Psychology Classical Conditioning

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Questions and Answers

Explain Pavlov's classical conditioning experiment using the terms U.C.S., U.C.R., N.S., C.S., & C.R.

Pavlov's experiment involved using food as the unconditioned stimulus (U.C.S.) which caused the unconditioned response (U.C.R.) of the dog's salivation. The bell was initially a neutral stimulus (N.S.) that became the conditioned stimulus (C.S.) after being paired with the food. The conditioned response (C.R.) was the dog salivating at the sound of the bell.

Explain the terms acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, and discrimination related to Watson's 'Baby Albert' experiment.

Acquisition occurred when Baby Albert was conditioned to associate a loud noise with the mouse (U.C.S. causing U.C.R. of fear). Extinction did not occur as Albert retained his fear. He experienced generalization by fearing anything white and fluffy, but not discrimination. If extinction had happened, spontaneous recovery could have reconditioned him.

What did Garcia mean by 'aversive conditioning', and how does it relate to the 'wolf-sheep' resolution?

'Aversive conditioning' refers to associating a negative experience with a stimulus, such as eating something that makes you feel sick. In the 'wolf-sheep' resolution, a wolf eats sheep that have been coated with a chemical to learn to avoid certain foods. In 'A Clockwork Orange', an injection caused the main character to feel sick when exposed to crime-related stimuli.

What is the difference between classical and operant conditioning?

Classical conditioning involves associating two stimuli, while operant conditioning associates responses with consequences. Higher-order (2nd order) conditioning tests whether a subject can be conditioned to respond to multiple stimuli in sequence. Signup and view all the answers

What is counter conditioning and how would you apply it to someone who got sick from bad chicken?

Counter conditioning involves re-associating a negative stimulus with positive experiences to change behavior. For someone who got sick from chicken, you could start associating chicken with their favorite foods. For Baby Albert, you could introduce a toy with the mouse to rebuild positive associations. Signup and view all the answers

How did Behaviorism bring scientific legitimacy to psychology?

Behaviorism focused on observable behaviors and their causes, thus framing psychology as a scientific discipline concerned with how we think and act. Signup and view all the answers

Who was Thorndike and how did he influence Skinner?

Thorndike developed the law of effect, which states that behavior changes due to its consequences. Skinner expanded on this concept using the Skinner box to observe behavior modification through reinforcement. Signup and view all the answers

How would you use shaping to potty train your child?

Shaping involves breaking the training process into small steps, like having the child notify you when they need to go, sitting on the toilet, and eventually going. Positive reinforcement should be given at each step to encourage progress. Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between positive and negative reinforcement and punishment?

Positive reinforcement involves adding a rewarding stimulus to increase behavior, while negative reinforcement removes an aversive stimulus. Positive punishment introduces a negative consequence to decrease behavior, and negative punishment removes a positive stimulus. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Pavlov's Classical Conditioning

Unconditioned stimulus (U.C.S.): food; elicits unconditioned response (U.C.R.): salivation in dogs.
Neutral stimulus (N.S.): bell; originally does not elicit a response from dogs.
During conditioning, bell is sounded before presenting food, causing dogs to associate the bell with food.
After conditioning, the bell becomes the conditioned stimulus (C.S.), eliciting a conditioned response (C.R.): salivation.

Watson's "Baby Albert" Experiment

Acquisition: Baby Albert learns to associate a loud noise (U.C.S.) with a white rat (N.S.), resulting in fear (C.R.).
Extinction: Not observed; Albert retained fear of the mouse, indicating he did not undergo extinction.
Spontaneous recovery: If extinction had occurred, Albert might have experienced a return of fear when re-exposed to the rat.
Generalization: Albert demonstrated fear towards other white and fluffy objects, not just the rat.
Discrimination: Did not develop, as he feared various white, fluffy stimuli, not just the mouse.

Aversive Conditioning

Aversive conditioning: learning to avoid a food item after associating it with a negative experience, e.g., a wolf eating sheep treated with chemicals.
"A Clockwork Orange": uses aversive conditioning by treating the protagonist with nausea-inducing drugs while exposing him to violent imagery to deter criminal behavior.

Classical vs. Operant Conditioning

Classical conditioning: involves association between two stimuli.
Operant conditioning: involves association between a behavior and its consequence.
Higher-order (2nd order) conditioning: conditioning multiple stimuli, e.g., getting a dog to salivate at a sequence of sounds rather than a single one.

Counterconditioning

Counterconditioning: involves re-associating a previously disliked stimulus with a positive experience to change feelings.
Example: After food poisoning from chicken, associate chicken with favorite foods, encouraging a positive connection.
For Baby Albert, introduce a toy with the rat to create a positive association.

Influence of Behaviorism

Behaviorism brought scientific legitimacy to psychology by focusing on observable behaviors, establishing psychology as a discipline based on measurable actions.

Thorndike and Skinner

Thorndike developed the Law of Effect: behaviors modify based on their consequences.
Skinner expanded on this by using the Skinner box, allowing animals to learn behaviors (like pressing levers) to receive food, illustrating operant conditioning principles.

Shaping and Positive Reinforcement

Shaping: gradual process of reinforcing closer approximations to a desired behavior.
Example for potty-training: reinforce each small step (e.g., communicating the need, sitting on the toilet) using positive reinforcement (rewards) to encourage desired behavior.

Reinforcement and Punishment

Positive reinforcement: any stimulus that increases behavior (e.g., praise or rewards).
Negative reinforcement: removing an unpleasant stimulus to increase behavior (e.g., stopping a child's tantrum).
Positive punishment: introducing an unpleasant stimulus to decrease behavior (e.g., reprimands).
Negative punishment: removing a pleasant stimulus to decrease behavior (e.g., loss of privileges).

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Description

Explore the concepts of classical conditioning through Pavlov's experiments and Watson's 'Baby Albert' study. This quiz delves into the mechanics of unconditioned and conditioned stimuli, as well as the processes of acquisition, extinction, and generalization. Test your understanding of how these principles apply to real-world scenarios.