Psychology: A Self-Teaching Guide

76 PSYCHOLOGY

in effect, unlearnedthe conditioned reflex. Extinction should not be confused with

forgetting. Extinction is an active process that is designed to eliminate a condi-

tioned reflex. The process of actively extinguishing a conditioned reflex is taken

advantage of in desensitization therapy (see chapter 15).

(a) The word conditioningimplies a kind of learning that does not require

and.

(b) Outside of the conscious control of the subject, conditioned reflexes are said to be

.

(c) What phenomenon appears when the conditioned stimulus is presented a number of

times without the unconditioned stimulus?

Answers: (a) reflection; reasoning; (b) involuntary; (c) Extinction.

Stimulus generalizationoccurs when a stimulus that is similar to an orig-

inal conditioned stimulus elicits a conditioned reflex. For example, let’s say that

a dog is trained to salivate to a pitch that is the equivalent of middle C on the

piano. If a pitch the equivalent of D, a note that is close to C, is sounded, the dog

will also salivate. As the pitch goes higher, there may be some salivation. If the

pitch gets high enough, salivation will stop. This is discrimination,the subject’s

ability to tell the difference between an original conditioned stimulus and other

stimuli.

In a classical experiment, Rosalie Raynor, an assistant to John B. Watson,

trained a child to be afraid of a white rat. In subsequent testing, the child, known

in the research literature as Little Albert, showed fear reactions (conditioned

reflexes) when he saw a different white rat, a Santa Claus mask (with white fur),

or a rolled-up white terrycloth dishtowel. This research provides an example of

stimulus generalization in a human being.

(a) What phenomenon occurs when a stimulus that is similar to an original conditioned

stimulus elicits a conditioned reflex?

(b) A subject’s ability to tell the difference between an original conditioned stimulus and

other stimuli is called.

Answers: (a) Stimulus generalization; (b) discrimination.

Trial-and-Error Learning: Taking a Rocky Road

It is instructive to note that one of the most popular books on writing ever pub-

lished is called Trial and Errorby the novelist Jack Woodford. It sold many copies