PSYC 001 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Latent Learning, Conditioned Taste Aversion, Motivation
Learning
●Classical conditioning: learning that one stimulus signals the arrival of another
stimulus (sight/sound/smell/taste etc) (highly attributed to Pavlov because of his
discovery that dogs salivate before food even goes in their mouth when they are
expecting it (the smell, the footsteps of the caregiver). Aka acquisition
○reflex: a stimulus response (ex: food in mouth elicits salvation.
■ this is both an unconditioned stimulus and an unconditioned response.
This means there was no training, it’s just automatic.
○conditioned stimulus/conditioned response: pavlov trained dogs to salivate in
response to a ringing tone by associating it with food.
■ the whole point is that the tone is “just before” the food, so that the
salivation will happen even in the event that the food doesn’t come
■delayed conditioning: when the tone is before the food but continues
until the food arrives. Only uses the cerebellum (can be subconscious)
■trace conditioning: when the tone is before the food but there is a period
of no tone, and then the food comes. Uses the cerebellum &
hippocampus (is a conscious association)
■Little Albert: infant was not initially scared of animals, but the scientists
made an unpleasant noise whenever animals were around, so he
developed a fear-avoidance response and cried whenever animals were
around.
○extinction: If you stop providing the conditioned responses after the conditioned
stimulus, the subject will become de-conditioned. (Ex: if you stop giving the dog
food after ringing the tone, the dog will stop salivating.
○spontaneous recovery: after a period of extinction, the conditioned response
can come back but it is a little weakened
○stimulus generalization: we will also respond to things that are similar to our
conditioned stimulus (stronger depending on how similar it is)
○stimulus discrimination: learning to only have a response to things that are
rationally similar (ex: if you got bit by a dog, you don’t need to fear all dogs, just
wild dogs).
●operant conditioning: learning to associate behaviors with their consequences. People
can do this consciously or unconsciously
○law of effect: any behavior that results in a satisfying consequence will be
repeated, and when it results in an unsatisfying consequence it will not be
repeated (tends to)
■reinforcement vs punishment, reinforcer vs punisher: using a
reinforcer (treat) to train your dog to sit is reinforcement. Using a
punisher (spray) to train it not to jump on you it is punishment.
■appetitive stimulus vs aversive stimulus: appetitive is things we find
pleasant like good food or grades, aversive is things we find unpleasant
like electric shock or bad grades
Document Summary
Reflex: a stimulus response (ex: food in mouth elicits salvation. This is both an unconditioned stimulus and an unconditioned response. This means there was no training, it"s just automatic. Conditioned stimulus/conditioned response: pavlov trained dogs to salivate in response to a ringing tone by associating it with food. The whole point is that the tone is just before the food, so that the salivation will happen even in the event that the food doesn"t come. Delayed conditioning: when the tone is before the food but continues until the food arrives. Trace conditioning: when the tone is before the food but there is a period of no tone, and then the food comes. Uses the cerebellum & hippocampus (is a conscious association) Little albert: infant was not initially scared of animals, but the scientists made an unpleasant noise whenever animals were around, so he developed a fear-avoidance response and cried whenever animals were around.
