The Rescorla-Wagner model is a formal model of the circumstances under which Pavlovian conditioning occurs . It attempts to describe the changes in associative strength (V) between a signal (conditioned stimulus, CS) and the subsequent stimulus (unconditioned stimulus, US) as a result of a conditioning trial.
Why is the Rescorla-Wagner model important?
One of the most important contributions made by the R-W model is that it predicts Blocking and Unblocking . Blocking occurs when a novel stimulus (because it is novel it has no predictive value) is presented together with a well-established CS (whose predictive value Page 2 is essentially equal to λ, that is, 1).
What does the Rescorla-Wagner model predict?
The Rescorla–Wagner model (“R-W”) is a model of classical conditioning, in which learning is conceptualized in terms of associations between conditioned (CS) and unconditioned (US) stimuli . A strong CS-US association means, essentially, that the CS signals or predicts the US.
What did Rescorla and Wagner show about conditioning quizlet?
Robert Rescorla and Allen Wagner were the first to realize what about classical conditioning? ... those in a vegetative state showed trace conditioning but those who were unconscious did not.
How does the Rescorla-Wagner model explain overshadowing?
Overshadowing is classical conditioning phenomenon which is explained well by the Rescorla-Wagner Model. ... For example, if a CS 1 and CS 2 compound is used to predict a US, it can been seen that CS 2 elicits less conditioned response than if it had been paired with the US independently.
What is an example of blocking in psychology?
Blocking was first described in studies of classical (or Pavlovian) conditioning (Kamin, 1968). For example, if a dog is repeatedly exposed to a tone (the first conditioned stimulus, CS1) , together with food (the unconditioned stimulus, US), the dog salivates when the tone is presented (conditioned response, CR).
What was Little Albert conditioned to be afraid of?
The Little Albert Experiment demonstrated that classical conditioning—the association of a particular stimulus or behavior with an unrelated stimulus or behavior—works in human beings. In this experiment, a previously unafraid baby was conditioned to become afraid of a rat .
How has classical conditioning contributed to psychology?
John Watson proposed that the process of classical conditioning (based on Pavlov’s observations) was able to explain all aspects of human psychology . ... Everything from speech to emotional responses was simply patterns of stimulus and response.
What type of conditioning is taste aversion?
Conditioned taste aversion is a form of associative learning ; in this case, an animal learns to associate the novel taste of a new foodstuff (CS) with subsequent illness (US) resulting from ingestion of some nausea-inducing agent.
What did Watson and Pavlov agree on?
Watson and Pavlov agreed that:
the study of consciousness should be a goal of psychology . laws of learning are NOT the same for all animals. psychologists should study “mentalistic concepts.”
Who demonstrated that animals can learn the predictability of an event group of answer choices?
Rescorla found that the rats in the first group showed a much stronger conditioned fear response than the rats in the second group. How did Rescorla explain this finding? An animal can learn the predictability of an event.
What is an example of overshadowing in psychology?
Overshadowing is when the first stimulus has no more stimulus control. An example is a teenager who can study in a classroom, but not in front of the a group of cheerleaders .
Which learning phenomenon does the Rescorla Wagner model have difficulty accounting for?
The model also fails to account for retrospective learning effects . The model assumes that learning about a stimulus only takes place if the stimulus is present on a trial. However, retrospective effects influence behavior at the point of test, rather than during learning trials.
What is stimulus substitution theory?
a way of characterizing the outcome of classical conditioning when the conditioned stimulus is said to have taken on the functions of the unconditioned stimulus.
What is an example of blocking?
In the statistical theory of the design of experiments, blocking is the arranging of experimental units in groups (blocks) that are similar to one another. An example of a blocking factor might be the sex of a patient ; by blocking on sex, this source of variability is controlled for, thus leading to greater accuracy.
What’s the difference between blocking and overshadowing?
What is the difference between overshadowing and blocking? Overshadowing comes as a result of the differences between the stimuli in characteristics like intensity . Blocking is a result of prior experience with one part of a compound stimulus.
