Classical Conditioning Lecture Notes

Introduction to Classical Conditioning

• Classical conditioning involves developing a conditioned stimulus (CS) and conditioned response (CR) pattern.
• There are four main components influencing this:
  1. Intensity of the Experience
  2. Biological Relevance
  3. Predictiveness
  4. Consistency of Pairings

Components of Classical Conditioning

Intensity

• More intense experiences lead to faster and stronger learning.
• A strong unconditioned stimulus (US) and unconditioned response (UR) are more salient.
• Example: Air gun shot paired with a "That was easy" button or Pavlov's bell with dog food.
• Higher intensity leads to a more vigorous conditioned response.
  • E.g., a slap instead of a BB gun shot.
• Lesser intensity, like just smelling food, leads to weaker conditioning.

Biological Relevance

• Biological preparedness to learn connections is crucial.
• Example: Food poisoning leads to taste aversion.
  • Flavors and smells serve as predictors.
• Compatibility between CS and US is necessary for effective learning.
  • E.g., movement predicting impact and pain.

Predictiveness

• Timing: CS should occur shortly before US for better learning.
• Example: Immediate BB gun shot after "That was easy" button.
  • Delayed response weakens association.
• Immediate pairing (e.g., Pavlov’s bell and food) is crucial.

Consistency

• Consistent pairings speed up learning.
• Inconsistent pairings make it harder to establish CS-CR.
• Repeated exposure enhances recognition and response.
  • E.g., repeated pressing of the button followed by a shot.

Extinction Process

• The extinction process involves unpairing the CS from the US.
• Example: "That was easy" button without the BB gun shot.
  • Initial conditioned response weakens over time.
• Repeated exposure to CS without US leads to the disappearance of the CR.
  • E.g., Pavlov’s bell without food.

Conclusion

• Extinction doesn’t erase the learned response entirely.
• The capacity for the CS-CR pattern remains under special circumstances.