PSY402 Theories of LearningAversive EventsEscape ConditioningFactors Affecting EscapeEliminating an Escape ResponseVicious-Circle BehaviorAvoidanceEffects of Event IntensityOne-Way vs Two-Way AvoidanceFloodingPSY402Theories of LearningChapter 5 – Aversive ConditioningAversive EventsUnpleasant, undesirable, bad for survival.Typically evoke strong negative emotion:Pain, fear, embarrassment or shame, anxiety, frustration.Strong emotions motivate escape and avoidance behaviors.Escape ConditioningEscape response – behavior motivated by an aversive event.Rewarded by termination of the aversive event.Miller’s shuttlebox – rats escape shock by turning a wheel that opens a door so they can escape.Factors Affecting EscapeIntensity of the aversive event – the stronger the aversive event the greater the escape response.Amount of negative reward – escape depends on receiving relief from the aversive event.Reward must be prompt – delayed reward interferes with escape learning.Eliminating an Escape ResponseRemoval of negative reward – escape response stops if the aversive event continues despite it.Removal of aversive event -- escape response stops if the aversive event no longer occurs.Continues for a while due to conditioned anticipatory pain responses. This must be extinguished.Vicious-Circle BehaviorWhy did rats run into a pathway with shock when staying still would mean no shock?Two explanations:Fear motivates running and is conditioned to the start box.The animals do not realize that no shock will occur if they don’t run.AvoidanceActive avoidance response – an action is necessary to avoid aversive event.Passive avoidance response – not responding prevents aversive event.Mowrer’s hurdle jumping paradigm.CS causes animal to jump to other side to avoid onset of shock.Effects of Event IntensityExcept in two-way avoidance learning, a stronger aversive event leads to faster avoidance learning.The greater the aversive event intensity, the faster the passive avoidance learning.Greater delay between CS and UCS interferes with avoidance learning.One-Way vs Two-Way AvoidanceOne-way – animal can avoid shock by jumping to other side.Two-way – animal can jump to other side, but after a rest, it must jump back again to avoid shock.Animal avoids shock only by returning to the place where it was first shocked.The animal must ignore situational cues.Induces a conflict.FloodingAvoidance behaviors perpetuate phobias.Techniques for eliminating avoidance are important to treating phobias.Flooding forces a person to experience the conditioned feared stimulus without an aversive
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