Classical Conditioning
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AP Psychology › Classical Conditioning
After extinction, the conditioned response reappears following a two-week break. What is this reappearance called?
This is escape learning because the person performs a behavior to terminate the CS, reducing discomfort and increasing responding.
This is acquisition because the first pairing of CS and UCS begins forming a new association for the first time.
This is generalization because the conditioned response spreads from the original CS to similar stimuli after conditioning.
This is spontaneous recovery because a previously extinguished conditioned response returns after time passes without new conditioning.
Explanation
Spontaneous recovery is the reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response after a period of rest without any new conditioning trials. This phenomenon demonstrates that extinction doesn't completely erase the original learning but rather involves new inhibitory learning that suppresses the CR. After time passes, the inhibition weakens and the original association can temporarily resurface. This differs from generalization (responding to similar stimuli), escape learning (an operant concept), and acquisition (initial learning). Spontaneous recovery shows that classical conditioning creates lasting changes in the nervous system that can persist even after apparent extinction.
After one nausea episode from spoiled sushi, a person avoids sushi for months. What principle best explains this?
This is fixed-ratio reinforcement because avoiding sushi is strengthened after being rewarded every set number of avoidance responses.
This is spontaneous recovery because nausea returns after a rest period even though the person never eats sushi again.
This is biological preparedness (taste aversion) because organisms readily learn food–illness associations, often after a single pairing.
This is generalization because the person avoids sushi only when it is served in the same restaurant as before.
Explanation
Biological preparedness, specifically taste aversion learning, explains why a single pairing of sushi with nausea creates a lasting avoidance. Organisms are evolutionarily prepared to rapidly form associations between novel tastes and illness because this protects against poisoning. This specialized form of classical conditioning differs from typical conditioning by requiring only one trial, tolerating long delays between CS and UCS, and being highly resistant to extinction. This isn't generalization (which would involve avoiding similar foods), fixed-ratio reinforcement (an operant schedule), or spontaneous recovery (which involves return of an extinguished response). Taste aversion demonstrates how evolution shapes learning mechanisms for survival-relevant associations.
A dog stops salivating to a bell after many bell-only trials. Which phenomenon explains this decline?
Generalization, because the dog responds similarly to new sounds that resemble the bell heard during training.
Positive reinforcement, because salivating is followed by food and therefore increases salivating on later bell trials.
Extinction, because presenting the CS repeatedly without the UCS weakens the CS–UCS association and reduces the CR.
Higher-order conditioning, because the bell becomes associated with a second neutral stimulus rather than with food.
Explanation
Extinction occurs when the conditioned stimulus (bell) is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus (food), causing the conditioned response (salivation) to gradually weaken and disappear. The dog learns that the bell no longer predicts food, so the CS-CR association breaks down. This differs from generalization (responding to similar stimuli), positive reinforcement (an operant concept), and higher-order conditioning (pairing CS with new neutral stimulus). Extinction demonstrates that classical conditioning is reversible - learned associations can be unlearned when the predictive relationship between stimuli no longer holds.
In Pavlov’s setup, food powder in a dog’s mouth automatically causes drooling. What is the drooling to food?
The UCR, because drooling is an unlearned reflexive response that occurs when the UCS (food) is presented.
The CS, because drooling starts as a neutral stimulus and later predicts the arrival of food powder.
A punishment, because drooling reduces the likelihood of future food presentation in the experimental setting.
The CR, because drooling occurs only after a bell becomes associated with food through repeated pairings.
Explanation
In classical conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) naturally elicits an unconditioned response (UCR) without any learning. The conditioned stimulus (CS) becomes associated with the UCS through repeated pairings during acquisition. Food powder naturally causes drooling as an automatic reflex - this is the UCR to the UCS (food). The bell would be the CS that, after conditioning, elicits the CR (drooling). Extinction occurs when the CS is presented without the UCS, while spontaneous recovery is the return of the CR after a rest period. Stimulus generalization allows similar stimuli to elicit the CR, while discrimination restricts the response to specific stimuli.
A student hears the school bell (paired with stressful tests) and feels anxious. The anxiety is best labeled as what?
The CR, because anxiety is a learned response elicited by the CS after repeated pairings with stressful tests.
The UCS, because anxiety is an unconditioned stimulus that causes the bell to occur in the school environment.
The UCR, because the bell naturally and automatically produces anxiety without any prior learning experiences.
A reinforcer, because the anxiety increases bell-ringing behavior by providing a rewarding internal consequence.
Explanation
The conditioned response (CR) is the learned behavior that occurs when a conditioned stimulus (CS) is presented after acquisition. The school bell became a CS through repeated pairings with stressful tests (UCS), which naturally cause anxiety as an unconditioned response (UCR). After conditioning, hearing the bell alone elicits anxiety - this anxiety to the bell is the CR. The CR often resembles the UCR but is elicited by the learned CS rather than the natural UCS. Extinction could occur if the bell were heard repeatedly without stressful tests following. Spontaneous recovery might cause anxiety to return after extinction and a rest period. Generalization could cause anxiety to similar school sounds.
A tone is presented 10 seconds before an air puff; conditioning occurs faster than when tone follows the puff. What factor matters?
Overjustification, because external rewards reduce intrinsic motivation to blink when the tone is heard.
Fixed-ratio schedule, because reinforcement after a set number of blinks increases learning speed.
Generalization, because similar tones all become UCSs that naturally cause blinking without learning.
Timing/contiguity, because a CS that reliably precedes the UCS supports stronger prediction and faster acquisition.
Explanation
Timing and contiguity are crucial factors in classical conditioning effectiveness. For optimal acquisition, the conditioned stimulus (CS) should precede the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) by a short interval, typically 0.5-1 second. When the tone precedes the air puff by 10 seconds, it creates a reliable predictive relationship - the tone signals that the air puff is coming. This forward conditioning is more effective than simultaneous or backward conditioning because the CS serves as a predictor of the UCS. Poor timing reduces the CS's predictive value and weakens acquisition. The CS must reliably predict the UCS for strong conditioning to occur. This differs from operant conditioning where consequences follow behavior to modify future responses.
A patient develops nausea after chemotherapy and later feels nauseated when entering the clinic waiting room. What is the waiting room?
The UCR, because it is the automatic nausea response that chemotherapy triggers without any learning.
The CS, because it becomes associated with chemotherapy and later elicits nausea in anticipation of treatment.
A positive reinforcer, because the waiting room reward strengthens nausea responses through repeated consequences.
The UCS, because the waiting room naturally produces nausea even before any chemotherapy experience occurs.
Explanation
In classical conditioning, a conditioned stimulus (CS) is initially neutral but gains the ability to elicit a response through pairing with an unconditioned stimulus (UCS). The clinic waiting room was originally neutral, producing no nausea. Through repeated pairings with chemotherapy (UCS), which naturally causes nausea (UCR), the waiting room became a CS. Now the waiting room alone can elicit nausea as a conditioned response (CR) before treatment even begins. This illustrates how medical settings can become aversive through classical conditioning. Extinction could occur if the patient visited the waiting room without receiving chemotherapy. Generalization might cause nausea in similar medical environments.
A light is paired with food until it elicits salivation; then a tone is paired with the light, and the tone elicits salivation. What is this?
Higher-order conditioning, because an established CS (light) conditions a new neutral stimulus (tone) to elicit the CR.
Extinction, because presenting the tone without food gradually weakens salivation until it disappears.
Operant chaining, because salivation is reinforced step-by-step through consequences following each response.
UCS substitution, because the light becomes a UCS that naturally produces salivation without learning.
Explanation
Higher-order conditioning occurs when an established conditioned stimulus (CS) is used to condition a new neutral stimulus, creating a chain of learned associations. First, the light became a CS through pairing with food (UCS), enabling it to elicit salivation as a conditioned response (CR). In the second phase, the tone (neutral stimulus) is paired with the light (now functioning as a conditioning stimulus), not with food directly. Through this process, the tone becomes a CS that can elicit salivation. This demonstrates that learning can occur through associations with other learned stimuli, not just primary reinforcers. The response is typically weaker than first-order conditioning and more susceptible to extinction.
A person feels fear when seeing a dog after being bitten; later, fear occurs to a dog leash alone. The leash is best described as what?
The UCR, because the leash is the automatic fear response produced by the dog bite without any learning.
The UCS, because the leash naturally causes fear without learning and requires no prior bite experience.
A primary reinforcer, because the leash directly satisfies biological needs and strengthens fear behavior as a consequence.
The CS, because the leash becomes associated with the bite experience and later elicits a conditioned fear response.
Explanation
A conditioned stimulus (CS) is initially neutral but gains the ability to elicit a conditioned response (CR) through repeated pairing with an unconditioned stimulus (UCS). Initially, the dog leash was neutral and produced no fear response. After the person was bitten by a dog (UCS), which naturally causes fear (UCR), the leash became associated with dogs and the bite experience. Through this association, the leash became a CS that can now elicit fear as a CR even when no dog is present. This demonstrates how classical conditioning can create phobias to objects associated with traumatic experiences. Extinction could occur through repeated exposure to the leash without negative consequences. Generalization might cause fear of other dog-related items.
A dog salivates to a 1000 Hz tone but not to a 700 Hz tone after training. What phenomenon is shown?
Stimulus discrimination, because the dog learns to respond to one specific CS and not to similar stimuli.
Negative reinforcement, because avoiding the 700 Hz tone removes food, strengthening salivation to 1000 Hz.
Spontaneous recovery, because the CR returns after a rest period following extinction procedures.
Stimulus generalization, because the CR spreads broadly to many tones regardless of frequency differences.
Explanation
Stimulus discrimination occurs when an organism learns to respond to one specific conditioned stimulus (CS) but not to similar stimuli. During acquisition, the 1000 Hz tone was paired with food, making it a CS that elicits salivation as a conditioned response (CR). Through discrimination training, the dog learned to distinguish between the 1000 Hz tone (which predicts food) and the 700 Hz tone (which doesn't). This selective responding demonstrates that the dog can differentiate between similar auditory stimuli. Generalization would cause responding to both tones, while extinction would eliminate responding to all tones. Spontaneous recovery involves the return of an extinguished response after a rest period.