All Flashcards
What is classical conditioning?
Learning through association, where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus, leading to a conditioned response.
Explain the behavioral perspective's focus on learning.
Focuses on observable behaviors and how they are learned through conditioning, rather than internal mental processes.
Describe the importance of the order of stimulus presentation in classical conditioning.
The CS should be presented before the UCS (forward conditioning) for effective learning.
How does classical conditioning relate to emotional responses?
Emotional responses can be classically conditioned, leading to the development of fears, anxieties, and other emotional associations.
What is biological preparedness and how does it relate to taste aversion?
An organism's innate predisposition to learn certain associations more easily than others; taste aversion is easily learned due to its survival value.
Explain the concept of one-trial learning in the context of taste aversion.
Taste aversion can occur after just one pairing of a food and illness, forming a strong association quickly.
How does habituation differ from extinction?
Habituation is a decrease in response to a repeated stimulus, while extinction is the disappearance of a conditioned response.
Describe the role of classical conditioning in therapeutic interventions.
Classical conditioning principles are used in therapies like counterconditioning to treat phobias and anxieties.
What is the significance of Pavlov's work in psychology?
Pavlov's experiments with dogs demonstrated the principles of classical conditioning, which became a cornerstone of behaviorism.
Explain how classical conditioning can lead to the development of phobias.
A neutral stimulus (e.g., a dog) can become associated with a frightening experience (UCS), leading to a conditioned fear response (CR).
What are the steps in classical conditioning?
- Identify UCS and UCR. 2. Pair NS with UCS. 3. NS becomes CS. 4. CS elicits CR.
What is the process of extinction?
Repeatedly present the CS without the UCS, leading to a gradual decrease in the CR.
What is the process of spontaneous recovery?
After extinction, a period of rest occurs, and then the CS is presented again, leading to the reappearance of the CR.
What is the effect of repeatedly presenting the CS without the UCS?
Extinction occurs, leading to a gradual weakening and disappearance of the CR.
What is the impact of stimulus generalization?
Responding to similar stimuli can lead to both adaptive and maladaptive behaviors, such as fearing all dogs after being bitten by one.
What is the effect of forward conditioning?
It is the most effective method for establishing a conditioned response.
What is the effect of biological preparedness on learning?
Organisms are more likely to quickly learn associations that are crucial for survival, such as taste aversions.
What is the effect of counterconditioning on phobias?
It can reduce or eliminate phobic responses by replacing negative associations with positive ones.