Classical conditioning is a form of associative learning, learning produced by pairing of stimuli & responses in time & place. It contributes to likes & dislikes, emotional reactions, & reflex-like responses in terms of classical conditioning. For each description, identify or suggest the US, UR, CS, CR, as well as the principles that are likely to be at work.

1. While caring for a friend's dog, you notice that is displays a fear-like posture as you roll up a newspaper. You try this several times more & become convinced that this dog is generally afraid of rolled up newspapers.

2. Joan, an animal trainer, has been phobic about monkeys since an earlier attack. However, because of the money, she has agreed to work with monkeys for a movie studio. At first, just going anywhere near cages makes Joan tense, sweaty, and apprehensive. Lately though, things have changed. Working with such cuddly, affectionate, human-like creatures is causing Joan to wonder why she ever felt such extreme distress.

3. At a red light, Bob & Fred automatically tensed & felt chills when they heard the screech of tires behind them. Later, while watching a car race, Bob remarked how the screeching of tires was having little effect then. Fred agreed & wondered why they reacted at all, because neither had much as a dent on his driving records.

4. Early in their relationship, the mere sight of Donna excited Jack. This gradually died out, however, as Donna behaved tolerantly, but indifferently. When the relationship ended, Jack was bored with Donna & didn't even think about her for the next year. Now, he was surprised at how excited he was becoming as he saw Donna through the window of a bus.

5. Bill couldn't ever remember being so sick & nauseated. He would never to that restaurant again, and he would never again eat chicken. All he could think about was the good dinner his mother would prepare for his homecoming. As he entered the kitchen, he became flushed and felt nauseated when he saw the golden brown turkey sitting on the table.

1. Dogs are often disciplined by being swatted (the US) with the rolled up newspapers, magazines, and the such (the CS). Fear is a natural response to being hit (the UR) and an acquired response (CR) to the sight of such objects.

2. Joan has been attacked (the US) by monkeys (the CS) in the past. Fear of monkeys (the CR) is an acquired response and fear of attacks (the UR) is more reflexive. Extinction is occurring as contact continues without further incident; that is, presenting the CS (monkeys) without the US (pain from the attack). Moreover, a bit of counterconditioning is also taking place as the cuddly, affectionate monkeys elicit feelings incompatible with fear.

3. Screeching tires (US) often cause people to tense up and flinch (CR). The lack of this response during a car race suggests stimulus discrimination may be present. Because neither person has had an accident, higher-order conditioning may account for their learning. Specifically, screeching tires (CS) often give rise to mental images of accidents. These mental images are already established CSs, providing the basis for CS-CS pairing.

4. The sight of Donna (CS) elicits romantic excitement (CR). The response was extinguished when Donna failed to stimulate her partner (the US). The reaction one year later suggests spontaneous recovery - the reappearance of the conditioned response after an apparent extinction.

5. The chicken is the original source of the CS, the appearance, smell, and taste of turkey, and also the US, the contamination. The nausea pattern is naturally elicited by contaminated foodstuffs (UR) and is an acquired response to specific foods (CR). In the example, stimulus generalization is taking place. Because turkey is very similar to chicken, responses originally elicited by chicken are now also elicited by turkey.