Classical conditioning components of the orienting reflex to words using innocuous and noxious unconditioned stimuli under different conditioned stimulus-unconditioned stimulus intervals.

Abstract

Two experiments investigated the acquisition, generalization, and extinction of the galvanic skin response (GSR) and digital vasomotor response to words under conditioned stimulus-unconditioned stimulus (CS-UCS) intervals of . 5, 5.5, 10.5, 15.5, and 20.5 sec. Experiment 1 used a forewarned reaction time situation with an innocuous tone as the imperative stimulus, whereas Experiment 2 used a noxious 110 dB white noise as the UCS. Differential conditioning of the GSR occurred under all intervals in both experiments. The most effective differential conditioning of the GSR appeared to occur with the short intervals, whereas the most effective conditioning of the vasomotor response appeared to occur under the longer intervals. Results from Experiment 1 clearly demonstrate that it is possible to study the acquisition of differential conditioning using an innocuous UCS. Similar results were obtained in Experiment 2.Comparisons between short and long CS-UCS intervals during extinction raise the problem of whether different kinds of responses are being compared under these two kinds of intervals. The short intervals may induce orienting reflexes in extinction due to the omission of the UCS from the CS-UCS stimulus complex. These responses are compared with anticipatory conditioned responses in the longer CS-UCS intervals that are uncontaminated by the omission of the UCS. In Experiment 2, the responses to the control words differed significantly as a function of CS-UCS interval, with the .5-sec interval producing the largest responses to the control words. Thus, a procedure is available for studying short and long CS-UCS intervals without the confounding of intervals with changes in the CS-UCS stimulus complex produced by test or extinction trials.

Selective orienting and habituation of the GSR as a consequence of overt and covert activity

“…The experimental selling has been previou sly described (Maltzman, Gould, Barnett , Raskin, & Wolff, 1977). Record ing of the GSR was accompl ished by means of palmar GSR electrode s consisting of two 20-mm zinc disk electrodes fitted in 5-mm-deep plastic cups.…”

Habituation of the GSR and digital vasomotor components of the orienting reflex as a consequence of task instructions and sex differences

“…Habituation phenomena reported here were obtained in the initial phases of each of two experiments where the results of subsequent conditioning have been reported elsewhere (Maltzman, Gould, Barnett, Raskin, & Wolff, 1977). These experiments investigated differential semantic conditioning of the GSR and digital VMR under five different CS-VCS intervals.5, 5.5, 10.5, 15.5, and 20.5 sec.…”

Verbal conditioning, task instructions, and inhibition of the GSR measure of the orienting reflex

“…Group T, in addition, was informed that the word PLANT always preceded the tone. On the basis of our observations in a previous experiment (Maltzman, Gould, Barnett, Raskin, & Wolff, 1977), it was expected that large GSR-ORs would be evoked by the tone in both groups. Two additional groups were not instructed to respond to the tone.…”