz explores the principles of classical conditioning, a fundamental concept in psychology. It covers key terms such as unconditioned and conditioned stimuli and responses, along with acquisition and latent inhibition. Test your knowledge on how associations are formed and what role they play in learning.