What is escape conditioning in psychology

All paradigms are done using a Shuttlebox

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Avoidance

Active Avoidance 

Active avoidance is what is typically thought of as avoidance learning. Due to the different associations that can be formed by the mouse during avoidance learning, it has been thought to involve both classical and operant conditioning processes (most famously characterized by Hobart Mowrer's Two-Factor Learning Theory).

Branchi & Ricceri (2013)

Active avoidance paradigms require the mouse to learn to avoid an aversive stimulus (a shock) by initiating a behavior (locomotion). The mouse is placed in one of the two shuttlebox compartments. They are exposed to a conditioned stimulus (light, tone, etc.) followed by the delivery of a footshock (unconditioned stimulus). Two types of responding can emerge directly after this exposure phase: a conditioned response (avoidance learning) and an unconditioned response (escape learning)--often times,escape responses precede the emergence of avoidance responses. Avoidance is characterized by responding where a mouse actively avoids the oncoming shock by moving to the opposite compartment after the CS is presented. Escape is characterized by responding where a mouse does not respond to the CS, but responds to the US by escaping to the opposite compartment. 

Passive Avoidance

Branchi & Ricceri (2013)

Passive avoidance paradigms require the mouse to suppress a (innate) behavior to avoid an aversive stimulus (a shock). A shuttlebox is arranged so that one compartment is "dark" (through the use of opaque walls or an external cover) and one is "light." Mice have an innate tendency to prefer dark areas over light ones, so their natural instinct will be to move, through a connecting door, from the light compartment they are placed in to the dark compartment. During acquisition, this innate behavior results in the connecting door shutting and an aversive shock being delivered to the mouse in the dark compartment. The mouse should, therefore, learn that moving to the dark compartment has negative consequences. During the test phase, the mouse is again placed in the light compartment and monitored. Passive avoidance is evaluated as the suppression of the (innate) behavior of moving into the dark compartment. As such, the latency to enter the dark compartment (if the mouse does at all) is measured. This measure is correlated with memory. 

Escape 

Escape conditioning occurs when an animal learns to perform an operant behavior to terminate an aversive event or stimulus. In a shuttlebox, this occurs when a mouse learns to escape (i.e. move to) the opposite compartment after receiving a footshock in their current compartment. It is a classic example of negative reinforcement.

Learned Helplessness

Learned helplessness occurs when a mouse has been exposed to an inescapable aversive event or stimulus. Using a shuttlebox, a mouse is placed in one compartment with the door to the opposite compartment closed. The mouse then receives a footshock and cannot escape it. After several presentations under these circumstances, a mouse has difficulty learning to avoid or escape the footshock even when able to do so. After the unavoidable presentation of aversive stimuli (footshocks), a mouse learns that it has no control over these presentations (or its environment).  This leads to generalized helpless behavior (learned helplessness) that persists even when the environment/contingencies change so that the aversive stimuli are no longer unavoidable. Learned helplessness is a behavior associated with and influenced by depression in humans. 

Escape conditioning is a concept in Behaviorism and is a type of <"https:>avoidance conditioning which is the usage of an unpleasant stimulus in order to decrease an unwanted behavior. So to be escape conditioning an unpleasant stimulus is presented and the organism's response is to leave in order to avoid experiencing the unpleasant stimulus.

For example, if you squirt a cat with a water bottle typically it will respond by running out of the room. This is escape conditioning.

The main difference between escape conditioning and avoidance conditioning is that in escape conditioning, there is no warning signal before the aversive stimulus, while in avoidance conditioning, there is a warning signal before the aversive stimulus.

Escape conditioning and avoidance conditioning are two forms of negative reinforcement. Both of these result in an increase in the behaviour that stopped or avoided the aversive stimulus.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is Escape Conditioning 
     – Definition, Features
2. What is Avoidance Conditioning
     – Definition, Features
3. What is the Difference Between Escape Conditioning and Avoidance Conditioning
    – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Escape Conditioning, Avoidance Conditioning, Negative Reinforcement

What is escape conditioning in psychology

What is Escape Conditioning

Escape conditioning is a type of conditioning where an organism learns to avoid an aversive stimulus. In other words, the organism acquires a response that results in the termination of an aversive stimulus. Aversive stimulus here refers to stimuli that are unpleasant or painful. Escape conditioning occurs when an aversive stimulus is presented, and the organism responds by leaving the stimulus situation.

In a lab, a shuttle box can be used to demonstrate escape conditioning. A shuttle box is a box or an enclosure with two sections, separated by a partition an animal can cross. For example, if a shock is applied to the feet of a dog in a shuttle box, the dog would jump to the other section of the box. Similarly, if the scientist applies the shock again, then the dog would jump to the next section again to escape the shock. Here, electric shock is the aversive stimulus. Therefore, the dog’s response to avoid the aversive stimulus reflects escape conditioning.

We can also apply this concept of escape conditioning to real-life situations. For example, students who find school unpleasant or aversive may drop out of school. This is an example of escape conditioning.

What is Avoidance Conditioning 

Avoidance conditioning is a classical conditioning process where an organism is taught to avoid aversive stimuli as part of a two-part process. In other words, there are two stimuli in this conditioning: a neutral stimulus and an aversive stimulus. The neutral stimulus follows the aversive stimulus, and the subject learns to avoid the aversive stimulus by responding to the neutral stimulus.

What is escape conditioning in psychology

For example, imagine there is a buzzer sound before applying a shock to the subject. The subject associates the buzzer with the shock and will perform the action required as soon as it hears the buzzer in order to avoid the punishment. For example, if we are training a dog to jump over a fence using this method, the dog will jump over the fence as soon as it hears the buzzer to avoid the shock.

  • An escape conditioning turns into an avoidance conditioning when a warning signal or a neutral stimulus follows the aversive stimulus.

Escape conditioning is a type of conditioning where a subject learns to avoid an aversive stimulus while avoidance conditioning is a type of conditioning where the subject is conditioned to respond to an anticipated unpleasant event by avoiding the aversive stimulus every time the cue or warning signal is perceived.

Warning Signal or Neutral Stimulus

In escape conditioning, there is no warning signal before the aversive stimulus, but in avoidance conditioning, there is a warning signal before the aversive stimulus.

Conclusion

In conclusion, escape conditioning and avoidance conditioning are two forms of negative reinforcement. The main difference between escape conditioning and avoidance conditioning is that in escape conditioning, there is no warning signal before the aversive stimulus, while in avoidance conditioning, there is a warning signal before the aversive stimulus.

Reference:

1. “Escape Conditioning – Definition and Examples – Biology Online Dictionary.” Biology Articles, Tutorials & Dictionary Online, 2 Oct. 2020, Available here.
2. “Escape and Avoidance Conditioning.” Southern Arkansas University – Magnolia, Southern Arkansas University – Magnolia, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Operant conditioning diagram rev” By Box73 (recreated and converted to svg) and Curtis Neveu (source) – This file is a recreation of a diagram at (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia

What is escape conditioning in psychology