Classical and instrumental conditioning – Avoidance learning – Flashcards

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question
What is passive avoidance?
answer
Exploits natural tendency of mice to prefer dark places. However, dark part of box= shock. Withholding a response "don't do this or else".
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What is active avoidance?
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Mouse learn to avoid shock based upon presence of light cue. "Make a response or else."
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What is shuttle avoidance?
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Mouse learns to avoid shock based on presentation of light cue. Presence on light depends on where the mouse is; neither side is always safe.
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Species-specific defence reactions (SSDRs) were discussed by who?
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Bolles (1971)
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What is stimulus substitution?
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Substituting the response to one stimulus to another stimulus.
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Avoidance responses like the SSDR (e.g., running away) are much more/less easily learned?
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More
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All avoidance behaviours are not the same. Of the 3 possible avoidance responses (Run, turn, stand), which was the fastest to learn in order to avoid receiving an electric shock in the running wheel?
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Run.
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Is it possible to train animals to perform avoidance responses that do not resemble any SSDR?
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Yes, but difficult
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The rat continues to respond because he is reinforced by shock omission. But why should the rat continue to expect a shock, even when there isn't one?
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In active avoidance, animals learn to escape the (secondarily aversive) stimuli that warn shock is imminent. Learnt to escape the light, not the shock.
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Classic test of Miller-Mowrer theory (Kamin, 1956) had 4 box conditions: Standard escape-avoidance: response avoided or terminated shock and terminated buzzer. US avoidance: Could not terminate buzzer but could avoid shock. CS termination: Could terminate buzzer but could not avoid shock. Classical conditioning: same buzzer-shock pairings but responding had no effect on exposure to buzzer or shock. What were the results?
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1. Learn √√√ 2. Some learning (but CS-duration fixed at 5 seconds, so response was followed by CS termination with slight delay) √ 3. Some learning (but shuttling was effectively punished) √ 4. No instrumental learning X
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Give an example of conditioned inhibition.
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Light --> Food Light + tone --> no food Tone acts as inhibitor.
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Protection from extinction (Soltysik et al., 1964, 1983): Stage 1: Cats had pairings of mild shock with two CSs (CRs paw-flexion, changes in respiration and heart-rate) CI was presented 2 seconds after the onset of CSa and CSb on trials when shock was omitted CI came to inhibit CRs to both CSa and CSb Stage 2: Both CSa and CSb presented for 180 trials without shock but only CSa was followed by CI Stage 3: Test of conditioned fear to CSa and CSb (measured as CRs) when each was presented without shock or CI. What was the result?
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Fear extinguished to CSb but not to CSa
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