Chapter 4: Learning Classical Conditioning For Each Of The F

Chapter 4 Learningclassical Conditioningfor Each Of The Following

Chapter 4 Learningclassical Conditioningfor Each Of The Following

Identify the UCS, UCR, CS, and CR for each scenario involving classical conditioning. Determine which stimuli are unconditioned (UCS/UCR) and which are conditioned (CS/CR), based on the process of pairing neutral stimuli with unconditioned stimuli leading to learned responses. Use the provided examples to guide your analysis, ensuring that each response accurately reflects the classical conditioning principles involved.

Sample Paper For Above instruction

The detailed analysis of classical conditioning scenarios reveals how adaptive responses are learned through association. This essay explores ten scenarios, illustrating the identification of unconditioned and conditioned stimuli and responses. Additionally, the paper examines operant conditioning examples, categorizing behaviors based on reinforcement and punishment, and determines the schedules of reinforcement involved in specific scenarios, providing comprehensive insights into behavioral learning mechanisms.

Classical Conditioning Scenarios

1. Fred has a fluffy down pillow with some of the down sticking out of the fabric. When he first tries out the pillow, a piece of down tickles his nose and he sneezes. This happens every time he goes to bed.

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): Tickle from down

Unconditioned Response (UCR): Sneezing

Conditioned Stimulus (CS): Pillow (or down sticking out)

Conditioned Response (CR): Sneezing

2. Scott’s dog waits every afternoon in the front room for Scott to come home. He knows that when he hears the garage door open, Scott will come in and take him out for a walk. One evening Scott leaves to go for something at the grocery store. As he is leaving, he hits the garage door opener and the dog starts running around like crazy.

UCS: Sound of the garage door opening

UCR: Excitement or running around

CS: Sound of the garage door opener

CR: Excitement or running around

3. It is springtime and the pollen from the flowers causes you to sneeze. Soon you are sneezing every time you see a flower.

UCS: Pollen from flowers

UCR: Sneezing

CS: Sight of a flower

CR: Sneezing

4. In order to treat bedwetting, a pad that is sensitive to dampness is placed under sheets. When this pad becomes wet, it sounds an alarm and you wake up. Eventually you don’t need the alarm to wake up and your bladder will wake you up.

UCS: Wetness detected by the pad

UCR: Waking up

CS: The pad (or alarm)

CR: Waking up

5. People receiving chemotherapy often vomit during or shortly after the procedure. After several chemotherapy sessions, people begin feeling sick at the sight of the treatment room.

UCS: Chemotherapy treatment

UCR: Nausea or vomiting

CS: Sight of the treatment room

CR: Feeling sick

6. Oftentimes physicians will give treatments that make people feel uncomfortable (a shot for example). After this happens several times, people will begin feeling uncomfortable at the sight of anyone in a white lab coat.

UCS: Administration of shot

UCR: Discomfort or unease

CS: White lab coat

CR: Feeling uncomfortable

7. The smell of food makes you hungry. Soon every time you go into the kitchen, you feel hungry.

UCS: Smell of food

UCR: Feeling of hunger

CS: Kitchen environment (odor)

CR: Feeling hungry

8. Whenever you see a scary movie, you always eat a box of Thin Mints. Now you find that eating a box of Thin Mints makes you feel scared.

UCS: Watching a scary movie

UCR: Fear or scare

CS: Eating Thin Mints

CR: Feeling scared

9. You always give your cat a treat at the same time you take your medicine. Your cat really loves the treats and will come running from the darkest corners of your house to get one. The sound of the medicine bottle has alerted your cat that you are about to take your medicine, and your cat knows what that means!

UCS: Giving medicine

UCR: Cat’s excitement or anticipation

CS: Sound of the medicine bottle

CR: Coming to get a treat

Operant Conditioning Examples

1) Henrietta smokes cigarettes because she likes how they relax her, and finds that she smokes more now than she used to. Her smoking behavior is controlled by which contingency?

Positive reinforcement: Smoking is reinforced by the pleasurable relaxation it provides, increasing the behavior.

2) A school bus driver plays a radio station the students like as long as the children are behaving on the bus. If anyone misbehaves, she turns off the radio. If this reduces misbehavior, it is controlled by?

Negative reinforcement: The removal of the undesirable stimulus (the misbehavior) is reinforced by the continuation of the radio, increasing compliant behavior.

3) Marco is lactose intolerant, but stops drinking milk when he becomes ill. His behavior is controlled by?

Positive punishment: The illness (an unpleasant stimulus) decreases the likelihood of drinking milk again.

4) Marco takes a pill to counteract lactose intolerance before drinking milk. His behavior is controlled by?

Negative reinforcement: The removal of the discomfort (illness) after taking the pill increases the likelihood of pill-taking habitually.

5) The store owner reduces teen hangouts by playing classical music. The teens’ behavior is controlled by?

Negative punishment: The classical music acts as a stimulus that discourages hanging out, decreasing that behavior.

6) Raffio wears a mask when painting to avoid a headache. His behavior is controlled by?

Negative reinforcement: Wearing the mask removes the headache, reinforcing the behavior to avoid discomfort.

7) Bonnie squats down to get better tips, and her behavior increases due to?

Positive reinforcement: Improved tips act as a reward, increasing squatting behavior.

8) Marco cooks popcorn but dislikes the smell, so he avoids it. His behavior is controlled by?

Negative punishment: The unpleasant smell (stimulus) reduces the behavior of popcorn cooking.

9) Fred turns up his radio to drown out car noise. The behavior is controlled by?

Negative reinforcement: The radio volume increases to remove the annoyance, reinforcing turning up the volume.

10) Sabrina stops taking pictures of birds because they fly away. The behavior is controlled by?

Negative punishment: The birds flying away (loss of obtaining a picture) decreases the behavior of attempting to photograph them.

Schedules of Reinforcement

1) An office worker glances at his watch to see if it is 5 PM yet (going home is the reinforcer). Fixed Interval (FI). The reinforcement is available after a fixed amount of time (5 PM), prompting the behavior of checking the clock.

2) An employee is paid an hourly wage. Fixed Interval (FI). Payment is based on a fixed unit of time (hourly), reinforcing the behavior within set intervals.

3) A charitable organization makes an average of 8 calls for each donation. Variable Ratio (VR). The reinforcement (donation) occurs after an unpredictable number of calls, averaging 8.

4) A chef checks the oven when baking a casserole for a known duration. Fixed Interval (FI). The reinforcement (cooking completion) is based on a fixed time period.

5) A hotel maid takes a break after cleaning three rooms. Fixed Ratio (FR). The behavior (cleaning rooms) is reinforced after a set number (3) of responses.

6) A person checks for a newspaper when delivery is unpredictable. Variable Interval (VI). Reinforcement (receiving newspaper) occurs at unpredictable times.

7) A test occurs every three weeks. Fixed Interval (FI). The schedule is based on fixed time intervals.

8) A baseball player gets a hit approximately every third at-bat. Variable Ratio (VR). The reinforcement (hit) occurs randomly around an average of every third attempt.

9) A slot machine pays off roughly every 30 pulls. Variable Ratio (VR). Reinforcement (jackpot) happens at unpredictable times averaging 30 pulls.

10) Buying lottery tickets and winning is unpredictable. Variable Ratio (VR). Reinforcement (winning) occurs randomly, with no fixed schedule.

References

  • Cherry, K. (2020). Classical and Operant Conditioning. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/classical-vs-operant-conditioning-2794863
  • Reeves, C. (n.d.). Learning and Behavior. Monroe Community College Department of Psychology.
  • McLeod, S. (2018). Classical Conditioning. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/classical-conditioning.html
  • Ormrod, J. E. (2020). Learning Processes. In Human Learning (8th ed.). Pearson.
  • Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and Human Behavior. Free Press.
  • Gerrig, R. J., & Zimbardo, P. G. (2018). Psychology and Life (20th ed.). Pearson.
  • Chance, P. (2014). Learning and Behavior (7th ed.). Wadsworth.
  • Bogartz, M. (2013). The Principles of Behavior. Springer Science & Business Media.
  • Domjan, M. (2018). Principles of Behavioral Psychology. Cengage Learning.
  • Rescorla, R. A. (1988). Pavlovian Conditioning: It's Not What You Think It Is. American Psychologist, 43(3), 151–160.

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