PSYC 2330 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Aversion Therapy, Major Depressive Disorder, Learned Helplessness

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 2330
• Professor: Julia Wreford

Document Summary

Stimulus equivalence: responding to physically distinct stimuli as if they were the same because of common prior experiences with the stimuli, critical for pattern formation; often implicit, particularly important for those that have difficulty without these implicit heuristics. Avoidance learning: escape and avoidance: removal of an aversive stimulus. Two-factor theory: factor 1 pavlovian fear conditioning. Tone (cs) (cid:0) fear (cr: factor 2 reinforcement through fear reduction. Avoidance response (cid:0) termination of tone (cs) = reduction of fear. Test: light/tone presented and rat could terminate it by jumping. Problems with two-factor theory: species-specific defense reactions (ssdr) innate responses: If a rat has no escape = freezing. If an escape is possible = flight and run for cover. Avoidance is based on the expectation to avoid shock. Fear is important only initially and then it extinguishes. Response extinction does not occur because the animal cannot change its expectations.