Respondent and Operant Conditioning

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Respondent and Operant Conditioning

• Text Supplement

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Introduction

• Before we can begin a discussion on conditioning,
  we must differentiate between the kinds of
  behaviors involved.
• Remember, respondent conditioning only applies to
  respondent behavior operant conditioning only
  applies to operant behavior.

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Conditioning Models

• Operant
• Voluntary muscles
• Central nervous system
• Behavior is emitted
• Response affected by consequence

• Respondent
• Reflexes
• Involuntary muscles
• Autonomic nervous system
• Behavior is elicited
• Response is affected by antecedent

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Respondent Conditioning Model

• The Story of Ivan Pavlov and his Dogs

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Advanced Organizer

• UCS Unconditioned stimulus (meat powder)
• UCR Unconditioned Response (salivation)
• CS Conditioned stimulus
• CR Conditioned Response
• NS Neutral stimulus

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Pavlovs Classical Conditioning
Meat Powder UCS
Salivation UCR
CR Salivation to Bell
CS Neutral stimulus
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Fractional Anticipatory Response

• The response is in anticipation of the UCS and is
  only a fraction of the UCR

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Conditions necessary for Respondent Conditioning
to occur

• An UCS UCR must be available
• The CS must precede the UCS otherwise it will
  not serve as a signal and UCR maybe elicited
  before the CS is presented
• Contiguity (association in time) the UCS must
  follow immediately. Optimal interval time is .05
  -.10 seconds
• Repetition The CS UCS UCR sequence must be
  repeated a sufficient number of times for the
  association to be made.

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The exception to the rule

• When the UCS elicits a strong aversive response
  as in the case of a powerful shock

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Phenomena associated with respondent conditioning

• Stimulus generalization Stimuli resembling the
  CS often are able to elicit the CR as well as the
  original CS.
• For example, if a dog has been conditioned to
  respond to a tone of 1200 cycles, he may also
  respond to a tone of 1000 or 1400 cycles as well.

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• Stimulus discrimination The other side of the
  coin, so to speak, to generalization. Here the
  CR is elicited only by the CS and not by other
  similar stimuli.
• Therefore, remember, dont enter an intersection
  unless you check both ways. Drivers are failing
  to discriminate for the red light!

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• Extinction The CS is repeatedly presented
  without the UCS. The repeated ringing of the
  bell, for example, with no pairings of meat
  powder.
• Forgetting Often confused with extinction.
  However, extinction involves the presentation of
  the CS without pairing it with the UCS.
  Forgetting involves not presenting the CS at all.
  Thus, extinction is a more active process, while
  forgetting is essentially a passive one.

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Applications of respondent conditioning

• During the semester we will consider two
  techniques that utilize respondent conditioning
  procedures
• Implosive Therapy and Systematic Desensitization