What in classical conditioning is the tendency of a new stimulus that is similar to the original conditioned stimulus?

Classical Conditioning

• Ivan Pavlov was the first to describe classical conditioning, the type of learning in which a subject comes to respond to a neutral stimulus as he would to another stimulus by learning to associate the two stimuli.
• An unconditioned response is the naturally occurring response; an unconditioned stimulus is the stimulus that evokes an innate response. A conditioned response is the learned response; a conditioned stimulus is the learned or associated stimulus.
• A conditioned response is acquired when a conditioned stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus.
• Extinction is the gradual weakening and disappearance of a conditioned response. Spontaneous recovery is the reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus returns after a period of absence.
• Stimulus generalization is the tendency to respond to a new stimulus as if it is the original conditioned stimulus. Stimulus discrimination is the tendency to lack a conditioned response to a new stimulus that’s similar to the original conditioned stimulus.
• Higher-order conditioning occurs when a neutral stimulus comes to act as a conditioned stimulus by being paired with another stimulus that already evokes a conditioned response.

Operant Conditioning

• Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which responses come to be controlled by their consequences.
• B. F. Skinner used a device called a Skinner box to study operant conditioning in rats. He set up the boxes so that the rats could automatically get rewards or punishments for particular types of responses.
• Reinforcement is delivery of a consequence that increases the likelihood that a response will occur. Positive reinforcement is the presentation of a stimulus after a response. Negative reinforcement is the removal of a stimulus after a response.
• Punishment is the delivery of a consequence that decreases the likelihood that a response will occur. Positive punishment is the presentation of a stimulus after a response. Negative punishment is the removal of a stimulus after a response.
• Primary reinforcers and punishers are naturally satisfying and unpleasant, respectively. Secondary reinforcers and punishers are satisfying or unpleasant, respectively, because they’ve become associated with primary reinforcers or punishers.
• Shaping is a procedure in which reinforcement is used to guide a response closer and closer to a desired response.
• A reinforcement schedule is the pattern in which reinforcement is given over time. Reinforcement can be continuous or intermittent.
• Intermittent reinforcement schedules include fixed-ratio, variable-ratio, fixed-interval, and variable-interval schedules.
• In operant conditioning, extinction is the gradual disappearance of a response when it stops being reinforced.
• A discriminative stimulus is a cue that indicates the kind of consequence that is likely to occur after a response. Stimulus discrimination is the tendency for a response to occur only when a particular stimulus is present.
• In operant conditioning, stimulus generalization is the tendency to respond to a new stimulus as if it’s the original discriminative stimulus.

Biological Influences

• Biological factors can limit conditioning.
• Aversion to a particular taste can be conditioned only by pairing the taste with nausea.
• Instinctive drift is the tendency for conditioning to be hindered by natural instincts.

Cognitive Influences

• Conditioning involves higher mental processes, as it depends on the predictive power of the conditioned stimulus rather than mere association of stimuli.

Observational Learning

• Observational learning is the process of learning to respond in a particular way by watching others, or models.
• Albert Bandura conducted experiments showing that children who watched adults behaving aggressively were more likely to behave aggressively themselves.

Did you know you can highlight text to take a note? x

In order to continue enjoying our site, we ask that you confirm your identity as a human. Thank you very much for your cooperation.

Three Major Types of Learning

1]      Learning through association  - Classical Conditioning

2]      Learning through consequences � Operant Conditioning

3]      Learning through observation � Modeling/Observational Learning

LEARNING

Learning is a change in behavior or in potential behavior that occurs as a result of experience.  Learning occurs most rapidly on a schedule of continuous reinforcement.  However it is fairly easy to extinguish� switching to variable reinforcement after the desired behavior has been reached prevents extinction.

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING

If a neutral stimulus [a stimulus that at first elicits no response] is paired with a stimulus that already evokes a reflex response, then eventually the new stimulus will by itself evoke a similar response.  [UCS, UCR, CS, CR]

�        Each pairing of the CS with the UCS strengthens the connection between the CS and CR.

�        Timing is important.  Usually the strongest and fastest conditioning occurs when the CS is presented about � to one second before the UC.

�        EXTINCTION - If the CS is presented repeatedly in the absence of the UCS, the CS-CR bond will weaken and the CR will eventually disappear.

�        STIMULUS GENERALIZATION - Once conditioning has occurred the subject may respond not only to the CS, but to stimuli similar to it.  For example, many of our likes and dislikes of new people and situations come from generalization based on similarities to past experiences.

�        STIMULUS DISCRIMINATION � opposite of stimulus generalization.  SD is the ability to detect differences among stimuli.  This procedure is sometimes used to test the ability of nonverbal subjects to discriminate among various stimuli, such as color [air puff / eye blink].

OPERANT CONDITIONING

The organism operates on its environment in some way; the behavior in which it engages are instrumental to achieving some outcome.

LAW of EFFECT

If a response is followed by a pleasant or satisfying consequence, that response will be strengthened.  If a response is followed by an unpleasant or negative state of affairs, it will be weakened.

Differences Between Operant and Classical Conditioning

1]      In classical conditioning, the conditional behavior [CR] is triggered by the particular stimulus [CS] and is therefore called an elicited behavior.  Operant behavior is an emitted behavior in the sense that it occurs in a situation containing many stimuli and seems to be initiated by the organism.  In a sense the subject chooses when and how to respond.

2]      In classical conditioning, behavior [CR] is affected by something that occurs before the behavior [the CS-UCS pairing].  In contrast, the operant response is affected by what happens after the behavior � that is by its consequences.

Positive Reinforcement

Any stimulus or event that increases the likelihood of the occurrence of a behavior that it follows.

Shaping

Shaping is the method of successive approximations.  Shaping reinforces the behaviors as they get closer and closer to the desired behavior.

Negative Reinforcement

Negative Reinforcement is anything that increases a behavior that results in the reinforcers removal.

Punishment

Any consequence that decreases the future occurrence of a behavior that produces it.

When You Remove a Positive Stimulus

Extinction       If the stimulus is a reinforcer for the behavior [e.g., parent ignores child/withdraws attention when child  acts up to get attention]

    Response Cost

       OPERANT CONDITIONING CONSEQUENCES

Generalization refers to the tendency to respond to stimuli that resemble the original conditioned stimulus. The ability to generalize has important evolutionary significance.

Stimulus generalization is the tendency to respond to a new stimulus as if it is the original conditioned stimulus. Stimulus discrimination is the tendency to lack a conditioned response to a new stimulus that's similar to the original conditioned stimulus.

Explanation: Generalization refers to the tendency for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to induce the conditioned response.

This tendency to respond to a similar conditioned stimuli is known as generalization. Discrimination, responding only to specific conditioned stimuli instead of similar conditioned simuli, is the opposite of generalization. stimulus discrimination.