Question

Which of the following best describes the rate at which a contingency is learned during classical conditioning training trials?

1) After a break in training, there is usually an increase in the conditioned response.
2) The rate of acquisition is linear: the more trials, the more is learned.
3) A lot of learning occurs quickly, and then rate of learning slows over time.
4) Learning occurs quickly at first, but the response is unlearned if too many trials occur.

Answer 1

The rate of learning in classical conditioning starts with rapid acquisition, then slows over time, and is followed by extinction if the conditioned stimulus is not paired with the unconditioned stimulus.

Step-by-step explanation:

The best description of the rate at which a contingency is learned during classical conditioning training trials is that a lot of learning occurs quickly, and then the rate of learning slows over time. This is known as the acquisition phase. In Pavlovian conditioning, as the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus are paired repeatedly, the organism begins to exhibit the conditioned response with greater reliability. The learning curve rises sharply initially, reflecting rapid learning, but as the association is strengthened, further learning is less pronounced, and eventually plateaus. Only after a conditioned response has been well established, if the conditioned stimulus continues without the unconditioned stimulus, does extinction begin, weakening the conditioned response.