Handout 9
Higher Order Conditioning
Repeated pairings of conditioned stimuli with neutral stimuli can create new conditioned stimuli even though the newer conditioned stimuli have never been paired with any unconditioned stimuli.
Response
T1 , ,
First-Order Conditioning
T2 (UCS)
Second-Order Conditioning
T3
Third-Order Conditioning
UCR
CR
CR
T4
T5
Note: UCS = electric shock

T2
T3
T4
Handout 9
Speed of Conditioning Varies Depending on Stimulus Similarity
Some combinations of stimuli are easier to associate than others

CS and UCS that naturally go together (for survival): learned taste aversion

Similar higher order stimuli (e.g., partial information about an object often serves as a signal of the entire object), like an extension of generalization.
Response
T1
Group A
, ,
UCR no generalization
CR
T5
Group B
(1 time)
T2
T3
T4 (1 time) quicker
Response
UCR
CR slower

Rescorla (1988)
1 = first order conditioning, 2 = second order conditioning
Figure 3
Handout 9