Procedures Based on Principles of Respondent

Conditioning

Chapter 14

Respondent conditioning

• Deals with behaviors that are elicited automatically by some stimulus

– Doesn’t produce a new behavior– Causes an existing behavior to occur– Involves reflexive behavior– New stimulus-response sequence is

learned

Definitions

• Operant Conditioning– Behavior that operates on the environment

can be modified by its consequences– Operant behaviors – behaviors that

operate on the environment to generate consequences

• Respondent Conditioning– Also called Pavlovian Conditioning– Behavior is elicited by prior stimuli apart

from the consequences from behavior– Respondent Behaviors

Terminology

Unconditioned stimulus (US): ◦natural stimulus producing response

Unconditioned response (UR): ◦unlearned response

Conditioned stimulus (CS): ◦originally neutral now elicits reflective

responseConditioned response (CR): ◦ learned reflective response to conditioned

stimulus

Principle of Respondent Conditioning

• A neutral stimulus followed closely in time by a US, which elicits a UR, then the previously neutral stimulus will also tend to elicit the same response

Principle of Respondent Conditioning

Factors Influencing Respondent Conditioning

1. The greater the number of pairings of a CS with a US, the greater is the ability of the CS to elicit the CR

2. Stronger conditioning occurs if the CS precedes the US by about half a second, rather than by a longer time or rather than following the US– Conditioned taste aversion – exception to the rule

3. A CS acquires greater ability to elicit a CR if the CS is always paired with a given US than if it is only occasionally paired with the US

4. When several neutral stimuli precede a US, the stimulus that is most consistently associated with the US is the one most likely to become a strong CS

5. Respondent conditioning will develop more quickly and strongly when the CS or US or both are intense rather than weak

Higher Order Conditioning

• 1st order– Pair NS and US to produce UR– CS will produce CR– EX: Pair bell and food to produce salivation;

bell will produce salivation after conditioning• 2nd order

– Pair NS and CS to produce CR– Produce a new CS which elicits the CR– EX: Pair light with bell to produce salivation;

light will produce salivation after conditioning

Higher Order Conditioning

Factors affecting conditioning

• Stimulus generalization– Similar stimuli elicit CR

• Stimulus discrimination– Respond to specific stimuli, but not

similar ones

Respondent Extinction

• Presenting a CS while withholding the US• CS will gradually loose its capability of

eliciting the CR

Counterconditioning

• Condition a new response to CS at the same time as the former CR is being extinguished

Common Respondently Conditioned Responses

• Reflexive responses can be conditioned to previously neutral stimili

• Biologically adaptive– Digestive System– Circulatory System – increased heart rate, blood

flow– Respiratory System – coughing, sneezing, asthma

attacks– Other Systems – urinary, reproductive systems

• Biological Preparedness – predisposition of members of a species to be more readily conditioned to some stimuli as CSs than to others– Ex: taste aversion – conditioned reflex of digestive

system

Respondent and Operant Conditioning Compared

• Responses– Respondent behaviors are reflexive– Operant behaviors are voluntary

• Reinforcers– Respondent conditioning pairs NS with US before the

response– Operant conditioning presents reinforcement after the

response• Extinction

– Respondent conditioning – presentation of CS without US– Operant conditioning – withholding the reinforcer following

a previously reinforced response• CSs and SDs

– Both produce responses that have been conditioned to them– Conditioning procedures differ– CSs elicit the response conditioned to them– SDs evoke the responses to them

Applications of Respondent Conditioning

• Aversion Therapy– Repeated pairing of a troublesome reinforcer with an

aversive event– Rationale is counterconditioning

• Treatment of Chronic Constipation– Presenting a mild, non-painful electric current prior to

defecating• Defecation initially elicited by laxative, but drug gradually

decreased• Apply current at the same time each day, so that eventually can

remove the current and natural environment will elicit defecation response

• Treatment of Nocturnal Enuresis (Bed-Wetting)– Bell-pad treatment

• Bell connected to pad under the bottom sheet• Bell sounds (US) and awakens (UR) as soon as the first drop of

urine makes contact with the pad• Eventually child will wake up before urinating

– Has been conditioned to the stimulus of pressure of bladder