QUESTION 2 Assume that a new (nexperienced) pigeon is placed in a special cage.
ID: 3454669 • Letter: Q
Question
QUESTION 2 Assume that a new (nexperienced) pigeon is placed in a special cage. The cage is designed so that the pigeon must stand on the floor to reach water and food sourcen. The cage also has a perch that hangs two inches above the floor. After the first 2 minutes, the floor of the cage begins to GLOws RED then 8 seconds later gets UNBEARABLY HOT for 2 seconds then cool off and stops glowing for 3 minutes then repeat this hot-gool cycle over and over again. This cyole of the floor heating and cooling is repeated for the entire session which lasts 22 minutes A) Based on the information provided above, predict how the inexperienced pigeon will react to this predicament in the first five minutes (one hot-cool cycle). Be sure to describe the relevant time course of behavior for this inexperienced bird. Using your understanding of the TWO FACTOR THEORY, interpret what the piígeon is learning from this experience. IDENTIFY the applicable COMPONENTS of the TWO FACTOR THEORY pigeon to when the pigeon was unexperienced. Using your understanding of the TWO FACTOR THEORY explain the pigeon's behavior to this same special cage after having more expenence· IDENTIFY the applicable COMPONENTS of the appropriate factor of the TVO FACTOR THEORY.Explanation / Answer
According to Mowrer’s two-factor theory of leaning,in the present example of the pigeon responding to the aversive experience of coming in contact with the hot surface, the pigeon’s response will be based on the interplay between stimulus learning or classical conditioning and response learning (operant conditioning). It’s behaviour will be motivated through fear reduction. Thus, the initial 3 mins. Pairing between the appearance of the red light will act as the conditioned stimulus and the burning hot surface of the floor would be the unconditioned stimulus that triggers the reflex of escaping the hot surface of the cage and climbing up on the perch in the initial five minutes. Thus, the pigeon elicits unconditioned response at this stage to avoid the aversive heat condition on the floor.
B) However, After repeated trials, the bird may develop a pattern of expectancy where it comes to form an association between he red light and the surface of the floor becoming hot. Thus, after 22 such trials, the bird will be motivated to avoid the negative consequences and feelings of pain/discomfort due to the sudden exposure to heat and it will make an avoidance response( operant behaviour) based on the reward of avoiding a painful experience. Therefore, as the bird develops experienced in the trials, it will be motivated to voluntarily make the avoidance response after two minutes, when the red light is presented inside the cage. This happens as Mowrer would argue, because avoidance helps to remove the negative emotions and it therefore comes to be experienced as a strong reward in itself.