Escape and Avoidance Conditioning
Modified: 2024-07-02 1:30 AM CDST
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Escape conditioning is a form of aversive conditioning.
- The word
aversive refers to stimuli that are avoided.
- Generally, those stimuli
are unpleasant or painful.
- Escape conditioning occurs when an
aversive stimulus is presented and an animal responds by leaving the
stimulus situation.
- In the lab, escape conditioning can be demonstrated with a shuttle
box.
- A shuttle box is an enclosure with two sections separated by a
partition.
- For example, a dog shuttle box might have a low barrier
separating the two halves.
- To demonstrate escape conditioning all
that is necessary is to shock the dog's feet.
- The dog then jumps to
the other side of the box.
- Then, after a time, the dog is shocked
again.
- It then jumps over the barrier again, escaping the shock.
- Someone who finds school aversive may escape that situation.
- Most
states require attendance until age 16.
- However, once students turn
16 they no longer must attend. So, some drop out at that point.
- Dropping out is a form of escape conditioning.
- Avoidance conditioning is similar to escape conditioning.
- The
difference is that a CS is given before the presentation of an
aversive stimulus.
- For example, a light may precede the shock by a
few seconds.
- What does the animal do under this new setup?
- At first,
its behavior is no different than it was for escape conditioning.
- Namely, it jumps the barrier when the shock is delivered.
- Soon,
however, it begins to jump before the shock.
- It jumps when the light
comes on and thus avoids the shock.
- Also, unlike escape conditioning,
the animal settles down emotionally.
- Dogs quit yelping, and calmly
jump to the other side when the CS comes on.
- Now, think what would happen if the CS were left on, but the shock
discontinued.
- The animal continues to jump every time the light comes
on.
- The animal will not test whether or not the shock is still on.
- Therefore, avoidance conditioning is highly resistant to extinction.
- You can get extinction if you restrain the animal after the light
comes on, but it will struggle and show emotional arousal. After a
number trials under restraint, the animal will extinguish.
- Much of human behavior is explained via avoidance conditioning.
- Think of going to the dentist, for example.
- Most of us avoid going
until the pain is already unbearable.
- Another good example is when we
have to get an injection.
- We learned long ago to avoid the person and
the place where injections are given.
- Our children quickly learned
that going into the back room at the local clinic was a CS for an
immunization injection, and they began to cry as soon as they entered
that room, well before actually getting the injection.
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