Classical Conditioning Scenarios
At the movie theater, the smell of popcorn always makes Ava’s mouth water. After going to the movies many times, Ava starts salivating just by seeing the popcorn sign—even before smelling the popcorn.
What is the UCR?
Mouth watering/ salivating
Whenever Maya participates in class discussions, her teacher gives her extra credit points. Maya starts raising her hand more often.
Postive reinforcement
A teacher gives students a piece of candy after every 10 math problems they complete.
Fixed ratio
The initial learning of an association; Linking a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus, so the neutral stimulus begins triggering the unconditioned stimulus
Aquisition
This man conducted the most famous classical conditioning experiment involving dogs salivating at the sound of a bell
Pavlov
A teacher hands out sour candy at the end of class. Students always make a puckering face when the sour taste hits their tongue. After doing this for weeks, students start puckering their faces when they simply hear the teacher shaking the candy bag.
What is the UCS?
Sour candy
A student keeps wearing their hoodie even though it’s against the dress code. The teacher takes the hoodie away for the rest of the day.
Negative punishment
You put money in and pull the lever. You never know which pull will give you a win.
Variable Ratio
Diminishing of a conditioned response; Occurs when an unconditioned stimulus does not follow a conditioned stimulus
Extinction
Conducted by Watson, this experiment studied if fears could be conditioned using a rat and a loud noise
Little Albert
A dog naturally drools when it smells food. Pavlov began ringing a bell right before giving the dog its food. After repeating this several times, the dog eventually started drooling just from hearing the bell—even when no food was given.
What was the NS?
Ringing of a bell
Aiden forgets to turn in his homework three times in one week. His teacher takes away his free-time Friday privileges.
Negative punishment
You cast your line and wait. Sometimes you catch a fish in 10 minutes, sometimes 30, sometimes an hour.
Variable interval
The tendency once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses
Generalization
Just a monkey, stick, and a banana demonstrated this concept where the answer just appears in your head
Insight learning
A teacher always gives a pop quiz right after someone sharpens a pencil at the electric sharpener. After a few weeks, the sound of the pencil sharpener alone makes students feel anxious, even when there isn’t a quiz.
What is the CS?
Sound of the pencil sharpener
Every time Ethan talks while the teacher is talking, the teacher gives him a warning slip. Ethan talks less and less over time.
Postive punishment
A student works at their family’s snowball stand. They get paid every Friday, no matter how many snowballs they sell.
Fixed interval
Decreasing responsiveness with repeated exposure to a stimulus
Habituation
This experiment conducted by Bandura showed how observational learning can influence children's behavior
Bobo Doll Experiment
A hamster in the classroom bites students who try to feed it. At first, the students are excited when the cage door opens. But after being bitten a few times, students become nervous as soon as they hear the metal latch on the cage opening.
What is the CR?
Being nervous (at the metal latch)
Leo keeps hitting the snooze button in the morning. His alarm gets louder and more annoying each time, so he finally gets out of bed quickly so it will stop.
Negative reinforcement
Your teacher gives unexpected pop quizzes throughout the semester. You never know when one is coming.
Variable interval
learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it
Latent learning
John Garcia used rats and radiation to determine if this, tendency to avoid stimuli when associated with something aversive, can be taught
Taste aversion