Fresno City College Psychology Department Video Tutorial

Topic: Higher Order or Second Order Conditioning

Overview

• Advanced topic in classical conditioning.
• Assumes familiarity with basic concepts of classical conditioning.

Classical Conditioning Recap

• Occurs when a neutral stimulus elicits a response through association with a stimulus that naturally brings about that response.

Higher Order Conditioning

• A conditioned stimulus is paired with a neutral stimulus frequently.
• The organism is further removed from the originally neutral stimulus.
• No unconditioned stimulus; conditioned stimulus acts as an unconditioned stimulus.

Example: Pavlov’s Dog

• First-order conditioning: Metronome sound (neutral stimulus) becomes a conditioned stimulus after pairing with food.
• Higher order conditioning: Black square (second neutral stimulus) is paired with metronome sound and eventually elicits salivation.

Example: Song and Car

• First-order conditioning: Song (neutral stimulus) paired with dancing close (unconditioned stimulus) causes pleasant feelings.
• Second-order conditioning: Song heard in car, car becomes a conditioned stimulus eliciting pleasant feelings.

Multiple Choice Question Example

• Unconditioned stimulus in the song example: Dancing close with the partner.

Complex Example: Chemotherapy Patients

• First-order conditioning: Nurse (neutral) becomes a conditioned stimulus due to association with chemotherapy (unconditioned stimulus) causing nausea.
• Second-order conditioning: Waiting area (neutral) becomes conditioned by association with the nurse.
• Higher order conditioning: Hospital hallway and parking lot become conditioned stimuli eliciting nausea.

Multiple Choice Question Example for Chemotherapy

• Conditioned response: Nausea elicited by just driving by the hospital.

Conclusion

• Higher order conditioning involves new conditioned stimuli that are far removed from the original unconditioned stimulus.