If a dog develops a conditioned salivary reflex to a bell, what happens if the conditioned stimulus is then presented without the unconditioned stimulus? ? - briefly
If a dog has developed a conditioned salivary reflex to a bell, presenting the bell (conditioned stimulus) alone will still trigger some degree of salivation, although typically less than when paired with food (unconditioned stimulus). This response demonstrates the persistence of the learned association even in the absence of the original reinforcing stimulus.
If a dog develops a conditioned salivary reflex to a bell, what happens if the conditioned stimulus is then presented without the unconditioned stimulus? ? - in detail
When a dog develops a conditioned salivary reflex to a bell through classical conditioning, it learns to associate the sound of the bell (the neutral stimulus) with food (the unconditioned stimulus), which naturally elicits salivation (the unconditioned response). Over time, the dog begins to salivate at the mere sound of the bell (the conditioned stimulus), even before the food is presented. This demonstrates that the dog has formed a conditioned reflex, where the neutral stimulus (bell) becomes a conditioned stimulus that triggers the conditioned response (salivation).
However, if the conditioned stimulus (bell) is then presented without the unconditioned stimulus (food), several outcomes are possible:
-
Extinction: If the bell is repeatedly presented without food, the dog may eventually stop salivating in response to it. This process is known as extinction, where the conditioned response gradually diminishes because the association between the conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus is no longer reinforced.
-
Spontaneous Recovery: After a period of extinction, if the dog is exposed to the bell again after some time has passed, it might temporarily resume salivating. This temporary reappearance of the conditioned response is called spontaneous recovery.
-
Generalization and Discrimination: Depending on how similar or different new stimuli are to the original bell, the dog may generalize the response to other stimuli (e.g., a different bell) or discriminate between them (e.g., only salivating to the original bell).
-
Contextual Influences: The environment in which the conditioning and extinction occur can also influence the dog's behavior. If the context changes, it might affect whether the dog continues to respond to the bell or not.
In summary, presenting the conditioned stimulus (bell) without the unconditioned stimulus (food) can lead to a gradual weakening of the conditioned reflex through extinction. However, other factors such as spontaneous recovery, generalization, discrimination, and context also play significant roles in shaping the dog's response over time.