Principles of Behavior Change
Classical Conditioning
Determinants of Conditioning
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1) Strong UCSs produce strong CRs
2) as # of pairings of NS + UCS increase,
conditioned response is more likely
3) more consistent pairings result in faster
conditioning
4) NSs of attention are more likely to become CSs
5) Timing of the CS and the UCS makes a difference.
Forward arrangement with short
delay is best.
6) Short delay is optimal for classical conditioning
7) Exception: taste aversion = long delay between
CS and UCS.
Measuring Strength of Conditioning
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A. Amplitude: how strong is the conditioned
response?
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B. Latency: how quick?
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C. Probability: how likely?
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D. Resistance to extinction (the longer it takes to get
rid of, the stronger the conditioning)
Extinction
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extinction = the gradual weakening
and disappearance of a conditioned
response tendency
spontaneous recovery = partial
recovery of the conditioned response
Acquisition, Extinction, and SR
Disinhibition
The sudden recovery of a response
during an extinction procedure when a
novel stimulus is presented
Stimulus Generalization
The tendency for a CR to occur in
the presence of a stimulus that is
similar to the CS.
Generalization
60
50
40
30
Rabbits
20
10
0
400
800
1200
1400
1600
Stimulus Discrimination
The tendency for a response to
be elicited by one stimulus
and not another
Stimulus Discrimination
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With training, CRs at 400, 800,
1600, 2000 should extinguish, which
is a process known as stimulus
discrimination.
Discrimination
60
50
40
Red = ?
30
Rabbits
Black = ?
20
10
0
400
800
1200
1400
1600
Experimental Neurosis
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results from competing excitatory and inhibitory
conditioned responses.
Study: dogs trained to discriminate between a
circle (food- excitatory) and an ellipse (no food,
inhibitory)
Step 1: train dog to discriminate between stimuli
Step 2: gradually change shape of circle and ellipse
so they resemble one another more.
Experimental Neurosis
Oval
Circle
No Food
Experimental Neurosis
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Result: Dog does not know how
to respond and get aggressive
under this condition.
Experimental Neurosis is at the
base of many psychological
disorders like anxiety.
Different Patterns for EN
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1) anxious
2) rigid/hypnotized
3) angry
Why different patterns?
Conditionability
Personality according to Pavlov
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Some dogs condition easily
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e.g., shy, withdrawn dogs
Some dogs do not
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e.g., outgoing
Higher-order Conditioning
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Phase 1)
Higher-order Conditioning
CS1
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Phase 2)
CS2
UCR, CR
UCS
Third Order Conditioning
Sensory Preconditioning:
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Phase 1)
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Phase 2)
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sound (NS) + black square (NS)
Sound  CR
Phase 3)
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Black square  CR
Three Limitation Classical Conditioning
1) Overshadowing
When one stimulus is more readily
noticed relative to another
2) Blocking
Blocking, Phase 1
Blocking, Phase 2
3) Latent Inhibition
A familiar stimulus is more difficult
to condition as a CS than an
unfamiliar (novel) stimulus
Also known as CS pre-exposure effect
The ability to not condition to everything is adaptive.
Latent Inhibition and Disorders
Schizophrenia