Chapter 3
In an experiment, a researcher introduces a flashing light which will eventually cause the subject to behave in a particular manner. At the beginning of the experiment, what is the light called?
What is a neutral stimulus?
After her traumatic car accident, Carmen was extremely fearful of driving a car. After several months, Carmen began to drive her car without fear. Then, while driving in the rain, another car barely missed hitting her car; and Carmen's fear of driving returned. This reappearance of her fear demonstrates the phenomenon of
What is spontaneous recovery?
According to Pavlov's ______ theory, the CS acts as a substitute for the US.
Stimulus-Substitution
Abigail is afraid to fly and becomes anxious when she hears the word airplane. She also becomes anxious when she hears the words jet, airliner, or aircraft. Abigail is exhibiting
What is semantic generalization?
Jasmine cannot tolerate large amounts of external stimulation and tends to withdraw from such stimulation. She also develops anxiety-type symptoms when stressed; and during conditioning experiments, she tends to condition very easily. According to Eysenck's theory of personality, Jasmine would best be described as a(n)
What is an introvert?
Olivia is working to condition a dog to flinch when hearing a bell. She sprays slightly acidic water in the dog's face. While the spray is still occurring, she rings the bell. She then turns off the spray and keeps ringing the bell for a brief time.
Which procedure is Olivia using?
What is backward conditioning?
Your cat meows whenever he is given cat food. The rattling sound of the cat food box when you shake it has been paired so often that this rattling sound now elicits your cat's meowing. Recently, you switched to feeding your cat soft pouches of food that do not make a rattling sound. For a short while, your cat continues to meow to the sound of any rattling box, such as the sound of a cereal box rattling. However, since the rattling sound is no longer paired with the cat food, your cat will soon stop meowing to the rattling sound due to a process known as
What is extinction?
A mean-looking dog bites Cassandra. She is terrified of all dogs, even friendly-looking small dogs. Cassandra is displaying what process associated with phobias
overgeneralization
A researcher who removes an unconditioned stimulus to influence a subject's response is conducting
What is inhibitory conditioning?
The first night that Danielle slept in her own apartment, she heard a strangle clanking noise in the hallway. Her stomach clenched. What did Danielle experience?
What is a startle response?
Soldiers under attack generally do not habituate to the sound of artillery shells exploding nearby. Instead, their startle reaction grows stronger. What concept does this describe?
What is sensitization?
Four-year-old Tony is afraid of his grandfather's Labrador retriever named Buddy because Buddy tends to jump up on Tony and knock him down when they play. However, Tony readily plays with his grandmother's Collie named Lady, because this dog tends to play less aggressively with Tony. Tony's fear of Buddy the dog but not Lady the dog illustrates the classical conditioning concept of
What is stimulus discrimination?
One assumption of this theory is that stronger stimuli support more conditioning than do weaker stimuli
Rescorla-Wagner theory
The strengthening of a conditioned fear response as a result of brief exposures to an aversive CS.
Incubation
This underlying process of counterconditioning explains why the occurrence of one response can be inhibited by the occurrence of an incompatible response
Sherri might quickly habituate to the sound of gunshots at a shooting range. If, however, a handsome stranger approaches and stands nearby, she might again be startled when the next shot is fired.
What concept is being described?
What is dishabituation?
Rachel likes to hike in her free time. One of her favorite hiking trails has a plethora of wildlife, including snakes and bugs. One day, she is walking with her friend to their favorite coffee shop when suddenly, a snake bites her on the side of the road. She is now terrified of snakes. She no longer hikes on her favorite trail because it is associated with snakes. What is this an example of?
According to the _____ theory of conditioning, the purpose of the CR is to prepare the organism for the presentation of the US
preparatory-response theory
A treatment procedure that reduces the attractiveness of a desired event by associating it with an aversive stimulus. For example, the taste of alcohol has sometimes been paired with painful electric shocks.
What is aversion therapy?
A behavioral treatment that involves prolonged exposure to a feared stimulus, thereby providing maximal opportunity for the conditioned fear response to be extinguished.
What is flooding therapy?
The presentation of shock directly elicits a tendency for the dog’s heart rate to increase. This increase in heart rate in turn, elicits a compensatory reaction that tries to decrease heart rate. What concept is described in this scenario?
This occurs when the more salient member of a compound stimulus is more readily conditioned as a CS, and thereby interferes with conditioning of the less salient member
overshadowing
This concept explains why some people may easily fear snakes over flowers
preparedness
Susie gets in a car accident. She has grown a fear of cars, but this fear is increased by seeing a more intense crash than the one she experienced. Susie is experiencing a type of phenomenon that occurs when there is an inflation of a stimulus.
US Revaluation
The Rescorla-Wagner explanation for this effect is that there is only so much associative value available for conditioning, and if the stronger stimulus in the compound picks up most or all of the associative value, then there is little or no associative value left over for the weaker stimulus