Learning
Learning
Process by which experience produces a relatively enduring and adaptive
change in an organism’s capacity for behaviour
Habituation
Simple learning mechanism
o Occurs as a response to a single stimulus
Decrease in the strength of a response to a repeated
Get used to the stimulus
Example
o Door slams repeatedly
o Doesn’t give you a fright after a few times
Sensitization
Simple learning mechanism
o Occurs as a response to a single stimulus
Increased response strength to a repeated stimulus
Example
o Examiner patrolling the exam hall with loud shoes
o Irritates you more and more
,Classical Conditioning
Definition
Learned association between two stimuli so that one comes to elicit a
response originally only elicited by the other stimulus
Terms
Neutral stimulus
Stimulus that does not elicit the CR
Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)
Stimulus that elicits a reflexive/unconditioned response
No conditioning needed
Unconditioned Response (UCR)/ Reflexive response
Natural response to a stimulus
o Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)
No conditioning needed
Conditioned Stimulus (CS)
Stimulus that elicits a conditioned response
o Through association with a UCS
o Response similar to the UCR
Conditioned Response (CR)
Response elicited by a conditioned stimulus
Learning Trial
The pairing of a CS and UCS
o Takes several learning trails for a CR to develop
Extinction trial
Every occurrence of the CS without the UCS
Causes a CR to weaken
Many cause a CR to disappear
,Basic Principles
Acquisition
Period in which a response is learned
Extinction
Process where CS is presented repeatedly without the UCS
Cause the CR to weaken and eventually disappear
Process of inhibiting the CR
o Not a process of unlearning
o Shown by Spontaneous recovery
Spontaneous Recovery
Reappearance of an extinguished CR
o After a rest period
o Without new learning trials
Stimulus Generalization
Stimuli similar to CS that elicit the CR to that CS
Discrimination
When a CR occurs to one stimulus, but not others
Prevents Stimulus generalization
Higher-order conditioning
Process whereby a neutral stimulus becomes a CS after being paired with
an already established CS
UCS not necessary in the process
One trial/single trial learning
The formation of a CR to a UCS with only one learning trial
Needs a very intense UCS
o More intense= quicker learning
Usually a traumatic event
Types of pairing
Forward pairing
Cs appears first
CS still present when UCS appears
Quickest learning
Simultaneous pairing
Presenting CS & UCS simultaneously
Less rapid learning than forward pairing
Backward pairing
CS presented after UCS
Slowest learning
, Applications of classical conditioning
Acquiring/Overcoming fear
Used if fear becomes a CR to a conditioned stimulus
Exposure therapies
o Exposing a patient to a CS that has a CR of fear
o Without the UCS
o Allows extinction to occur
Systematic desensitization
o Patient learns muscle-relaxing techniques
o Gradually exposed to fear provoking stimulus
Flooding
o Immediately expose patient to phobic stimulus
Attraction and aversion
Classical conditioning effect what we are attracted/not attracted to
o Example
Girlfriend always lights candles before sexy time
Candles now elicit arousal
Aversion therapy
o Conditions an aversion/repulsion to a stimulus that triggers
unwanted behaviour
By pairing the stimulus with a noxious UCS
o Example
Giving drug that gives someone a headache as soon as they
ingest alcohol
o Mixed Results
Short term changes that extinguish over time
Health and sickness
Can use Classical conditioning to teach our bodies how to respond to a
stimulus
o Respond to promote health
o Respond to harm health
Classical conditioning can account for unexplained physical symptoms
Allergic Reaction
o Allergic to pollen in flower
Causes sore throat
o Artificial smell of the flower that doesn’t contain pollen
Causes sore throat
Anticipatory Nausea & vomiting (ANV)
o Becoming noxious and vomiting before chemotherapy
The Immune System
o Use Classical conditioning to get a anything to increase immune
function
o Example
Feed someone an apple and at the same time give them an
immune boosting/depressing injection
After a while just the apple will boost/depress the immune
system
Learning
Process by which experience produces a relatively enduring and adaptive
change in an organism’s capacity for behaviour
Habituation
Simple learning mechanism
o Occurs as a response to a single stimulus
Decrease in the strength of a response to a repeated
Get used to the stimulus
Example
o Door slams repeatedly
o Doesn’t give you a fright after a few times
Sensitization
Simple learning mechanism
o Occurs as a response to a single stimulus
Increased response strength to a repeated stimulus
Example
o Examiner patrolling the exam hall with loud shoes
o Irritates you more and more
,Classical Conditioning
Definition
Learned association between two stimuli so that one comes to elicit a
response originally only elicited by the other stimulus
Terms
Neutral stimulus
Stimulus that does not elicit the CR
Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)
Stimulus that elicits a reflexive/unconditioned response
No conditioning needed
Unconditioned Response (UCR)/ Reflexive response
Natural response to a stimulus
o Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)
No conditioning needed
Conditioned Stimulus (CS)
Stimulus that elicits a conditioned response
o Through association with a UCS
o Response similar to the UCR
Conditioned Response (CR)
Response elicited by a conditioned stimulus
Learning Trial
The pairing of a CS and UCS
o Takes several learning trails for a CR to develop
Extinction trial
Every occurrence of the CS without the UCS
Causes a CR to weaken
Many cause a CR to disappear
,Basic Principles
Acquisition
Period in which a response is learned
Extinction
Process where CS is presented repeatedly without the UCS
Cause the CR to weaken and eventually disappear
Process of inhibiting the CR
o Not a process of unlearning
o Shown by Spontaneous recovery
Spontaneous Recovery
Reappearance of an extinguished CR
o After a rest period
o Without new learning trials
Stimulus Generalization
Stimuli similar to CS that elicit the CR to that CS
Discrimination
When a CR occurs to one stimulus, but not others
Prevents Stimulus generalization
Higher-order conditioning
Process whereby a neutral stimulus becomes a CS after being paired with
an already established CS
UCS not necessary in the process
One trial/single trial learning
The formation of a CR to a UCS with only one learning trial
Needs a very intense UCS
o More intense= quicker learning
Usually a traumatic event
Types of pairing
Forward pairing
Cs appears first
CS still present when UCS appears
Quickest learning
Simultaneous pairing
Presenting CS & UCS simultaneously
Less rapid learning than forward pairing
Backward pairing
CS presented after UCS
Slowest learning
, Applications of classical conditioning
Acquiring/Overcoming fear
Used if fear becomes a CR to a conditioned stimulus
Exposure therapies
o Exposing a patient to a CS that has a CR of fear
o Without the UCS
o Allows extinction to occur
Systematic desensitization
o Patient learns muscle-relaxing techniques
o Gradually exposed to fear provoking stimulus
Flooding
o Immediately expose patient to phobic stimulus
Attraction and aversion
Classical conditioning effect what we are attracted/not attracted to
o Example
Girlfriend always lights candles before sexy time
Candles now elicit arousal
Aversion therapy
o Conditions an aversion/repulsion to a stimulus that triggers
unwanted behaviour
By pairing the stimulus with a noxious UCS
o Example
Giving drug that gives someone a headache as soon as they
ingest alcohol
o Mixed Results
Short term changes that extinguish over time
Health and sickness
Can use Classical conditioning to teach our bodies how to respond to a
stimulus
o Respond to promote health
o Respond to harm health
Classical conditioning can account for unexplained physical symptoms
Allergic Reaction
o Allergic to pollen in flower
Causes sore throat
o Artificial smell of the flower that doesn’t contain pollen
Causes sore throat
Anticipatory Nausea & vomiting (ANV)
o Becoming noxious and vomiting before chemotherapy
The Immune System
o Use Classical conditioning to get a anything to increase immune
function
o Example
Feed someone an apple and at the same time give them an
immune boosting/depressing injection
After a while just the apple will boost/depress the immune
system
