Glossary
Acquisition
The initial stage in classical conditioning where the neutral stimulus (NS) and unconditioned stimulus (UCS) are paired, leading to the formation of the conditioned response (CR).
Example:
During the acquisition phase, a researcher repeatedly rings a bell just before giving a treat to a cat, so the cat starts associating the bell with food.
Acquisition
The initial stage in classical conditioning where the neutral stimulus is repeatedly paired with the unconditioned stimulus, leading to the neutral stimulus beginning to elicit the conditioned response.
Example:
During the Acquisition phase, a dog learns to associate the sound of a can opener with getting food, eventually salivating at the sound alone.
Association
The key principle in classical conditioning, referring to the learned connection or pairing between two stimuli.
Example:
When a child learns to fear the dentist's office because of a painful shot, they have formed an association between the office and pain.
Aversion Conditioning
A type of classical conditioning where an unpleasant stimulus is paired with an undesirable behavior or substance to reduce or eliminate that behavior/substance's appeal.
Example:
Using a drug that causes nausea when combined with alcohol is a form of Aversion Conditioning aimed at treating alcoholism.
Behaviorism
A school of thought in psychology that emphasizes the study of observable behaviors and how they are learned through conditioning, rather than focusing on internal mental states.
Example:
Early psychologists adopting behaviorism might study how rewards and punishments shape a child's classroom conduct, ignoring their thoughts or feelings.
Biological Preparedness
The innate predisposition of certain species to learn particular associations more easily than others, especially those that enhance their survival.
Example:
Humans' tendency to quickly develop phobias of snakes or spiders, rather than flowers or rocks, is an example of biological preparedness.
Biological Preparedness
The innate predisposition of certain species to learn particular associations more easily than others, often due to their survival value.
Example:
Humans are more likely to develop a fear of snakes or spiders than flowers, illustrating Biological Preparedness for learning associations that protect us from danger.
Classical Conditioning
A type of learning where an organism learns to associate two stimuli, resulting in a new, learned response to a previously neutral stimulus.
Example:
When a dog learns to salivate at the sound of a bell because the bell has been repeatedly paired with food, it's an example of classical conditioning.
Classical Conditioning
A type of learning where an organism learns to associate two stimuli, resulting in a new, learned response to a previously neutral stimulus.
Example:
After hearing a specific song played right before a scary movie scene, you might start to feel anxious whenever you hear that Classical Conditioning song, even without the movie.
Conditioned Response (CR)
The learned response to a previously neutral (now conditioned) stimulus, which occurs after the conditioned stimulus has been associated with an unconditioned stimulus.
Example:
If you flinch every time you hear the dentist's drill, even before any pain, that flinching is a conditioned response.
Conditioned Response (CR)
The learned response to a previously neutral (now conditioned) stimulus, which is often similar to the unconditioned response.
Example:
If you start to feel hungry (UR) every time you hear the school bell (NS) because it signals lunch (US), then feeling hungry at the bell alone is the Conditioned Response (CR).
Conditioned Stimulus (CS)
A previously neutral stimulus that, after becoming associated with the unconditioned stimulus, eventually comes to trigger a conditioned response.
Example:
After repeatedly hearing a specific jingle before receiving a prize, the jingle itself becomes a conditioned stimulus that makes you feel excited.
Conditioned Stimulus (CS)
A previously neutral stimulus that, after becoming associated with the unconditioned stimulus, eventually comes to trigger a conditioned response.
Example:
After repeatedly hearing a specific song (NS) played during intense workouts (US), the song itself becomes a Conditioned Stimulus (CS) that energizes you.
Counterconditioning
A classical conditioning procedure used in therapy to replace an undesirable conditioned response with a more desirable one by pairing the fear-inducing stimulus with a positive or neutral stimulus.
Example:
To treat a child's fear of rabbits, a therapist might use counterconditioning by gradually bringing a rabbit closer while the child is happily eating their favorite snack.
Extinction
The gradual weakening and eventual disappearance of a conditioned response (CR) when the conditioned stimulus (CS) is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus (UCS).
Example:
If a dog that was conditioned to salivate at a bell no longer receives food after the bell rings, its salivation response will eventually undergo extinction.
Extinction
The weakening and eventual disappearance of a conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus.
Example:
If a dog was conditioned to salivate at a bell but the bell is rung many times without food, the salivation response will eventually undergo Extinction.
Forward Conditioning
A type of classical conditioning where the conditioned stimulus (CS) is presented before the unconditioned stimulus (UCS), which is generally the most effective method for learning.
Example:
In forward conditioning, a researcher might flash a light (CS) a few seconds before delivering a puff of air to the eye (UCS) to condition an eye-blink response.
Habituation
A decrease in the strength or frequency of a response to a repeated stimulus that is neither harmful nor rewarding, allowing an organism to ignore irrelevant stimuli.
Example:
Living near a busy road, you might initially notice the traffic noise, but over time, you experience habituation and no longer consciously hear it.
Higher-Order Conditioning
A procedure in which a conditioned stimulus (CS) from a previous conditioning experience is used as an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) to condition a new neutral stimulus.
Example:
If a bell makes a dog salivate, and then a light is repeatedly paired with the bell, the light alone might eventually cause salivation through higher-order conditioning.
Higher-Order Conditioning
A procedure in which a conditioned stimulus (CS1) is paired with a new neutral stimulus (NS2), causing the NS2 to become a second conditioned stimulus (CS2) that also elicits the conditioned response.
Example:
If a bell (CS1) makes a dog salivate, and then a light (NS2) is repeatedly flashed before the bell, the light alone might eventually cause salivation through Higher-Order Conditioning.
Ivan Pavlov
A Russian physiologist who pioneered the study of classical conditioning through his famous experiments with dogs and salivation.
Example:
Ivan Pavlov's work laid the foundation for understanding how associations are formed, showing how dogs could be conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell.
John B. Watson
An American psychologist who established the psychological school of behaviorism and conducted the controversial 'Little Albert' experiment.
Example:
John B. Watson's work emphasized the role of environmental factors in shaping behavior, famously demonstrating how fears could be learned.
John Garcia
An American psychologist known for his research on taste aversion, demonstrating that certain associations are more easily learned due to biological predispositions.
Example:
John Garcia's experiments with rats challenged the idea that any two stimuli could be equally conditioned, highlighting the importance of biological factors.
Little Albert Experiment
A controversial classical conditioning experiment conducted by John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner, which conditioned a baby to fear a white rat by pairing it with a loud noise.
Example:
The Little Albert Experiment showed that emotional responses, like phobias, could be learned through classical conditioning, but it raised significant ethical concerns.
Neutral Stimulus (NS)
A stimulus that initially produces no specific response other than perhaps focusing attention, before it is paired with an unconditioned stimulus.
Example:
Before any training, a specific song playing in the background is a neutral stimulus; it doesn't make you feel hungry or scared.
Neutral Stimulus (NS)
A stimulus that initially produces no specific response other than perhaps focusing attention, before it is paired with an unconditioned stimulus.
Example:
Before conditioning, a specific ringtone on your phone is a Neutral Stimulus (NS); it doesn't make you feel anything particular.
One-Trial Learning
A form of learning, often seen in taste aversion, where a strong association between a stimulus and a response is formed after only a single pairing.
Example:
Experiencing severe nausea immediately after trying a new exotic fruit can lead to one-trial learning, making you avoid that fruit forever.
Response
A reaction or behavior exhibited by an organism in reaction to a stimulus, often involuntary in classical conditioning.
Example:
When a bright light shines in your eyes, your pupils constricting is an automatic response.
Spontaneous Recovery
The reappearance of a weakened or extinguished conditioned response (CR) after a period of time following extinction, without further pairing of the CS and UCS.
Example:
After a fear of spiders has seemingly disappeared, a person might experience spontaneous recovery and feel a sudden jolt of anxiety when seeing a spider again, even without a new negative experience.
Spontaneous Recovery
The reappearance of a weakened conditioned response after a period of time following extinction, without further conditioning.
Example:
After a fear of spiders has seemingly disappeared (extinction), suddenly feeling a jolt of anxiety when seeing a spider again after a few months is an example of Spontaneous Recovery.
Stimulus
Any event or situation that evokes a response from an organism.
Example:
The smell of freshly baked cookies is a stimulus that might make your mouth water.
Stimulus Discrimination
The ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus (CS) and other similar stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus (UCS), leading to a differentiated response.
Example:
A dog trained to salivate only to a specific high-pitched bell, but not to a lower-pitched bell, is demonstrating stimulus discrimination.
Stimulus Discrimination
The learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and other similar stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus, leading to a response only to the specific conditioned stimulus.
Example:
A dog trained to salivate only to a specific high-pitched tone, but not to other similar tones, is demonstrating Stimulus Discrimination.
Stimulus Generalization
The tendency for a conditioned response (CR) to be elicited by stimuli that are similar to the original conditioned stimulus (CS), even if they have not been directly paired with the UCS.
Example:
A child who develops a fear of all dogs after being bitten by one specific dog is exhibiting stimulus generalization.
Stimulus Generalization
The tendency for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to also elicit the conditioned response.
Example:
A child who was bitten by a large dog might experience Stimulus Generalization and become fearful of all dogs, regardless of size or breed.
Taste Aversion Conditioning
A specific type of classical conditioning where an organism learns to avoid a food after a single experience of becoming ill after consuming it.
Example:
After getting food poisoning from a specific type of sushi, you might develop a strong taste aversion conditioning and feel nauseous just thinking about it.
Unconditioned Response (UCR)
The natural, unlearned, and automatic reaction or reflex that occurs in response to an unconditioned stimulus.
Example:
When you accidentally touch a hot stove, the immediate reflex to pull your hand away is an unconditioned response.
Unconditioned Response (UR)
The natural, unlearned, and automatic reaction to an unconditioned stimulus.
Example:
When you accidentally touch a hot stove, immediately pulling your hand away is an Unconditioned Response (UR).
Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)
A stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a reflexive or unlearned response without any prior learning.
Example:
The smell of your favorite food is an unconditioned stimulus because it naturally makes your mouth water without you having to learn that association.
Unconditioned Stimulus (US)
A stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers an unconditioned response without any prior learning.
Example:
The smell of your favorite food is an Unconditioned Stimulus (US) because it naturally makes you feel hungry.