PSY402 Theories of Learning

30 Pages·2017·1.56 MB·English

PSY402
Theories of Learning
Chapter 5
Theories of Pavlovian Conditioning
Contemporary Theories
Nature of the CR – stimulus substitution

theory, SOP and AESOP theory
Nature of the conditioning process:

Predictiveness of the CS – the Rescorla-Wagner

associative model
Comparator theory

Mackintosh’s attentional theory

Retrospective processing approach

Stimulus-Substitution Theory
What is the nature of the CR – is it just the

UCR or is it different?
Pavlov – stimulus-substitution theory:

The CS stimulates the same areas of the brain as

the UCS, producing the same response.
Activation of CS with UCS establishes a neural

connection between brain areas.
Connections are formed between
brain regions
Conditioned Opponent Response
The CR and UCR are often different:

CR of fear is different than UCR of pain.

Siegel – best evidence of difference:

Morphine (UCS) produced analgesia, reduced pain (UCR)

Light or tone (CS) produced hyperalgesia, increased pain

(CR).
Rats remove paws from heat quickly with CS, slowly with

UCS.
Insulin (glycemia) works the same way

Conditioning of the Opponent
Response (Tolerance)
The M-P-M condition
presents the CS without the
UCS so the tolerance is
extinguished.
Drug Tolerance Overdoses
Elimination of a CS results in a stronger

response to the UCS, drug.
Extinction of responding to environ-mental cues

strengthens drug response
Changing the context in which a drug is

administered increases response to the drug.
Novel environment does not elicit an opponent

CR.
SOP Theory
Sometimes Opponent-Process theory (SOP) –

explains why CR varies.
UCS elicits primary A1 (fast) and secondary

A2 (longer) responses.
A1 & A2 can be same or different.

Conditioning only occurs to A2 – the CR is

always an A2 response.
When A1 & A2 differ, UCR & CR differ.

SOP Explains Timing Effects
None of the previous models explain why the

timing of CS-US matters.
SOP model requires that both CS and UCS be

in the A1 stage for learning to occur.
With delay more elements of CS decay from A1,

becoming A2.
Activation of a memory node in SOP theory