Psychology Flashcards: Classical Conditioning

Study Notes

Classical Conditioning Concepts

Pavlov: A prominent behaviorist known for his experiments with dogs, demonstrating classical conditioning by making them salivate at the sound of a bell.
Unconditioned Stimulus (US): A naturally occurring stimulus that elicits an unconditioned response without prior conditioning, such as food causing salivation.
Unconditioned Response (UR): The automatic, natural reaction to an unconditioned stimulus, exemplified by salivation in response to food in the mouth.
Conditioned Stimulus (CS): An initially neutral stimulus that, when paired with an unconditioned stimulus, eventually triggers a conditioned response, such as a bell sound.
Conditioned Response (CR): The learned reaction to a conditioned stimulus, which occurs after conditioning, like dogs salivating at the sound of the bell.
Higher Order Conditioning: Introducing an additional neutral stimulus that becomes associated with the conditioned stimulus, enabling the conditioned response to occur in response to the new stimulus, for instance, a flash of light preceding the bell.
Taste Aversion: A specific learned behavior where individuals develop a strong aversion toward particular foods, often due to a negative experience (e.g., illness).
Generalization: Drawing broader conclusions based on specific examples or experiences, often leading to similar responses to stimuli that resemble the original conditioned stimulus.
Discrimination: The ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and other stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus, enhancing specificity in responses.
Acquisition: The initial phase in classical conditioning where a neutral stimulus is linked with an unconditioned stimulus, starting to elicit a conditioned response; also relates to strengthening responses in operant conditioning.
Extinction: The process whereby a conditioned response diminishes over time when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus.
Interstimulus Interval: The time gap between the presentation of the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus, critical for effective conditioning.
Spontaneous Recovery: The phenomenon where a previously extinguished conditioned response reappears after a pause, indicating that conditioning effects may linger.

Description

Test your knowledge on classical conditioning concepts with these flashcards. Focus on key terms like Pavlov, unconditioned stimulus, and unconditioned response. Great for psychology students looking to solidify their understanding of behaviorism.