Classical Conditioning: Underlying Processes and Practical Applications
S-R model
promoted by Watson and Hull created by Edward Thorndike
S-S model
The NS becomes directly associated with the US and so elicits a response that is related to the UR
flooding therapy
a phobia treatment with overexposure of the CS
alpha and beta
alpha is the salience of the CS and beta is the salience of the US
expectancy
learning that the CS is coming
reciprocal inhibition
this occurs in counter-conditioning; where one response inhibits the other
three aspects of systematic desensitization
training in relaxation, creation of a hierarchy of imaginary scenes that elicit progressively intense levels of fear, and pairing of each item in the hierarchy with relaxation
history of control
when living in an environment with some degree of control it can help against developing phobias
incubation
when the CR is strengthened because the person avoids the CS
observational learning
many phobias are created when observing the fearful reactions of other people
two main concepts of the rescorla wagner theory
expectancy and surprise
Other ways to develop phobic symptoms
HIT SOUP observational learning, temperament, preparedness, history of control, incubation, unconditioned stimulus revaluation, and selective sensitization
surprise
not knowing that the CS is coming
over-expectation effect
the CR decreases when a compound stimulus is paired with the US
counterconditioning
a result of systematic desensitization; a CS that elicits a CR is associated with an opposite response
systematic desensitization
a treatment for phobias where there are different levels of exposure to a CS which are paired with relaxation techniques
Phobias
Irrational fear response
Watson and Rayner's Little albert
They conditioned fear of mice in an 11 month old and discovered that phobias can grow stronger over time
over generalization of phobias
a CR can be overgeneralized to other harmless events
compensatory-response model
a CS (or things related to the CS) causes the a-process which elicits the b-process
aversion therapy
a form of behavior therapy that attempts to reduce the attractiveness of a desired event by associating it with an aversive stimulus
preparedness
a person could inherit the predisposition to develop fears
example of compensatory-response theory
heroin (CS) causes the blood pressure in the body to increase (a-process) which elicits the b-process in the body to lower the blood pressure to get back to it's normal state
temperament
how emotionally reactive one is
two basic types of flooding
imaginal flooding and in vivo flooding (same as desensitization)
selective sensitization
one is more reactive to fearful stimuli after exposure to a stressful event
treating phobias
systematic desensitization and flooding therapy
stimulus-substitution theory
the CS is a substitute for the US
medical implication of classical conditioning
the immune system can be classically conditioned to be stronger or weaker
unconditioned stimulus revaluation
the intensity of the stimulus can alter the intensity of the response
Preparatory-response theory
the purpose of the CR is to get ready for the US
imaginal desensitization
the use of imaginary stimuli when pairing with relaxation
in vivo desensitization
using real phobic stimuli when pairing with relaxation
The Rescorla Wagner Theory Formula
ΔV = k(λ- V) it is a formula that can calculate how much learning that occurs in the Conditioned stimulus
ΔV = k(λ- V)
ΔV is how much learning that has occured k is the slope or how quickly the learning took (it is based off of the salience of the CS and the US) λ is the asymptote (the maximum amount that can be learned) V is how much has already been learned
