Introduction
In classical conditioning of behavior, acquisition results from the pairing of Conditional Stimulus (CS) like tone with the Unconditioned Stimulus (US) like shock. This is performed through several trials resulting in the capability of the CS to induce a new behavior described as Conditioned Response (CR) which is similar to the Unconditioned Response (UR). In the experiment of Sniffy Pro, CS’s available are Bell, Tone and Light.
Method
1. The experiment was run on Sniffy to receive 10 pairings of tone CS of medium-intensity coupled with shock US of medium-intensity.
2. New file is opened on the menu and “Design Classical Conditioning Experiment” was selected from the menu of Experiment.
3. Settings were made in the dialogue box of Classical Conditioning Experiment Design and 5 minutes of interval was decided between the trials and in stimulus panel, medium-intensity tone was selected along with selecting medium-intensity shock in the second stimulus panel.
4. Run command for Classical Conditioning Experiment was selected after closing the dialogue box.
5. File was saved after the trial of last acquisition.
Results & Discussion
The program ran for complete 50 minutes and two graphs are obtained. One is Movement Ratio window which demonstrates the ratio of movement with the trials and is a bar graph. Another graph obtained is CS Response Strength window and is a line graph which demonstrates the strength of capacity of tone to obtain a fear response from Sniffy.
CS Response Strength Mind
During the experiment of acquisition, the movement ratio begins from 0 for the first trial and then keeps on rising in the experiment with eventually leveling off at 0.7. This increase in movement ratio signifies that the conditional stimulus of the tone is acquiring the capability to induce fear and freezing in Sniffy. With the increase in the movement ratio, the conditional stimulus response strength mind window also demonstrates similar pattern, depicting that the capacity of tone as the psychological process to induce fear is increasing. The movement ratio graph illustrates the alteration in the behavior of Sniffy and CS response strength mind graph illustrates the alterations in the psychological state of Sniffy which influences the changes in Sniffy’s behavior.
With the conditional stimulus presentations, the CS response strength mind graph demonstrates the current strength of fear experienced by Sniffy with also representing the strength of fear response expected from the next conditional stimulus. In the graphs obtained, the ratio increases which depicts that tone is able to induce fear response in Sniffy and the CS response strength window depicts that the alteration in behavior is due to the CS’s acquiring the capacity to produce the fear response.
In the case of real rat, the altered response of the rat towards the CS can only be recorded by the psychologists. This alteration of behavior is considered to be resulting from the alterations in psychological processes. The capacity acquired by the conditional stimulus to elicit conditioned behavior is observed to be the result of increasingly powerful fear response.
Conclusion
The classical conditioning of behavior of Sniffy is achieved through the pairing of CS with the US and the movement ratio and CS response strength window illustrates the same.
Lab Report of Exercise 2: Extinction
Succeeding the first experiment of Acquisition of classical conditioning of behavior of Sniffy, extinction is achieved by eliminating the conditioned response (CR) by repeatedly presently the conditioned stimulus (CS) without the unconditioned stimulus (US). In the experiment of Sniffy Pro, CS’s available are Bell, Tone and Light and US is the medium-intensity shock. The extinction experiment requires more trials than acquisition experiment because CR is easily acquired and is extinguished very slowly.
Material
1. The experiment was run on Sniffy to receive 30 trials of tone CS of medium-intensity coupled without any shock US of medium-intensity.
2. The file of first experiment is opened on the menu and “Design Classical Conditioning Experiment” was selected from the menu of Experiment.
3. Settings were made for stage 2 in the dialogue box of Classical Conditioning Experiment Design and 5 minutes of interval was decided between the trials and in first stimulus panel, medium-intensity tone was selected along with selecting none in the second stimulus panel.
4. Run command for Classical Conditioning Experiment was selected after closing the dialogue box.
5. File was saved after the trial of last acquisition.
Results & Discussion
The program ran for complete 150 minutes and Sniffy was given 30 trials for extinguishing the CS. As the resultant of the experiment, two graphs are obtained. One is Movement Ratio window which demonstrates the ratio of movement with the trials and is a bar graph. Another graph obtained is CS Response Strength window and is a line graph which demonstrates the strength of capacity of tone to obtain a fear response from Sniffy.
CS Response Strength Mind
During the experiment of extinction, the movement ratio begins from 0.25 approximately for the first trial and then keeps on fluctuating in the experiment with eventually leveling off at 0. This decrease in movement ratio signifies that the conditioned stimulus of the tone is losing the capability to induce fear and freezing in Sniffy in the absence of conditioned stimulus followed by unconditioned stimulus. With the decrease in the movement ratio, the conditioned stimulus response strength mind window also demonstrates similar pattern, depicting that the capacity of tone as the psychological process to induce fear is deacresing. The movement ratio graph illustrates the alteration in the behavior of Sniffy and CS response strength mind graph illustrates the alterations in the psychological state of Sniffy which influences the changes in Sniffy’s behavior.
With the conditional stimulus presentations, the CS response strength mind graph demonstrates the current strength of fear experienced by Sniffy with also representing the strength of fear response expected from the next conditional stimulus. In the graphs obtained, the ratio extinguishes which depicts that tone is unable to induce fear response in Sniffy anymore in the absence of shock and the CS response strength window depicts that the alteration in behavior is due to the CS’s losing the capacity to generate the fear response.
In the case of real rat, the altered response of the rat towards the CS can only be recorded by the psychologists. This alteration of behavior is considered to be resulting from the alterations in psychological processes. The capacity acquired by the conditional stimulus to elicit conditioned behavior is observed to be the result of increasingly powerful fear response. Conclusion
The classical conditioning of behavior of Sniffy is extinguished through the disassociation of CS with the US and the movement ratio and CS response strength window illustrates the same.
