Learning & Cognition: Test 1

Front 1

How do we define learning? Know what changes in behavior don't constitute learning. Understand the distinction that is made between learning & performance.

Back 1

learning: a relatively permanent change in neural substrate that mediates behavior- the change is due to environment

Environment-> change the brain-> behavior changes

-> neural: {form new synaptic connection}

diff b/w learning & performance: we can't observe learning we can observe performance

Front 2

Habituation

Back 2

non-associative, single-event learning & learning trying not to react to a stimulus that has been repeatedly presented to you

Front 3

What are other processes that can lead to a response decrement other than learning?

Back 3

a. sensory deficit

b. motor fatigue

Front 4

What is the logic of using dishabituation procedures?

Back 4

we want to determine that the organism's knowledge of the stimulus event has changed and therefore learning has occurred. If motor fatigue or sensory deficit (or fatigue) was the underlying reason for the response decrement then the only way to get the response to return is through a rest period

Front 5

What are the differences between CS, US, UR and CR

Back 5

-Unconditioned Stimulus (US) - a stimulus that evokes an unconditioned response without any prior conditioning (no learning needed for the response to occur)

-Unconditioned Response (UR) - an unlearned reaction/response to an unconditioned stimulus that occurs without prior conditioning

-Conditioned Stimulus (CS) - a previously neutral stimulus that has, through conditioning, acquired the capacity to evoke a conditioned response

-Conditioned Response (CR) - a learned reaction to a conditioned stimulus that occurs because of prior conditioning

Front 6

The difference between acquisition and extinction

Back 6

acquisition: initial stage of learning. a response is established & then strengthened, eventually the stimulus comes to revoke a CR (up curve)

extinction: diminishing of a CR (down curve)

Front 7

How is taste aversion learning different from other learning paradigms in Pavlovian conditioning?

Back 7

the US is any stimulus that can naturally trigger or elicit a response called the UR. These aren't learned responses & the ability of a US to elicit a UR is innate. That is, the organism is biologically prepared to elicit a UR when the US is presented. UR are reflexes. They are involuntary & occur automatically when the US is presented. They only use a US & UR b/c the US naturally elicits a UR & they don't have to be learned

Front 8

Know the differences b/w the inter-stimulus-interval, inter-trial-interval & trace interval

Back 8

inter-stimulus-interval (ISI): the time b/w stimulus presentations

inter-trial-interval (ITI): the time b/w the off set of US to on set of the next CS

trace interval: the stimulus free period

Front 9

Know the various temporal relationships b/w CS & US

Back 9

delayed conditioning, trace conditioning, simultaneous conditioning & backward conditioning

Front 10

What is second-order conditioning?

Back 10

a situation in which a stimulus that was previously neutral is paired with a CS to produce the same CR as the CS

Front 11

What effect does stimulus similarity have on how effectively the organism associates two CS's together?

Back 11

if one stimuli is similar enough to a second, organisms will respond to the former as though it were the latter even though the two are quite discriminable

Front 12

Know the Sensory Preconditioning paradigm

Back 12

Phase 1: CS1->CS2, Phase 2 CS2-> shock, Phase 3, CS1? if conditioning involves S-R learning then the light shouldn't produce leg flexion b/c during CS1-CS2 pairings no response was occurring & therefore the organism couldn't have learned a CS-UR association: if conditioning involves S-S learning then CS should elicit leg flexion

Front 13

Know the Second-order Conditioning paradigm

Back 13

although all of the evidence presented so far argues that animals learn S-S associations the results are complicated when we look at what is learned during second-order conditioning. Phase 1: CS1-> US, Phase 2: CS2->CS2, Phase 3: (test) CS2? if second order conditioning occurs, the CS2 will elicit the response elicited by the CS1

Front 14

Know the definitions for exctinction both procedurally & as a process

Back 14

procedure: eliminates the predictive relationship b/w signal & reflex by presenting signal (CS) but prevents reflex from occurring

process: the disappearance of a previously learned behavior when the behavior isn't reinforced

Front 15

Stimulus Substitution Theory, Pavlov (1927)

Back 15

Pavlov argued that the CS becomes a substitute for the US- If US elicits key-pecking, then CS will elicit key-pecking- logically, then, the form of the CR (what CR looks like) is determined only by the US

Front 16

Evidence that contingency is necessary but not sufficient for learning Pavlovian associations

Back 16

Experimental ?: Does trial during, holding the CS-US contingency constant, affect learning

Example: p(foodIkey)= 1.0 & p(foodI no key)= 0 all pigeons in an auto-shaping experiment

Procedure: Group Structure: 5 sec group, 10 sec group, 20 sec group, 30 sec group & manipulate the duration of key light illumination- time b/w key light illuminations is held constant for all subjects equal to 30 sec. Trial duration affects the ability of the CS to predict the US; effects how well the CS can locate the US in time. As CS gets longer more uncertainty about when the food will be delivered thus conditioning is slower

Gibbon & Balsam (1981): Important variable isn't the trial duration but rather the ratio of trial duration to ITI duration. If we had 5 sec trial duration 30 sec ITI; 10 sec trial, 60 sec ITI, 20 sec trial duration to 120 sec ITI....trial duration wouldn't have an effect on the rate of conditioning. Thus, organisms seem to compare trial duration th the ITI duration. The organism

uses CS to localize the US compared to other cues in the environment

Front 17

Evidence of the Stimulus Substitution Theory

Back 17

1. Timberlake & Grant (1975): CS=rat attached to a platform that was slid into the cage, US=food, Question: What does the stimulus substitution model predict?- CS elicits same R as US. Results: CS came to elicit orientation, approach, sniffling movements & social contacts. Importantly, these responses didn't develop if no contigency b/w CS alone condition & random presentation w/ respect to food

Holland (1977): Compared CR's to two diff. CS's w/ the same US. Auditory stimulus tone visual stimulus diffuse light 1 localized visual stimulus located in top of chamber. US= food. Results: CR's to auditory stimulus (1) startle (2) head jerk . Diffuse visual stimuli (1) magazine behavior standing motionless w/ head in food magazine localized visual stimulus, rearing on hind legs conclusion 1. The form of the CR is dependent on the type of CS used 2. The ultimate expression of the CR is the combined effect of both the CS & US and not the singular effect of the US as stimulus substitution theory would claim.

Front 18

Difference b/w positive, negative and zero contingency and what type of conditioning takes place on each case

Back 18

positive contingency: A situation where the probability of one event is higher if another event has occurred. (in classical conditioning)

negative contingency: A situation where the probability of one event is lower if another event has occurred. (in classical conditioning)

zero contingency: CS doesn't acquire the ability to elicit CR. Doesn't predict pressure or absence of US despite the fact that it has been paired w/ US on several occasions. (Pavlovian conditioning)

Front 19

Rescorla (1968)

Back 19

in this experiment shocks that occurred int he absence of the CS produced noticeable changes in the ability of the CS to suppress lever pressing even though the number of CS-US pairings were the same in each group. If contiguity was sufficient, all that was needed for conditioning then all groups should have preformed the same