CLASSICAL CONDITIONING

Critical Definitions for Classical Conditioning

Use Module 23 (pgs. 290) to STUDY the following important concepts in Classical Conditioning:

1. unconditioned stimulus,

2. unconditioned response,

3. conditioned stimulus,

4. conditioned response,

5. acquisition,

6. higher-order conditioning,

7. extinction,

8. spontaneous recovery,

9. generalization,

10. discrimination,

11. taste aversion

(Spiral) Famous Studies Rotations: Classical Conditioning

#9: It’s Not Just About Salivating Dogs #10: Little Emotional Albert 1. Read each study with your group. 2. Summarize each in 5 points, including the name of the

experimenter (they appear by name on the AP Exam). 3. Make a conditioning map for each identifying . . .

1. UCS2. UCR3. CS4. CR5. Instances of Stimulus generalization

Step 1: Select a stimulusDefinition of Terms

Neutral Stimulus: a stimulus that is not yet associated with a response

PavlovNeutral Stimuli:

Footsteps; metronome

Food dish, person who usually delivers food, a tone

Step 2: Establish Classical Conditioning Trial: let neutral stimulus

occur first, then follow it with the unconditioned stimulus (UCS).

Unconditioned stimulus (UCS): a stimulus that naturally triggers a response

Unconditioned response (UCR): a response that is unlearned, or natural, to a stimulus Unconditioned

stimulus (UCS): food

Unconditioned response (UCR): drooling

Step 2: Establish Classical Conditioning

Definition of Terms Conditioned stimulus

(CS): a previously neutral stimulus that has, through conditioning, acquired the capacity to evoke a conditioned response

Conditioned Response (CR): a learned reaction to a conditioned stimulus that occurs because of previous conditioning

Pavlov Pair the neural stimulus

(footsteps) with the unconditioned stimulus (food) several times. Soon, even if the person creating the footsteps does not bring food, the dog will drool due to hearing the footsteps alone.

Conditioned stimulus (CS): footsteps

Conditioned Response (CR): drooling

Another Example:Classical Conditioning and

AlbertUnconditioned Stimulus (UCS)

Unconditioned Response (UCR)

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

Conditioned Response (CR)

Natural Relationship

Unnatural Relationship

Learned Relationship

Ex. Loud noise

Ex. Fear

Ex. White rat

Ex. fear

Step 3: Test for Conditioning

A test for classical conditioning is to observe whether the neutral stimulus (now the conditioned stimulus), when presented alone, elicits the conditioned response

Applications of Classical Conditioning

Taste aversions Systematic Desensitization for phobia Addiction Recovery Educational Theory Advertising Training Establishing routines Raising children

Other Classical Conditioning Concepts

Generalization: when a stimulus is similar to the original CS elicits the response to the actual CS.

EXAMPLE: Little Albert Discrimination: when an organism learns to make a particular

response to a very specific stimuli, even though it may be similar to another stimuli

EXAMPLE: Tell the difference between the bell that’s on a schedule and a manual ring

Extinction: CS is repeatedly presented without the UCS and the CS tends to no longer elicit the CR

EXAMPLE: An alcoholic unpairs alcohol with fun. Spontaneous Recovery: when the CR reappears after being

extinguished even though there is no explanation why. EXAMPLE: A former smoker suddenly craves a cigarette.

Higher Order Conditioning

A conditioned stimulus acts like an unconditioned stimulus

EX. Train a dog to think of meat powder and thereby salivate when he hears a tone. You then start pairing a red light with the tone. Soon, the dog will start salivating when he sees the red light.

Original CS (tone) becomes the new UCS, and the red light becomes the new CS.

(Spiral) CC: A Wee Quiz

Directions: Find the element of the scenario that represents each the following terms.

UCS, UR, CS, CR, generalization, discrimination, extinction, spontaneous recovery.

Midge goes to Disneyland looking forward to seeing her favorite characters. Upon entering, she is surrounded by all seven dwarves and begins to panic when she loses sight of her parents. From then on, Midge runs screaming from the room every time her siblings put on Snow White and she sees the dwarves . The movie reminds her that her parents could disappear. She can’t stand the appearance of the Oompa-Loompas in Willy Wonka, either. Her parents gradually convince her to watch Snow White and hold her hands lovingly during the movie. Midge figures out that her family will not disappear due to the appearance of the Seven Dwarves. She’s still afraid of Oompa-Loompas. When she turns sixteen, she walks into her niece's room, which contains a Snow White poster. Suddenly she feels the desire to call her mom and make sure she’s at home.