What did Robert Rescorla and Allan Wagner's experiments establish about classical conditioning?

• A. That reinforcement is not necessary for learning to occur in classical conditioning
• B. That extinction is impossible once a conditioned response is established
• C. That classical conditioning only occurs when the unconditioned stimulus is presented before the conditioned stimulus
• D. That the strength of conditioning depends on the predictability and informational value of the conditioned stimulus

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the context of classical conditioning, which involves learning associations between a neutral stimulus (conditioned stimulus, CS) and an unconditioned stimulus (US) that naturally elicits a response.
2. Recognize that Rescorla and Wagner developed a model to explain how the strength of the conditioned response changes based on the predictability of the US following the CS.
3. Focus on the key idea that their experiments showed conditioning is not just about pairing stimuli, but about how well the CS predicts the US; this means the CS must provide new and reliable information about the US for learning to occur.
4. Note that their model mathematically describes the change in associative strength on each trial using the formula: \[\Delta V = \alpha \beta (\lambda - V)\] where \(\Delta V\) is the change in associative strength, \(\alpha\) and \(\beta\) are learning rate parameters, \(\lambda\) is the maximum associative strength the US can support, and \(V\) is the current associative strength.
5. Conclude that their work established that the strength of classical conditioning depends on the predictability and informational value of the conditioned stimulus, rather than just the mere pairing of stimuli.