Bell Work Are there any foods that you avoid because they made you ill in the past? Is there anything that you associate with fear? Clowns? Darkness? Cats/Dogs?
New Unit: Learning What is learning?
What is learning? A change in behavior/cognition as a result of experience.
Classical Conditioning
Intro to classical conditioning Ivan Pavlov
Pavlov’s Research Pavlov measured dog saliva Saliva is a reflex response.
What did Pavlov observe? Pavlov observed salivation at food at the sight /sound of the person that fed them. He wanted to know why. Demonstrated learning based on the repeated association of 2 different stimuli.
Terms: Stimulus = event that elicits a response Response = reaction by an organism to a stimulus
What is Classical Conditioning? A response that is automatically produced by one stimulus becomes associated with another stimulus that would not normally produce this response.
Key Elements of Classical Conditioning
1. Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS) Stimulus that produces a naturally occurring, unlearned response In Pavlov’s experiment, the UCS was the food
2. Unconditioned Response (UCR) Response that occurs automatically when the UCS is presented. A reflexive, involuntary response In Pavlov’s experiments, the UCR was the salivation.
3. Conditioned Stimulus (CS) Stimulus that is neutral at the start of the conditioning process and does not normally produce the UCR. Yet, through repeated association with the UCS, the CS triggers a very similar response to that caused by the UCS. Association refers to the pairing or linking of 1 stimulus with another stimulus. In Pavlov’s experiments, the bell and subsequently other stimuli were initially neutral, but each became associated with the meat powder.
4. Conditioned Response (CR) Learned response that is produced by the CS. The CR occurs after the CS has been associated with the UCS. The behaviour involved in a CR is very similar to that of the UCR, but it is triggered by the CS alone.
Another example…
Key Processes in Classical Conditioning
Acquisition Overall process during which the organism learns to associate 2 stimuli The rate of learning is often very fast in the early stages of acquisition
Extinction Gradual decrease in the strength or rate of a CR that occurs when the UCS is no longer presented.
Spontaneous Recovery Reappearance of a CR when the CS is presented, following a rest period after the CR appears to have been extinguished
Stimulus Generalisation Tendency for another stimulus to produce a response that is similar to the CR. The greater the similarity between stimuli, the greater the possibility that a generalisation will occur.
Stimulus Discrimination Responds to the CS only, but not to any other stimulus that is similar to the CS.
Taste Aversion Organisms have a tendency to avoid foods that make them sick Taste aversion is physical response of illness due to food that has previously “affected” you. May not have actually made you sick. Pregnant women develop this frequently
Watson’s ‘Little Albert’ experiment Aimed to test the notion that fears can be acquired through CC. The research participant was Albert B. (Little Albert), 11 months old. Conditioned by pairing neutral simuli with loud noise. Made Albert afraid/cry Associated the neutral stimuli with fear and cried.
Wrap Up
Wrap Up Identify the UCS, UCR, CS, and CR Jenny decided to perform a few experiments on her kitty, Precious. Jenny had a little clicker that makes a loud ‘CLICK’ sound. She walked around the house, randomly clicking it for a while as Precious rested in the living room. Then Jenny sat down with Precious, and used the flash on her camera to flash a bright light at the same time she clicked. Precious blinked because of the flash, and looked mildly annoyed. Jenny repeated this process with her 4 times, then clicked the clicker, without using the flash. She still blinked!