Principles of Behavior Change

Classical Conditioning

Determinants of Conditioning

1) Strong UCSs produce strong CRs 2) as # of pairings of NS + UCS increase,

conditioned response is more likely 3) more consistent pairings result in faster

conditioning 4) NSs of attention are more likely to become CSs 5) Timing of the CS and the UCS makes a

difference. Forward arrangement with short delay is best.

6) Short delay is optimal for classical conditioning 7) Exception: taste aversion = long delay

between CS and UCS.

Measuring Strength of Conditioning

A. Amplitude: how strong is the conditioned response?

B. Latency: how quick?

C. Probability: how likely?

D. Resistance to extinction (the longer it takes to get rid of, the stronger the conditioning)

Extinction

extinction = the gradual weakening and disappearance of a conditioned response tendency

spontaneous recovery = partial recovery of the conditioned response

Acquisition, Extinction, and SR

Disinhibition

The sudden recovery of a response during an extinction

procedure when a novel stimulus is presented

Stimulus Generalization

The tendency for a CR to occur in the presence of a

stimulus that is similar to the CS.

Generalization

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Rabbits

Stimulus Discrimination

The tendency for a response to

be elicited by one stimulus and not another

Stimulus Discrimination

With training, CRs at 400, 800, 1600, 2000 should extinguish, which is a process known as stimulus discrimination.

Discrimination

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Rabbits Red = ?

Black = ?

Experimental Neurosis results from competing excitatory and

inhibitory conditioned responses.

Study: dogs trained to discriminate between a circle (food- excitatory) and an ellipse (no food, inhibitory)

Step 1: train dog to discriminate between stimuli

Step 2: gradually change shape of circle and ellipse so they resemble one another more.

Experimental Neurosis

Circle

Oval

No Food

Experimental Neurosis Result: Dog does not know

how to respond and get aggressive under this condition.

Experimental Neurosis is at the base of many psychological disorders like anxiety.

Different Patterns for EN

1) anxious 2) rigid/hypnotized 3) angry

Why different patterns? Conditionability

Personality according to Pavlov

Some dogs condition easily e.g., shy, withdrawn dogs

Some dogs do not e.g., outgoing

Higher-order Conditioning

Phase 1)

Higher-order Conditioning

Phase 2)

CS2

CS1

UCS

UCR, CR

Third Order Conditioning

Sensory Preconditioning: Phase 1)

sound (NS) + black square (NS)

Phase 2) Sound CR

Phase 3) Black square CR

Three Limitation Classical Conditioning

1) Overshadowing

When one stimulus is more readily noticed relative to

another

2) Blocking

Blocking, Phase 1

Blocking, Phase 2

3) Latent Inhibition

A familiar stimulus is more difficult to condition as a CS than an unfamiliar (novel)

stimulusAlso known as CS pre-exposure effect

Latent Inhibition and Disorders

Schizophrenia

The ability to not condition to everything is adaptive.