PSY100H1 Study Guide - Final Guide: Genetic Programming, Color Blindness, Broccoli
Lecture 5: Learning and Memory
SS-ASSOCIATIONS
-relations between stimuli that are close in space/time (formed by humans)
-when we predict an event, we can adjust our behaviour to it (behavioural response = R)
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
-the form of learning that involves forming S-S relationships
-occurs when two stimuli (S1, S2) are repeatedly paired together
-as a result of this pairing, a response originally elicited by S1 is eventually elicited by S2
[in anticipation]
CC IN HUMANS: CC is a driving factor behind consumer behaviour
-advertisers use cc to attract us to products
-alcohol (CS) + socializing (UCS) = alcohol makes you happy like socializing does
-Coke (CS) + Christmas environment (UCS) = coke makes you feel the joy of xmas)
--
FEAR CONDITIONING
A ‘shock’ is paired with a certain environment (blue box) and a noise (bell sound)
The blue box (CS1) and tone (CS2) become conditioned stimuli which signal the shock
(UCS) to the animal
oWhen re-exposed (come into contact with [again])
to CS1 (blue box) or CS2 (tone), the animal has learned to expect another shock;
the anticipation of the shock may be reflected in freezing behaviour (CR) [animal
shaking, SIGN OF FEAR]
*The UCS is the stimulus that the animal is really responding to;
including when it is by proxy the CS; the UCS is like the initiating
stimulus/impetus stimulus/primary stimulus
HUMANS AND CC – PHOBIAS
PHOBIAS may result from the pairing of a neutral stimulus (NS) with an aversive event
(UCS)
oNeutral Stimulus (NS) + Negative/Aversive event
oEx: Sitting in my garden (NS) when I was dumped (UCS [aversive event)
As a result, the CS (garden) elicits the same fear as the UCS (aversive
event)
aversive event (UCS) in garden (NS) = NS turns into a CS
garden (CS) = the person learns to expect feelings of discomfort/rejection
when sitting in a garden
*The CS is usually harmless in reality though it does not seem that way to the learner due to
the conditioning that took place
oFurther examples of UCS CS
1) needles (bad b/c they are paired with pain)
2) insects (bad b/c they are paired with disgust)
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3) snakes (bad b/c they are paired with danger/venom)
Humans and CC – Place Aversion (*)
-----These are the necessary constituents of any conditioning environment; using an office to
demonstrate
-office elements (chair, clock, desk, papers)
-office context (elements are arranged together in a close proximity OR a general ‘work’ context
[a distinctive spatial arrangement])
-aversive experience in office (boss yelling at learner)
-office memories
---(learner’s memory of an aversive event + memory of elements, environmental context)
(paired with)
CS-UCS Pairings
Some UCS-CS pairings are easier to make than others
RV: (red chair (UCS) + dad killed in red chair red chair becomes a trigger (CS)
(CONDITIONING)
Conditioned Taste Aversion
-For example, it is very easy for most animals to learn TASTE – ILLNESS associations
-Taste of broccoli + Illness after eating broccoli = Fear of illness when eating broccoli
(CS) (UCS) (CR)
Not all stimuli are equally suitable for CS procedures)
the stimuli of taste is easily paired with illness
however, other stimuli may be difficult to pair with illness (lights, music, temperature)
and thus make poor conditioned stimuli
THE GENETIC PROGRAMMING PROBLEM
We may be genetically hardwired for CERTAIN FORMS of CS-UCS associations to
occur with more ease than others
oIn addition to our genetic programming, our ability to learn CS-UCS
associations is also dependent upon our previous experiences
BLOCKING (of classical conditioning)
-learning one CS-UCS pairing may reduce the effectiveness of other CS pairings with that UCS
-ex: if sound X triggers a CR; but sound X is then emitted alongside light X – the light alone will
not trigger a conditioned response because the dog is already used to the bell being paired with
the food; the light just confuses him now
--Here, a sound-food pairing is BLOCKING a light-food pairing
*It is because the sound cue had become such a strong predictor of food delivery that the light
cue just adds little to no predictive value
-Therefore, there is little conditioning to the stimulus (light) and little development of a CR
(salivation)
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SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES IN STIMULI
Variation in stimuli
-Fact: any given stimulus usually varies greatly in quality
-ex: many types of bells, each might make a slightly different sound
*will all these different sounds elicit the same CR from the animal?
Stimulus generalization
Definition
-New stimuli that are similar in characteristics to the ORIGINAL CS may trigger those
behavioural responses that have been conditioned to that CS
-This phenomenon = stimulus generalization
Examples
-Like when a bell that makes a sound similar to the original bell will trigger salivation
Stimulus generalization may be increased by anxiety (vs stimulus discrimination)
Similarity in stimuli
-Similarity between stimuli usually refers to a similarity in physical characteristics
-the more different (greater the variety) between two of the same stimuli, the less likely you are
to replicate the conditioned response
-the more similar (greater the similarity) between two stimuli, the more likely you are to replicate
the conditioned response to the ORIGINAL CS
-ex: Pigeon was trained to peck for food (CR) when shown a light of wavelength 600nm
(original CS); when the pigeon was exposed to different kinds of light, it responded frequently
when the new light had a wavelength close to 600nm (when it resembled the original stimulus)
Is CC Permanent
-in a general sense, our environments can change a lot
-if our environments change enough, the S-S relationships we have learned will no longer apply
- associations (pairings) can be adjusted via extinction
EXTINCTION
-the repeated presentation of the [conditioned stimulus] but with nothing bad happening
-What happens if we stop pairing the CS (bell) with the UCS (food)?
---if you keep ringing the bell in front of the dog (without giving it food), eventually the bell will
stop eliciting salivation – the pairing becomes weaker cause the dog no longer anticipates food
to follow
Example
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find more resources at oneclass.com
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PSY100H1 Full Course Notes
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Document Summary
Relations between stimuli that are close in space/time (formed by humans) When we predict an event, we can adjust our behaviour to it (behavioural response = r) The form of learning that involves forming s-s relationships. Occurs when two stimuli (s1, s2) are repeatedly paired together. As a result of this pairing, a response originally elicited by s1 is eventually elicited by s2. Cc in humans: cc is a driving factor behind consumer behaviour. Advertisers use cc to attract us to products. Alcohol (cs) + socializing (ucs) = alcohol makes you happy like socializing does. Coke (cs) + christmas environment (ucs) = coke makes you feel the joy of xmas) A shock" is paired with a certain environment (blue box) and a noise (bell sound) *the ucs is the stimulus that the animal is really responding to; including when it is by proxy the cs; the ucs is like the initiating stimulus/impetus stimulus/primary stimulus.
