Psych 1X03 C01 Professor Kim & Professor Cheal 05/07/12

Unconscious reflexive learning is vital to surviving Two Types of unconscious reflexive learning Classical Conditioning: associate 2 related events Instrumental conditioning: associate actions/consequences

Module 1: Intro to Learning

Module 2: Classical Conditioning

Ivan Pavlov Classical conditioning aka Pavlovian conditioning 1890s/1900s o Subjects associates cues with events through contingencies; once contingency as occurred, doesnt need to process course of action once cue has been seen Interested in stages of digestion; began with salivation Observed that dogs would salivate before delivery of food in mouth Metronome initially had no effect on dogs behavior Following training began to salivate in response to sound Conditional reflex: conditional upon training Contingencies Pavlov studied relationship presentation of one stimulus = presentation of another o Lightning followed by thunder o Strawberries = allergic reaction Contingency formed between stimuli when organism learns association between signal & event o Defined by cues, and events that follow them Lightning would be a cue of thunder Classical Conditioning The learning of a contingency between signal and later event that are paired in time/space Organism can respond to signal before event occurs Imagining juicy lemon in mouth Mouth puckers & begin to salivate o Prepatory salvation 1. Neutralizes citric acid from lemon 2. Prepares body for digestion Antelope flee from lion due to cues signaling impending attack o Sound, smells, sights associated with lions o Learning the contingent relationship = critical for survival

Module 3: Terminology
Unconditional Stimulus (US): unconditionally, naturally, automatically triggers response in absence of learning Food in dogs mouth, slice of lemon in own mouth = trigger response without training Unconditional Response (UR): response occurring after unconditioned stimulus; naturally before learning US of food = UR of salivation in mouth

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Psych 1X03 C01 Professor Kim & Professor Cheal 05/07/12

When US occurs, UR always follows without need for training

Conditional Stimulus (CS): paired with unconditioned stimulus to produce learning contingency Previously neutral stimulus, once associated with US = trigger a response on its own o Metronome (CS) paired with food in dogs mouth (US) CS appears before US Lots of training so CS alone can get a response learned contingent relationship between 2 stimuli Conditional Response (CR): following the pairing of CS & US Often like UR Metronome (CS) = salivation (CR) The Dance Rich in love with Sandy but he was too shy to talk to her Sandy asked Rich to take her to school dance Rick excited, dressed up well shared slow dance that he will never forget Perfume scent of sandy intoxicating Rich moved away, never saw sandy again Walked in Psych hall @ Mac, sudden rush of emotions & memories o Same perfume sandy wore on the dance night CLASSICAL CONDITIONING

- Sandy (US) triggered arousal (UR) - Sandys perfume (CS) elicited (CR) feeling

Acquisition Contingency between CS & US learned = Acquisition Pavlov following negatively accelerating curve Contingencies not learned as quick as it was for Rich o Many trials needed Sometimes one trial is sufficient Rats have special learning mechanisms for food o Avoid unfamiliar food (neophobia) o Small quantities of new food at a time Able to pinpoint food with illnesses Contingency b/w food & sickness in single trial 2 of 3

Psych 1X03 C01 Professor Kim & Professor Cheal 05/07/12 Consumed poison = rat feels sick = AVERSION Feeling of sickness paired with taste of food o Taste of food alone elicits aversion response before sickness occurs

Module 4: Extinction
Lasting Effects As long as CS continues to be reliable cue, contingency will be maintained Rich learned contingency lasted many years Extinction Loss of CR when CS no longer predicts US Presenting CS alone (with no US) repeatedly o Initially CS will elicit a CR, then CR will be weaker & weaker till it disappears Learning perspective old learned contingency erase, or does it compete with new inhibitory response that is learned to the CS? Inhibition - Contingency = unlearned retraining between CS & US leads to gaining CR @ same rate as original training

If extinction = new learning of inhibitory response to CS 2 learned processes o Originally learned response to CS & new inhibitory learned response to CS Expect retraining between CS and US occur @ faster rate compared to original training Spontaneous Recovery - suggests extinction involves new inhibitory learned response - Following extinction procedure (CS presented repeatedly in absence of US), the CR gradually fades; after rest period, when CS presented, CR is elicited Suggests initially learned associated b/w CS & US not unlearned - Extinction promote learned inhibitory response that competes with original learned contingency

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