Psy 458 Chapter 3

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autoshaping

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A form of sign tracking in which a keylight that is paired with food elicits pecking in the pigeon. It has become a popular method for studying classical conditioning.

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backward conditioning

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A classical conditioning procedure in which the conditioned stimulus is presented after the unconditioned stimulus has occurred. Can lead to either no conditioning, conditioned excitation or conditioned inhibition depending on the timing of the two stimuli.

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bidirectional response systems

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An experimental setup where it is possible to measure both excitation and inhibition because response levels can go either above or below a starting baseline.

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blocking

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In classical conditioning, the finding that little or no conditioning occurs to aq new stimulus if it is combined with a previously conditioned stimulus during conditioning trials. Suggests that information or surprise value is important in conditioning.

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compound CS

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In classical conditioning, the presentation of two or more conditional stimuli at about the same time. In a "simultaneous" compound, the conditional stimuli are presented at the same time; in a "serial" compound, the stimuli are presented in a sequence.

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conditional response (CR)

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The response that is elicited by the conditional stimulus after classical conditioning has taken place. The response is "conditional" in the sense that it depends on the conditioning experience.

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conditional stimulus (CS)

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An initially neutral stimulus (like a bell, light, or tone) that begins to elicit a conditional response after it has been paired with an unconditioned stimulus.

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conditioned emotional response (CER); also called conditioned suppression

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A method for studying classical conditioning in which the conditional stimulus is associated with a mild electric shock and the CS comes to suppress an ongoing behavior, such as lever pressing reinforced by food. Also called conditioned suppression.

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conditioned inhibition

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Inhibition that is learned through classical conditioning. The term also refers to a specific inhibitory conditiioning procedure in which one conditional stimulus is always paired with an unconditional stimulus, except when the CS is combined with a second conditional stimulus. The second stimulus acquires inhibition. The procedure is also known as the feature-negative discrimination.

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conditioning preparations

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Any of several methods for studying classical conditioning.

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contingency

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The "if-then" relationship between two events.

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positive contingency; also called positive correlation

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A situation where the probability of one event is higher if another event has occurred. In classical conditioning, if the unconditional stimulus is more probable when the conditional stimulus has occurred, the conditional stimulus becomes a conditioned excitor. In instrumental conditioning, a biologically significant event may likewise be more probable if a behavior occurs. If the significant event is negative or aversive, then punishment occurs; if the significant event is positive, then reward learning occurs.

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negative contingency; also called negative correlation

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A situation where the probability of one event is lower if another event has occurred. In classical conditioning, if the unconditional stimulus is less probable when the conditional stimulus has occurred, the conditional stimulus becomes a conditioned inhibitor. In instrumental conditioning, a biologically significant event may likewise be less probable if a behavior occurs. If the significant event is negative or aversive, then escape or avoidance learning occurs; if the significant event is positive, then negative punishment or omission occurs.

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delay conditioning

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A classical conditioning procedure in which the conditional stimulus begins on its own and then terminates with presentation of the unconditional stimulus.

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differential inhibition; also called discriminative inhibition

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A procedure in classical conditioning in which a conditional stimulus is paired with the unconditional stimulus on some trials and another conditional stimulus is presented without the unconditional stimulus on other trials. The second CS may acquire inhibition.

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excitation; or excitatory conditioning

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In classical conditioning, the potential of a conditional stimulus to signal an unconditional stimulus or elicit a conditional response. Also called excitatory conditioning.

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excitor or CS+

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A conditional stimulus that is associated with an unconditional stimulus, and has the potential to elicit a conditional response.

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explicitly unpaired

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In classical conditioning, a procedure in which a conditional stimulus is presented alone and the unconditional stimulus is presented at another time. This procedure would result in a "zero" contingency between the two stimuli

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generalization

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The transfer of a learned response from one stimulus to a similar stimulus.

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inhibition

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In classical conditioning, the capacity of a conditional stimulus to signal a decrease in the probability of the unconditional stimulus. More generally, an active process that suppresses excitation or reduces the strength of a response. The procedure that results in inhibition is called conditioned inhibition or inhibitory conditioning.

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inhibition of delay

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In classical conditioning, inhibition that develops to the early portion of conditional stimulus in a delay conditioning procedure. The early part of a conditional stimulus signals a period without the unconditional stimulus. Thus, the CS is typically longer than usual.

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inhibitor or CS-

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A conditional stimulus that signals a decrease in the probability or intensity of the unconditional stimulus and therefore evokes inhibition. A CS- is one that signals the absence of an expected US.

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intertrial interval

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The period of time between two successive trials.

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latent inhibition or CS-preexposure effect

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Interference with conditioning that is produced by repeated exposures to the conditional stimulus before conditioning begins.

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massed trials

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Conditioning trials separated by a short intertrial interval.

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ordinal predictions

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A hypothesis that specifies a greater-than or less-than relationship between two conditions or two groups.

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pseudoconditioning

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A process whereby a conditional stimulus can evoke responding because the organism has merely been exposed to the unconditional stimulus, rather than true associative learning.

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relative validity

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In classical conditioning, an experimental design and result that supports the view that conditioning is poor when the conditional stimulus is combined with a better predictor of the unconditional stimulus.

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retardation-of-acquisition test

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A test procedure that identifies a stimulus as a conditioned inhibitor if it is slower than a comparison stimulus to acquire excitation when it is paired with an unconditional stimulus.

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second-order (or higher-order) conditioning

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A classical conditioning procedure in which a conditional response is acquired by a neutral stimulus when the latter is paired with a stimulus that has previously been conditioned.

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sensitization

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An increase in the strength of an elicited behavior that results merely from repeated presentations of the eliciting stimulus.

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sensory preconditioning

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A classical conditioning procedure in which two neutral stimuli are first paired with each other, and then one of them is paired with an unconditional stimulus. When the other neutral stimulus is tested, it evokes a conditional response, even though it was never paired with the unconditional stimulus.

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simultaneous conditioning

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In classical conditioning, a procedure in which the conditional stimulus and unconditional stimulus are presented at the same time. The two stimuli come on at the same time and terminate at the same time.

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spaced trials

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Conditioning trials separated by a long intertrial interval.

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S-R learning

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The learning of an association between a stimulus and a response. The stimulus is typically one that is presented before or that occurs in context with the response. It is often thought of as associated with Thorndike's original Law of Effect. The "S" in S-R is taken to mean the stimulus or situation context within which the response occurs.

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S-S learning

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The learning of an association between two stimuli. Also called stimulus learning. This type of learning reflects Pavlov's theory of stimulus substitution in classical conditioning.

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stimulus substitution

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In classical conditioning, the idea that the conditional stimulus is associated with the unconditional stimulus and becomes a substitute for it (eliciting the same response).

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summation test

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A test procedure in which conditional stimuli that are conditioned separately are then combined in a compound. The procedure can identify a stimulus as a conditioned inhibitor if it suppresses responding evoked by the other stimulus (and does so more than a comparison stimulus that might reduce responding through generalization decrement).

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suppression ratio

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The measure of conditioning used in the conditioned emotional response or conditioned suppression procedure. It is the value obtained by dividing the number of responses made during the conditional stimulus by the sum of the responses made during the conditional stimulus and during an equal period of time before the stimulus. If the value is .50, no conditioned suppression has occurred (thus no conditioning). If the value is 0, a maximum amount of conditioned suppression has occurred.

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trace conditioning

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A classical conditioning procedure in which the unconditional stimulus is presented after the conditional stimulus has been terminated.

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unconditional response (UR)

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In classical conditioning, an innate response that is elicited by a stimulus in the absence of conditioning. The stimulus is called the unconditional stimulus or US.

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unconditional stimulus (US)

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In classical conditioning, the stimulus that elicits the response before conditioning occurs. The response is called the unconditional response or UR.

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US preexposure effect

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Interference with conditioning that is produced by repeated exposures to the unconditional stimulus before conditioning begins.