Respondent Conditioning
Based on Pavlovโs work on the salivary reflex in dogs
Also known as Pavlovian or Classical conditioning
Based on physiological responses to environmental stimulation
Contingency: Relationship between antecedent stimu li
Definition: Process whereby a previously neutral stimulus elicits a response due to pa iring of the neutr al stimulus
with an unconditioned eliciting stimulus
Respondent Conditioning Paradigm
Before conditioning:
Unconditioned stimulus (US) ๏ Unconditioned r esponse (UR)
Meat powder ๏ Salivation
During conditioning :
Neutral stimulus (NS) + (US) ๏ Unconditioned response (UR)
Metronome + Meat powder ๏ Sa livation (UR)
Following condition ing:
Conditioned stimu lus (CS) ๏ Conditioned response (CR)
Metronome ๏ Salivation (CR)
Extinction:
Repeated CS presentations ๏ Disappearance of CR
Metronome ๏ No salivation
An Example
Scenario: A patien t goes to clinic to receive chemotherapy for cancer ( the 4th session out of a 12-session course).
As the patient enters the waiting room, she begins to feel nauseous and she vomits. Upon questioning, the patient
says "I get queasy on my chemo day ." This scenario recurs a few more times, until the patient drops out of therapy
Responses of interes t:
Anticipatory nausea & vomiting
Dropping out of therapy
Anticipatory Nausea & Vomiting (ANV)
Initial therapy sessions:
Chemotherapy (US) ๏ Post-chemotherapy nausea and vom iting or โPCNVโ (UR)
But: A number of stimuli (NS) are p aired with US
Eg: Wait room + ch emotherapy ๏ PCNV
Later therapy sessions:
See nurse (CS) ๏ ANV (CR)
Wait room (CS) ๏ ANV (CR)
Parking lot (CS) ๏ ANV (CR)
Smell coffee (CS) ๏ ANV (CR)
Perfume (CS) ๏ ANV (CR)
