Question

0/16 answered Consider the following figure for Questions 1: 0.5 0.4 0.3 Suppression Ratio 0.2 0.1 + 0 1 Z 3 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 1 Stage 1 Stage 2 Test Trials Question 1 (3 pts.) Homework - Unanswered The figure above displays results from a single group of animals across two stages of classical conditioning training, and a single test trial. Provide an example procedure that would likely produce these results. Note, I am looking for specific procedures with specific stimuli (e.g, tone, light, food, sucrose,shock etc.) for each stage and test that would have to be implemented. Urranswered Submit

Answer 1

This graph shows the rate of Extinction and later on spontaneous recovery of the conditioned stimulus and conditioned response in classical conditioning.

Extinction can only occur if there is a prior conditioning or acquisition of learning that has taken place. So before giving an example let us go thorugh the phases of learning in classical conditioning. Forst there is Aquisition stage where the association between the conditioned stimulus and the conditioned response is being made. Then comes the extinction stage, which is weakening of the association between conditioned stimulus and the conditioned response upon the association not being in use, or if the conditioned stimulus is absent when the neutral/natural stimulus is being provided. Spontaneous recovery refers to the strengthening of the association between conditioned stimulus and the conditioned response, this usually takes less time than the acquisition phase.

For example- If the dog is the subject and the association is made between bell and salivation of the dog upon hearing the bell, because ringing of the bell has been associated with getting of the food. The graph given in the question would be appropriate to represent the weakening of association between ringing of bell and salivation,because of suppression of association, which in this case may be done by not following the ringing of bell with giving of food to the dog. Hence when the ringing of the bell is not followed with food, the association of the ringing bell and salivation weakens at a rate shown in the graph and eventually extincts completely. Upon complete extinction, the dog would not salivate upon ringing of the bell anymore. Now, the second part of the graph shows spontaneous recovery, whereby, upon following ringing of the bell with food makes the association between ringing of the bell and salivation re-emerge. This spontaneous recovery would take only a few trials to re-associate the connection between stimulus and response.