PSYCHOLOGY

(5th Ed)

Chapter 5

Learning

Learning

Learning relatively permanent change in an

organism’s behavior due to experience experience (nurture) is the key to

learning

AssociationWe learn by association

Our minds naturally connect events that occur in sequence

Aristotle 2000 years ago John Locke and David Hume 200 yrs ago

Associative Learning learning that two events occur together

two stimulia response and its consequences

Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning

We learn to associate two stimuli

Two related events:

Lightning

Stimulus 1

Thunder

Stimulus 2

Result after repetition

We see lightning

Stimulus

We wince anticipatingthunder

Response

Operant Conditioning

We learn to associate a response and its consequence

Behaviorism

John B. Watson viewed psychology as objective science

generally agreed-upon consensus today

recommended study of behavior without reference to unobservable mental processesnot universally accepted by all schools of

thought today

Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning

Ivan Pavlov 1849-1936 Russian physician/

neurophysiologist Nobel Prize in 1904 studied digestive secretions

Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning

Pavlov’s device for recording salivation

Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning

Classical Conditioning organism comes to associate two stimuli

lightning and thundertone and food

begins with a reflex a neutral stimulus is paired with a

stimulus that evokes the reflex neutral stimulus eventually comes to

evoke the reflex

Classical or Pavlovian ConditioningUnconditioned Stimulus (UCS)

effective stimulus that unconditionally-automatically and naturally- triggers a response

Unconditioned Response (UCR) unlearned, naturally occurring

automatic response to the unconditioned stimulussalivation when food is in the mouth

Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning

Conditioned Stimulus (CS) previously neutral stimulus that, after

association with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response

Conditioned Response (CR) learned response to a previously neutral

conditioned stimulus

ConditioningAcquisition

the initial stage of learning, during which a response is established and gradually strengthened

in classical conditioning, the phase in which a stimulus comes to evoke a conditioned response

in operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response

ConditioningExtinction

diminishing of a CR in classical conditioning, when

a UCS does not follow a CS in operant conditioning, when

a response is no longer reinforced

Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning

Strengthof CR

Pause

Acquisition(CS+UCS)

Extinction(CS alone)

Extinction(CS alone)

Spontaneousrecovery ofCR

Classical or Pavlovian ConditioningSpontaneous recovery

reappearance, after a rest period, of an extinguished CR

Generalization tendency for a stimuli similar to

CS to evoke similar responses

Classical or Pavlovian ConditioningDiscrimination

in classical conditioning, the ability to distinguish between a CS and other stimuli that do not signal and UCS

in operant conditioning, responding differently to stimuli that signal a behavior will be reinforced or will not be reinforced

Generalization

Drops of salivain 30 seconds

60

50

40

30

20

10

0Hindpaw

Pelvis Shoulder Frontpaw

Thigh Trunk Foreleg

Part of body stimulated

Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning

UCS(passionate kiss) UCR

(sexualarousal)

CS(onionbreath)

CS(onion breath) CR

(sexualarousal)

UCS(passionate Kiss) UCR

(sexualarousal)

Nausea Conditioning in Cancer Patients

UCS(drug)

UCR(nausea)

CS(waiting room)

CS(waitingroom) CR

(nausea)

UCS(drug)

UCR(nausea)

Operant ConditioningOperant Conditioning

type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by reinforcement or diminished if followed by punishment

Law of Effect Thorndike’s principle that behaviors

followed by favorable consequences become more likely and behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely

Operant ConditioningOperant Behavior

complex or voluntary behaviorspush button, perform complex task

operates (acts) on environment produces consequences

Respondent Behavior occurs as an automatic response to

stimulus behavior learned through classical

conditioning

Operant Conditioning

B.F. Skinner (1904-1990) elaborated Thorndike’s Law

of Effect developed behavioral

technology

Operant Conditioning

Skinner Box soundproof

chamber with a bar or key that an animal presses or pecks to release a food or water reward

contains a device to record responses

Operant ConditioningReinforcer

any event that strengthens the behavior it follows

Shaping conditioning procedure in which

reinforcers guide behavior toward closer approximations of a desired goal

Successive Approximations reward behaviors that increasingly

resemble desired behavior

Principles of ReinforcementPrimary Reinforcer

innately reinforcing stimulus satisfies a biological need

Secondary Reinforcer conditioned reinforcer learned through association with

primary reinforcer

Schedules of ReinforcementContinuous Reinforcement

reinforcing the desired response each time it occurs

learning occurs rapidly extinction occurs rapidly

Partial Reinforcement reinforcing a response only part of the

time results in slower acquisition greater resistance to extinction

Schedules of ReinforcementFixed Ratio (FR)

reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses

faster you respond the more rewards you get

different ratios very high rate of responding like piecework pay

Schedules of Reinforcement

Variable Ratio (VR) reinforces a response after an

unpredictable number of responses average ratios like gambling, fishing very hard to extinguish because of

unpredictability

Schedules of Reinforcement

Fixed Interval (FI) reinforces a response only after a

specified time has elapsed response occurs more frequently as

the anticipated time for reward draws near

Schedules of Reinforcement

Variable Interval (VI) reinforces a response at unpredictable

time intervals produces slow steady responding like pop quiz

PunishmentPunishment

aversive event that decreases the behavior that it follows

powerful controller of unwanted behavior

Problems with PunishmentPunished behavior is not forgotten,

it's suppressed- behavior returns when punishment is no longer eminent

Causes increased aggression- shows that aggression is a way to cope with problems- Explains why aggressive delinquents and abusive parents come from abusive homes

Problems with PunishmentCreates fear that can generalize to

desirable behaviors, e.g. fear of school, learned helplessness, depression

Does not necessarily guide toward desired behavior- reinforcement tells you what to do--punishment tells you what not to do- Combination of punishment and reward can be more effective than punishment alone

Punishment teaches how to avoid it

Cognition and Operant ConditioningCognitive Map

mental representation of the layout of one’s environment

example- after exploring a maze, rats act as if they have learned a cognitive map of it

Latent Learning learning that occurs, but is not

apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it

Latent Learning

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 220

2468

101214161820222426283032Average

errors

Days

Observational LearningObservational Learning

learning by observing and imitating others

Modeling process of observing and imitating

behaviorProsocial Behavior

positive, constructive, helpful behavior opposite of antisocial behavior