PSYC 387 Unit 2 Questions With Complete Solutions
Are short intervals or long intervals (between the CS and the
US) more effective in Pavlovian conditioning? Does the type of
response being conditioned influence CS-US contiguity? Correct
Answers Yes, in fear conditioning or aversion conditioning for
example, great results are obtained with longer CS-US intervals.
Other research shows that the ideal CS-US interval varies with
the level of stress. Short intervals generally being less important
in delay conditioning than in trace conditioning. Shorter
intervals are generally preferable to longer ones, but the ideal
interval varies. In one study, honeybees with experience at short
interval trace conditioning then learned with gaps that normally
would have been too long.
Backward conditioning Correct Answers CS follows the US.
Example a puff of air directed at a person's eye is followed by
the sound of a buzzer. Very difficult to produce CR with a
backward procedure.
Can conditioning change people's preferences when they are
already strongly attached to a product? Discuss with reference to
Gibson's (2008) studies. (pp. 114-115) Correct Answers
Depends. Gibson asked college students to participate in a study
on vigilance. He showed them a large number of images and
words on a computer, and their task was to hit the spacebar
when certain brand images appeared. Coke or pepsi always
appeared together with a positive image or word while the other
brands always showed negative images. The results indicated
that the conditioning failed to move people who strongly
favoured one brand over the other. It is unlikely that so much
,conditioning can be undone with a few ads for a competing
product. The test was simultaneously showing both stimuli
which could have altered the results.
Define a Pavlovian conditioning extinction procedure. Under
what conditions do we say that a CS-CR relationship has been
extinguished? (p. 78) Correct Answers If the CS is repeatedly
presented without the US, the conditional response will become
weaker and weaker. This is called extinction. When the CR no
longer occurs, the CS-CR relationship has been extinguished.
Define blocking. Compare and contrast blocking and
overshadowing. (pp. 74-75) Correct Answers Resembles
overshadowing in that one stimulus interferes with the ability of
another one to become a CS. ex: When a novel stimuli (stimuli
with which the individual has no experience), is paired with an
effective CS, such as a light and a tone (CS), the light which
normally would have a good chance of become a CS, would
have no chance paired with the tone.
Define higher-order Pavlovian conditioning. Describe Frolov's
demonstration of higher-order conditioning. Correct Answers
The procedure of pairing a neutral stimulus with a well-
established controlled stimulus. Frolov presented the sound of a
metronome, followed by food until the sound became a
conditioned stimulus, he then began presenting a black square
along with the metronome and noticed that the black square
began to elicit the salivary conditioned response.
Define overshadowing. What features of a stimulus (when
presented as part of a compound stimulus) are responsible for
, overshadowing? (p. 72) Correct Answers The effect of one
(stimulus) was found very commonly to overshadow the effect
of the others almost completely. It doesn't necessarily go
unnoticed but it does not become an effective CS. Strong/more
intense C/U stimuli overshadow weak ones. Sometimes too
strong a stimuli can be ineffective as well and can interfere with
learning.
Define pseudoconditioning, and explain why it poses a problem
in measuring Pavlovian conditioning. How can researchers
overcome this problem? (pp. 65-66) Correct Answers The
tendency of a neutral stimulus to elicit a CR after a US has
elicited a reflex response. Example: a nurse coughs just as he
gives you a painful injection. When you receive the injection,
you wince. After the injection, the nurse coughs again, you may
wince again just as you did when you received the injection.
This wincing to the cough may seem to be a conditioned
response but it is not. Strong stimulus, such as a needle jab, can
sensitise you to other stimuli, you become flinchy with any
stimulus that occurs after the strong stimulus.
delayed conditioning (most effective) Correct Answers The
conditioned stimulus and the Unconditioned stimulus overlap.
That is, the US appears before the CS disappears. No gap
between the two stimuli. For example, we hear the thunder,
before the lighting has faded from view. There are short delay
and long delay procedures, the difference refers to the length of
time the CS is present before the US appears.
Demonstrate the importance of the CS-US contingency in the
effectiveness of Pavlovian conditioning. Correct Answers
Are short intervals or long intervals (between the CS and the
US) more effective in Pavlovian conditioning? Does the type of
response being conditioned influence CS-US contiguity? Correct
Answers Yes, in fear conditioning or aversion conditioning for
example, great results are obtained with longer CS-US intervals.
Other research shows that the ideal CS-US interval varies with
the level of stress. Short intervals generally being less important
in delay conditioning than in trace conditioning. Shorter
intervals are generally preferable to longer ones, but the ideal
interval varies. In one study, honeybees with experience at short
interval trace conditioning then learned with gaps that normally
would have been too long.
Backward conditioning Correct Answers CS follows the US.
Example a puff of air directed at a person's eye is followed by
the sound of a buzzer. Very difficult to produce CR with a
backward procedure.
Can conditioning change people's preferences when they are
already strongly attached to a product? Discuss with reference to
Gibson's (2008) studies. (pp. 114-115) Correct Answers
Depends. Gibson asked college students to participate in a study
on vigilance. He showed them a large number of images and
words on a computer, and their task was to hit the spacebar
when certain brand images appeared. Coke or pepsi always
appeared together with a positive image or word while the other
brands always showed negative images. The results indicated
that the conditioning failed to move people who strongly
favoured one brand over the other. It is unlikely that so much
,conditioning can be undone with a few ads for a competing
product. The test was simultaneously showing both stimuli
which could have altered the results.
Define a Pavlovian conditioning extinction procedure. Under
what conditions do we say that a CS-CR relationship has been
extinguished? (p. 78) Correct Answers If the CS is repeatedly
presented without the US, the conditional response will become
weaker and weaker. This is called extinction. When the CR no
longer occurs, the CS-CR relationship has been extinguished.
Define blocking. Compare and contrast blocking and
overshadowing. (pp. 74-75) Correct Answers Resembles
overshadowing in that one stimulus interferes with the ability of
another one to become a CS. ex: When a novel stimuli (stimuli
with which the individual has no experience), is paired with an
effective CS, such as a light and a tone (CS), the light which
normally would have a good chance of become a CS, would
have no chance paired with the tone.
Define higher-order Pavlovian conditioning. Describe Frolov's
demonstration of higher-order conditioning. Correct Answers
The procedure of pairing a neutral stimulus with a well-
established controlled stimulus. Frolov presented the sound of a
metronome, followed by food until the sound became a
conditioned stimulus, he then began presenting a black square
along with the metronome and noticed that the black square
began to elicit the salivary conditioned response.
Define overshadowing. What features of a stimulus (when
presented as part of a compound stimulus) are responsible for
, overshadowing? (p. 72) Correct Answers The effect of one
(stimulus) was found very commonly to overshadow the effect
of the others almost completely. It doesn't necessarily go
unnoticed but it does not become an effective CS. Strong/more
intense C/U stimuli overshadow weak ones. Sometimes too
strong a stimuli can be ineffective as well and can interfere with
learning.
Define pseudoconditioning, and explain why it poses a problem
in measuring Pavlovian conditioning. How can researchers
overcome this problem? (pp. 65-66) Correct Answers The
tendency of a neutral stimulus to elicit a CR after a US has
elicited a reflex response. Example: a nurse coughs just as he
gives you a painful injection. When you receive the injection,
you wince. After the injection, the nurse coughs again, you may
wince again just as you did when you received the injection.
This wincing to the cough may seem to be a conditioned
response but it is not. Strong stimulus, such as a needle jab, can
sensitise you to other stimuli, you become flinchy with any
stimulus that occurs after the strong stimulus.
delayed conditioning (most effective) Correct Answers The
conditioned stimulus and the Unconditioned stimulus overlap.
That is, the US appears before the CS disappears. No gap
between the two stimuli. For example, we hear the thunder,
before the lighting has faded from view. There are short delay
and long delay procedures, the difference refers to the length of
time the CS is present before the US appears.
Demonstrate the importance of the CS-US contingency in the
effectiveness of Pavlovian conditioning. Correct Answers
