1. Classical Conditioning – Ch. 4 September 14, 2005 Class #10

2. Experimental Neurosis
A condition involving disturbed behavior in animals that results when they are subjected to severe and prolonged conflict

3. Pavlov’s Experiments
Pair a circle with food presentations and an ellipse with no food
After the discrimination is formed, the stimuli are made more and more similar until subject can no longer distinguish between the two shapes
Dogs becomes agitated, barks, salivates, bites at its harness, and generally goes berserk
When placed back in the kennel, it may remain "insane" for months or years
Pavlov believed that experimental neurosis resulted from a conflict between excitation and inhibition and occurs when an impossible problem is posed

4. Real World Application
Pavlov felt that “shy” dogs were the easiest to condition but developed high anxiety when subjected to these neurosis experiments
How about with people???
Can they be conditioned to withdraw from stimulation?
The following slide proposes a behavioral/biological link…

5. Real World Application
Eysenck (1957):
Extraversion-Introversion
Introverts were over-aroused individuals therefore they try to keep stimulation to a minimum
Extroverts were under-aroused individuals, therefore they tried to increase stimulation

6. Cortical Arousal Differences
Geen (1984)
Introverts and extraverts choose different levels of stimulation, but equivalent in arousal under chosen stimulation
Extroverts chose to hear louder noises than introverts
After put in their chosen environment their HR’s are the same
This seems to suggest that being at their preferred level of stimulation results in the same overall level of arousal for both groups

7. Geen (1984) Researcher tested four other groups:
Introverts placed in environment that other introverts had chosen (II)
Introverts placed in environment that extroverts had chosen (IE)
Extroverts placed in environment that other extroverts had chosen (EE)
Extroverts placed in environment that introverts had chosen (EI)

8. Geen (1984) II = similar HR as free choice introverts
IE = higher HR than free choice introverts when forced to listen to extroverts’ noise
EE = similar HR as free choice extroverts
EI = lower HR than free choice extraverts when forced to listen to introverts’ noise

9. Geen (1984) Performance on a learning task was also affected:
Introverts did best in introvert-selected environment
Extraverts did better in extravert-selected environment
Practical implications:
Roommates?
Mate Selection?

10. Overshadowing
Involves a compound stimulus (simultaneous presentation of two or more stimuli)
The stronger part of this is more easily conditioned and thus interferes with the conditioning of the other

11. Overshadowing Experiment
UCS  UCR
(food) (salivation)
NS1/NS  NO RESPONSE
(bright light) (soft tone) (no salivation)
NS1/NS2 + UCS  UCR
* This is repeated several times…
 CS  CR
(bright light) (much salivation)
CS  CR
(soft tone) (less salivation)

12. Latent Inhibition
A familiar stimulus is more difficult to condition than an unfamiliar or novel one
For example:
If we are used to hearing something it will take longer to condition that sound
You are constantly playing Dave Matthews Band songs…many associations
But a Barry Manilow song may work better…only one association

13. Real World Application
Schizophrenia patients have less latent inhibition

14. Additional Phenomena Temporal Conditioning Occasion Setting
External Inhibition
US Revaluation
Pseudoconditioning

15. Temporal Conditioning
Passage of time is also important insofar as conditioning is concerned…
Example: MLB umpires

16. Occasion Setting
Elements in the environment plays a big part in the conditioning
Example: Presence of alcohol can signal abuse

17. External Inhibition
Presentation of a novel stimulus at the same time as the CS lessens the CR
Appears to cause a distraction

18. US Revaluation
Postconditioning presentation of US at a different intensity

19. Pseudoconditioning
An elicited response that appears to be a CR may be due to sensitization
For example: any loud noise may elicit the response