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View Full Version : PLEASE HELP! This is for Psych 101, and I just don't get it! The question is below..


Muffie123
Mar 5, 2013, 03:36 PM
Your friend asks you to explain to him why he keeps going back to smoking after quitting on several occasions. Describe the classical conditioning component involved in smoking (the CS, UCS, CR and UCR) and how spontaneous recovery can cause the recurrence of the smoking habit.

I PROMISE I AM NOT TRYING TO GET OUT OF DOING MY HOMEWORK. I UNDERSTOOD ALL OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS BUT THIS ONE!!!!

J_9
Mar 5, 2013, 03:48 PM
If you tell me what you think it is, I'll be happy to guide you in the right direction.

Muffie123
Mar 5, 2013, 03:54 PM
If you tell me what you think it is, I'll be happy to guide you in the right direction.

Okay! Thank you :) I was thinking that the component involved is either a conditioned stimulus or response, but they both sound so alike! I know that daily activities can trigger a craving for a cigarette. For instance, if you usually light one up while driving, getting into the car will always trigger that craving.

As far as spontaneous recovery, my book says that it is "the reoccurrence of an extinguished response after a period of nonexposure to the conditioned stimulus." That sounds like Greek to me :(

Wondergirl
Mar 5, 2013, 03:56 PM
The chart and other info on this page might help you. And think about how a person begins to smoke and what causes him to smoke and what happens if he stops and then what happens if he is in a room with another smoker or does something (drinks coffee? Reads the morning paper? etc.) he used to do while enjoying a cigarette.

Learning - Chapter 5 (http://webhome.idirect.com/~kehamilt/psy4.html)

Wondergirl
Mar 5, 2013, 03:59 PM
"the reoccurrence of an extinguished response after a period of nonexposure to the conditioned stimulus."
A smoker quits. He avoids situations that used to cause him to smoke. One day he ends up in one of those situations. What happens?

Muffie123
Mar 5, 2013, 04:00 PM
The chart and other info on this page might help you. And think about how a person begins to smoke and what causes him to smoke and what happens if he stops and then what happens if he is in a room with another smoker.

Learning - Chapter 5 (http://webhome.idirect.com/~kehamilt/psy4.html)

Thank you for that, and that website is awesome!

Muffie123
Mar 5, 2013, 04:01 PM
A smoker quits. He avoids situations that used to cause him to smoke. One day he ends up in one of those situations. What happens?

Okay, I see. He gets a craving to smoke if he comes in contact with someone else smoking.

Wondergirl
Mar 5, 2013, 04:04 PM
Okay, I see. He gets a craving to smoke if he comes in contact with someone else smoking.
Or -- I just added more -- if he starts doing again the thing(s) he used to do while smoking.

J_9
Mar 5, 2013, 04:04 PM
One day he ends up in one of those situations. What happens?

He becomes a major complainer? Sorry, I know too many ex-smokers that have open-mouth-insert-foot syndrome.

Wondergirl
Mar 5, 2013, 04:06 PM
DrBill, who used to be one of our members, told me that smokers aren't addicted as much to the nicotine as they are to the ritual and to the pleasure that comes from connecting the cigarette to the activity.

Muffie123
Mar 5, 2013, 04:08 PM
Or -- I just added more -- if he starts doing again the thing(s) he used to do while smoking.

Exactly... I get it now :) Thank you very much!

Muffie123
Mar 5, 2013, 05:11 PM
These are my choices:

Conditioned Stimulus
Conditioned Response
Unconditioned Stimulus
Unconditioned Response

These definitions are in my psychology book, but they ALL sound like they are the right answer...