PSYC 1020H Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: B. F. Skinner, Conditioned Taste Aversion, Classical Conditioning
3 May 2018
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Classical Conditioning
● Classical conditioning explains how a neutral stimulus can acquire the capacity to
elicit a response originally evoked by another stimulus. This kind of conditioning
was originally described by Ivan Pavlov.
● Many kinds of everyday responses are regulated through classical conditioning,
including phobias, fears, and pleasant emotional responses. Even physiological
responses, such as immune and sexual functioning, respond to classical
conditioning.
● A conditioned response may be weakened and extinguished entirely when the
CS is no longer paired with the UCS. In some cases, spontaneous recovery
occurs, and an extinguished response reappears after a period of non exposure
to the CS.
● Conditioning may generalize to additional stimuli that are similar to the original
CS. The opposite of generalization is discrimination, which involves not
responding to stimuli that resemble the original CS. Higher-order conditioning
occurs when a CS functions as if it were a UCS to establish new conditioning.
● Studies of signal relations in classical conditioning suggest that cognitive
processes play a larger role in conditioning than originally believed.
● The findings on instinctive drift, conditioned taste aversion, and preparedness
have led to the recognition that there are species-specific biological constraints
on conditioning. Some evolutionary psychologist argue that learning processes
vary considerably across species.
Operant Conditioning
● Operant conditioning involves largely voluntary responses that are governed by
their consequences. Following the lead of E.L. Thorndike, B.F. skinner
investigated this form of conditioning, working mainly with rats and pigeons in
Skinner boxes.
● The key dependent variable in operant conditioning is the rate if response over
time. When this responding is shown graphically, steep slopes indicate rapid
responding. New operant responses can be shaped by gradually reinforcing
closer and closer approximations of the desired response. In operant
conditioning, extinction occurs when reinforcement for a response is terminated
and the rate of that response declines.
● Operant responses are regulated by discriminative stimuli that are cues for the
likelihood of obtaining reinforces. These stimuli are subject to the same
Document Summary
Classical conditioning explains how a neutral stimulus can acquire the capacity to elicit a response originally evoked by another stimulus. This kind of conditioning was originally described by ivan pavlov. Many kinds of everyday responses are regulated through classical conditioning, including phobias, fears, and pleasant emotional responses. Even physiological responses, such as immune and sexual functioning, respond to classical conditioning. A conditioned response may be weakened and extinguished entirely when the. Cs is no longer paired with the ucs. In some cases, spontaneous recovery occurs, and an extinguished response reappears after a period of non exposure to the cs. Conditioning may generalize to additional stimuli that are similar to the original. The opposite of generalization is discrimination, which involves not responding to stimuli that resemble the original cs. Higher-order conditioning occurs when a cs functions as if it were a ucs to establish new conditioning.
