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This deck focuses on Classical Conditioning, giving you a quick way to review the definitions, rules, and examples that matter most for AP Psychology.
AP Psychology Flashcards: Classical Conditioning
Study Classical Conditioning in AP Psychology with focused flashcards that help you recognize the idea, recall the key rule, and apply it in practice-style prompts.
AP Psychology
Classical Conditioning
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In classical conditioning, what is the term for a stimulus that initially does not elicit the UR?
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ANSWER
Neutral stimulus. It has no initial effect on behavior before conditioning begins.
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Flashcard 1: In classical conditioning, what is the term for a stimulus that initially does not elicit the UR?
Answer: Neutral stimulus. It has no initial effect on behavior before conditioning begins.
Flashcard 2: Describe how conditioned taste aversion challenges the idea of equipotentiality.
Answer: It shows certain stimuli are more easily associated with others based on biological relevance. It shows that some stimulus combinations are biologically favored over others.
Flashcard 3: What is spontaneous recovery?
Answer: The reappearance of a CR after a pause, following extinction. Shows that extinguished responses are not permanently erased from memory.
Flashcard 4: Describe the process of acquisition in classical conditioning.
Answer: The phase where the CS and US are paired to elicit a CR. Repeated pairings strengthen the association between CS and US.
Flashcard 5: Define stimulus discrimination.
Answer: The learned ability to distinguish between a CS and other irrelevant stimuli. This prevents inappropriate responses to irrelevant environmental cues.
Flashcard 6: How does the concept of blocking demonstrate limits in classical conditioning?
Answer: A new CS paired with an established CS does not elicit a CR if it provides no new information. Redundant cues that don't add predictive value aren't learned.
Flashcard 7: What is the definition of classical conditioning?
Answer: A learning process that involves associations between stimuli. This forms the foundation of Pavlovian learning theory.
Flashcard 8: What is a conditioned stimulus (CS)?
Answer: A formerly neutral stimulus that elicits a conditioned response. Through repeated pairing with the US, it gains the power to trigger responses.
Flashcard 9: What is a conditioned response (CR)?
Answer: A learned response to a previously neutral stimulus. It develops through the association between CS and US during conditioning.
Flashcard 10: What happens to the CR when the CS is repeatedly presented without the US?
Answer: The CR gradually diminishes, leading to extinction. The CS-US association weakens without reinforcement from the US.
Flashcard 11: Identify the UR in Pavlov's dog experiment.
Answer: Salivation in response to food. The natural physiological response to food presentation.
Flashcard 12: What is a conditioned response (CR)?
Answer: A learned response to a previously neutral stimulus. It develops through the association between CS and US during conditioning.
Flashcard 13: What is a conditioned stimulus (CS)?
Answer: A formerly neutral stimulus that elicits a conditioned response. Through repeated pairing with the US, it gains the power to trigger responses.
Flashcard 14: What is the role of surprise in the Rescorla-Wagner model?
Answer: Learning occurs when the US is surprising or unexpected, altering predictions. Unexpected events drive learning by updating predictive associations.
Flashcard 15: What is an unconditioned stimulus (US)?
Answer: A stimulus that naturally triggers a response. It produces a response without any prior learning or conditioning.
Flashcard 16: How does the Rescorla-Wagner model explain classical conditioning?
Answer: It suggests that conditioning depends on the predictive value of the CS. Learning occurs when events violate expectations about stimulus relationships.
Flashcard 17: What is higher-order conditioning?
Answer: A process where a CS is paired with a new neutral stimulus, creating a second CS. This extends conditioning beyond the original CS-US pairing.
Flashcard 18: What does extinction mean in classical conditioning?
Answer: The diminishing of a conditioned response when the CS is no longer paired with the US. Without reinforcement, the learned association weakens over time.
Flashcard 19: What role does biological predisposition play in classical conditioning?
Answer: Organisms are more easily conditioned to associate stimuli that are biologically relevant. Evolution favors associations that promote survival and reproduction.
Flashcard 20: In classical conditioning, what is the term for a stimulus that initially does not elicit the UR?
Answer: Neutral stimulus. It has no initial effect on behavior before conditioning begins.
Flashcard 21: What is the role of cognitive processes in classical conditioning?
Answer: Cognitive processes influence how associations are formed and interpreted. Expectations and attention affect how associations are formed and maintained.
Flashcard 22: What is the role of temporal contiguity in classical conditioning?
Answer: Temporal contiguity refers to the closeness in time of the CS and US presentation. Closer timing between CS and US produces stronger conditioning effects.
Flashcard 23: What is spontaneous recovery?
Answer: The reappearance of a CR after a pause, following extinction. Shows that extinguished responses are not permanently erased from memory.
Flashcard 24: What effect does timing have on classical conditioning?
Answer: Conditioning is most effective when the CS precedes the US closely in time. Optimal learning occurs with brief delays between CS and US presentation.
Flashcard 25: What is the definition of classical conditioning?
Answer: A learning process that involves associations between stimuli. This forms the foundation of Pavlovian learning theory.
Flashcard 26: Explain the role of predictability in classical conditioning.
Answer: Predictability of the CS-CR association strengthens conditioning. When the CS reliably predicts the US, stronger learning occurs.
Flashcard 27: What is the role of cognitive processes in classical conditioning?
Answer: Cognitive processes influence how associations are formed and interpreted. Expectations and attention affect how associations are formed and maintained.
Flashcard 28: What is an unconditioned stimulus (US)?
Answer: A stimulus that naturally triggers a response. It produces a response without any prior learning or conditioning.
Flashcard 29: Who is the psychologist most associated with classical conditioning?
Answer: Ivan Pavlov. His experiments with dogs established the principles of classical conditioning.
Flashcard 30: What is higher-order conditioning?
Answer: A process where a CS is paired with a new neutral stimulus, creating a second CS. This extends conditioning beyond the original CS-US pairing.
Flashcard 31: What is the term for the initial stage of learning in classical conditioning?
Answer: Acquisition. This is when the CS-US association is first established.
Flashcard 32: What does extinction mean in classical conditioning?
Answer: The diminishing of a conditioned response when the CS is no longer paired with the US. Without reinforcement, the learned association weakens over time.
Flashcard 33: Describe how conditioned taste aversion challenges the idea of equipotentiality.
Answer: It shows certain stimuli are more easily associated with others based on biological relevance. It shows that some stimulus combinations are biologically favored over others.
Flashcard 34: Define stimulus generalization.
Answer: The tendency to respond to stimuli similar to the CS. Occurs because similar stimuli activate the same neural pathways.
Flashcard 35: Explain the role of predictability in classical conditioning.
Answer: Predictability of the CS-CR association strengthens conditioning. When the CS reliably predicts the US, stronger learning occurs.
Flashcard 36: What is latent inhibition in classical conditioning?
Answer: The phenomenon where prior exposure to a CS without the US makes later conditioning harder. Familiarity with the CS reduces its effectiveness in future conditioning.
Flashcard 37: Identify the CR in Pavlov's dog experiment.
Answer: Salivation in response to the bell. The learned response that mimics the natural salivation to food.
Flashcard 38: Identify the CR in Pavlov's dog experiment.
Answer: Salivation in response to the bell. The learned response that mimics the natural salivation to food.
Flashcard 39: What role does biological predisposition play in classical conditioning?
Answer: Organisms are more easily conditioned to associate stimuli that are biologically relevant. Evolution favors associations that promote survival and reproduction.
Flashcard 40: What is the role of surprise in the Rescorla-Wagner model?
Answer: Learning occurs when the US is surprising or unexpected, altering predictions. Unexpected events drive learning by updating predictive associations.
Flashcard 41: What is taste aversion, and how does it relate to classical conditioning?
Answer: A learned avoidance of a food after a single pairing with illness. This adaptive mechanism helps organisms avoid potentially harmful foods.
Flashcard 42: Define stimulus discrimination.
Answer: The learned ability to distinguish between a CS and other irrelevant stimuli. This prevents inappropriate responses to irrelevant environmental cues.
Flashcard 43: Explain how a conditioned emotional response is formed.
Answer: An emotional reaction, such as fear, is conditioned to a previously neutral stimulus. Neutral stimuli become triggers for emotional states through repeated pairing.
Flashcard 44: What is the difference between classical and operant conditioning?
Answer: Classical involves associations between stimuli; operant involves behavior and consequences. Classical is passive stimulus association; operant is active behavior modification.
Flashcard 45: Which phenomenon occurs when a CR is elicited by a new stimulus that resembles the CS?
Answer: Stimulus generalization. The CR extends to stimuli that share features with the original CS.
Flashcard 46: Identify the US in Pavlov's dog experiment.
Answer: Food. The naturally appetizing stimulus that triggers salivation.
Flashcard 47: What is the role of contingency in classical conditioning?
Answer: Contingency refers to the predictability of the CS-US relationship affecting learning strength. Strong CS-US relationships produce more robust conditioned responses.
Flashcard 48: How can classical conditioning be used in therapy?
Answer: It can be used to extinguish phobias through systematic desensitization. Gradual exposure to feared stimuli can reduce conditioned fear responses.
Flashcard 49: What is the difference between excitatory and inhibitory conditioning?
Answer: Excitatory strengthens a CR, while inhibitory weakens or inhibits it. Excitatory increases response probability; inhibitory decreases it.
Flashcard 50: What is an unconditioned response (UR)?
Answer: A natural, unlearned reaction to an unconditioned stimulus. It occurs automatically without any training or conditioning required.
Flashcard 51: What is taste aversion, and how does it relate to classical conditioning?
Answer: A learned avoidance of a food after a single pairing with illness. This adaptive mechanism helps organisms avoid potentially harmful foods.
Flashcard 52: How does the concept of blocking demonstrate limits in classical conditioning?
Answer: A new CS paired with an established CS does not elicit a CR if it provides no new information. Redundant cues that don't add predictive value aren't learned.
Flashcard 53: What is the difference between classical and operant conditioning?
Answer: Classical involves associations between stimuli; operant involves behavior and consequences. Classical is passive stimulus association; operant is active behavior modification.
Flashcard 54: How does the Garcia effect demonstrate biological constraints on conditioning?
Answer: It shows that some associations are learned more readily than others due to survival value. It demonstrates biological preparedness for survival-relevant associations.
Flashcard 55: What is an unconditioned response (UR)?
Answer: A natural, unlearned reaction to an unconditioned stimulus. It occurs automatically without any training or conditioning required.
Flashcard 56: Explain how a conditioned emotional response is formed.
Answer: An emotional reaction, such as fear, is conditioned to a previously neutral stimulus. Neutral stimuli become triggers for emotional states through repeated pairing.
Flashcard 57: What is the term for the initial stage of learning in classical conditioning?
Answer: Acquisition. This is when the CS-US association is first established.
Flashcard 58: What is latent inhibition in classical conditioning?
Answer: The phenomenon where prior exposure to a CS without the US makes later conditioning harder. Familiarity with the CS reduces its effectiveness in future conditioning.
Flashcard 59: Define stimulus generalization.
Answer: The tendency to respond to stimuli similar to the CS. Occurs because similar stimuli activate the same neural pathways.
Flashcard 60: How does the Rescorla-Wagner model explain classical conditioning?
Answer: It suggests that conditioning depends on the predictive value of the CS. Learning occurs when events violate expectations about stimulus relationships.
Flashcard 61: Describe the process of acquisition in classical conditioning.
Answer: The phase where the CS and US are paired to elicit a CR. Repeated pairings strengthen the association between CS and US.
Flashcard 62: How can classical conditioning be used in therapy?
Answer: It can be used to extinguish phobias through systematic desensitization. Gradual exposure to feared stimuli can reduce conditioned fear responses.
Flashcard 63: Identify the UR in Pavlov's dog experiment.
Answer: Salivation in response to food. The natural physiological response to food presentation.
Flashcard 64: Identify the US in Pavlov's dog experiment.
Answer: Food. The naturally appetizing stimulus that triggers salivation.
Flashcard 65: What is the main difference between first-order and higher-order conditioning?
Answer: First-order involves a direct CS-US pairing; higher-order involves a CS-CS pairing. Higher-order uses an established CS rather than the original US.
Flashcard 66: Identify a real-world example of classical conditioning.
Answer: A dog salivating at the sound of a can opener. The can opener sound became a CS through association with food.
Flashcard 67: What is the role of contingency in classical conditioning?
Answer: Contingency refers to the predictability of the CS-US relationship affecting learning strength. Strong CS-US relationships produce more robust conditioned responses.
Flashcard 68: What effect does timing have on classical conditioning?
Answer: Conditioning is most effective when the CS precedes the US closely in time. Optimal learning occurs with brief delays between CS and US presentation.
Flashcard 69: Who is the psychologist most associated with classical conditioning?
Answer: Ivan Pavlov. His experiments with dogs established the principles of classical conditioning.
Flashcard 70: Identify a real-world example of classical conditioning.
Answer: A dog salivating at the sound of a can opener. The can opener sound became a CS through association with food.
Flashcard 71: What is the main difference between first-order and higher-order conditioning?
Answer: First-order involves a direct CS-US pairing; higher-order involves a CS-CS pairing. Higher-order uses an established CS rather than the original US.
Flashcard 72: What is the difference between excitatory and inhibitory conditioning?
Answer: Excitatory strengthens a CR, while inhibitory weakens or inhibits it. Excitatory increases response probability; inhibitory decreases it.
Flashcard 73: Identify the CS in Pavlov's dog experiment.
Answer: Bell. The previously neutral sound that became associated with food.
Flashcard 74: What is the role of temporal contiguity in classical conditioning?
Answer: Temporal contiguity refers to the closeness in time of the CS and US presentation. Closer timing between CS and US produces stronger conditioning effects.
Flashcard 75: Identify the CS in Pavlov's dog experiment.
Answer: Bell. The previously neutral sound that became associated with food.
Flashcard 76: What happens to the CR when the CS is repeatedly presented without the US?
Answer: The CR gradually diminishes, leading to extinction. The CS-US association weakens without reinforcement from the US.
Flashcard 77: Which phenomenon occurs when a CR is elicited by a new stimulus that resembles the CS?
Answer: Stimulus generalization. The CR extends to stimuli that share features with the original CS.
Flashcard 78: How does the Garcia effect demonstrate biological constraints on conditioning?
Answer: It shows that some associations are learned more readily than others due to survival value. It demonstrates biological preparedness for survival-relevant associations.