Download Geen (1984)

Classical Conditioning – Ch. 4
September 14, 2005
Class #10
Experimental Neurosis
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A condition involving disturbed behavior in
animals that results when they are
subjected to severe and prolonged conflict
Pavlov’s Experiments
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Pair a circle with food presentations and an ellipse with no
food
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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
Real World Application

Pavlov felt that “shy” dogs were the easiest
to condition but developed high anxiety
when subjected to these neurosis
experiments
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How about with people???
Can they be conditioned to withdraw from
stimulation?
The following slide proposes a
behavioral/biological link…
Real World Application
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Eysenck (1957):
Extraversion-Introversion
 Introverts were over-aroused
individuals therefore they try
to keep stimulation to a
minimum
 Extroverts were underaroused individuals, therefore
they tried to increase
stimulation
Cortical Arousal
Differences

Geen (1984)

Introverts and extraverts choose different
levels of stimulation, but equivalent in
arousal under chosen stimulation

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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
Geen (1984)

Researcher tested four other groups:
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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)
Geen (1984)

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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
Geen (1984)

Performance on a learning task was also
affected:
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Introverts did best in introvert-selected
environment
Extraverts did better in extravert-selected
environment
 Practical implications:
 Roommates?
 Mate Selection?
Overshadowing

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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
Overshadowing Experiment

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UCS ------------------------------------------- UCR
(food)
(salivation)
NS1/NS2 ------------------------------------ NO RESPONSE
(bright light) (soft tone)
(no salivation)
NS1/NS2 + UCS ----------------------------- UCR
* This is repeated several times…
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CS1 --------------------------------------------- CR
(bright light)
(much salivation)
CS2 --------------------------------------------- CR
(soft tone)
(less salivation)
Latent Inhibition

A familiar stimulus is more difficult to
condition than an unfamiliar or novel one
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For example:
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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
Real World Application

Schizophrenia patients have less latent
inhibition
Additional Phenomena
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Temporal Conditioning
Occasion Setting
External Inhibition
US Revaluation
Pseudoconditioning
Temporal Conditioning

Passage of time is also important insofar as
conditioning is concerned…

Example: MLB umpires
Occasion Setting

Elements in the environment plays a big part
in the conditioning

Example: Presence of alcohol can signal abuse
External Inhibition

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Presentation of a novel stimulus at the
same time as the CS lessens the CR
Appears to cause a distraction
US Revaluation

Postconditioning presentation of US at a
different intensity
Pseudoconditioning

An elicited response that appears to be a CR
may be due to sensitization

For example: any loud noise may elicit the
response