CHAPTER 6 Learning

Learning Learning Terminology Classical conditioning Operant/Instrumental conditioning Observational learning Terminology Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS) Conditioned Stimulus (CS) Unconditioned Response (UCR) Conditioned Response (CR)

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING A learning procedure in which subjects make associations between a natural stimulus and a neutral stimulus Ivan Pavlov Tuning fork/salivation

THE EXPERIMENT A neutral stimulus can replace a natural stimulus if it’s presented just before that stimulus Food = unconditioned stimulus (US) Salivation = unconditioned response (UR)

OTHER TERMS Conditioned stimulus (CS) = tuning fork Salivation = conditioned response (CR) Conditioned responses are learned, not natural or reflexive

Demonstration of Pavlov’s Dog http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpoLxEN54ho&feature=related

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1. In classical conditioning, the stimulus that is originally neutral in regard to the response to be learned is the a) unconditioned stimulus b) unconditioned response c) conditioned stimulus d) conditioned response

2. Sara is watching a storm 2. Sara is watching a storm. A bolt of lightening is followed immediately by a huge crash of thunder and makes her jump. This happens several more times. The storm starts to move away and there is a gap between the lightening bolt and the sound of thunder, yet Sara jumps at the lightening bolt. What is the: UCS UCR CS CR

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING: MORE TERMINOLOGY Trial = pairing of UCS and CS Acquisition = initial stage in learning Stimulus contiguity = occurring together in time and space 3 types of Classical Conditioning Simultaneous conditioning: CS and UCS begin and end together Short-delayed conditioning: CS begins just before the UCS, end together Trace conditioning: CS begins and ends before UCS is presented Classical Conditioning in Everyday Life Conditioned fears Other conditioned emotional responses Conditioning and physiological responses Conditioning and drug effects

PHOBIAS AND CONDITIONING Phobias are irrational fears of specific objects, animals, or situations People acquire phobias through conditioning

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING AND PLEASANT RESPONSE Advertising campaigns use classical conditioning Pairing a healthy, young, pretty model with a product John Watson

POSITIVE EMOTIONS A song on the radio Scent, fragrance, or perfume Passing a bakery

APPLICATIONS: DRUG ADDICTION Withdrawal/“cold turkey” Cues or triggers in the environment Avoidance of cues

TASTE AVERSIONS John Garcia explained the role of classical conditioning in creating taste aversions Timing/single instance Bullet # 1 Classical conditioning can also create aversions to certain tastes. John Garcia (depicted in the drawing in this slide), along with colleague Bob Koelling, noticed something unusual in the behavior of rats that had been exposed to nausea-inducing radiation. The rats would refuse to drink from the water bottles in the radiation cages. Garcia theorized that the rats had come to associate the taste of the water with the nausea caused by the radiation. Bullet # 2 Garcia also found that taste aversions could arise even when several hours elapsed between the nausea-inducing stimulus and tasting the food. In addition, aversions could often be created by only a single conditioning session.

TASTE AVERSION: AN APPLICATION Aversions can have survival benefits How to protect sheep from coyotes without killing the coyotes

PRINCIPLES OF CLASSICAL CONDITIONING Acquisition of a conditioned response occurs gradually Timing is very important The intensity of the US

GENERALIZATION Occurs when a subject responds to a second stimulus similar to the original (CS) without any conditioning

DISCRIMINATION The ability to respond differently to different stimuli (dog only gets excited when moms car pulls up, not you) Generalization and discrimination are each a part of everyday life

EXTINCTION The gradual weakening and eventual disappearance of a conditioned response (when the response you wanted to occur doesn’t) The response disappears but is not forgotten (spontaneous recovery) Reconditioning

JOHN B. WATSON The case of “Little Albert” (made a loud noise to make baby scared, then put a rat to make him scared) Fear response Ethics

3. Steve's mouth waters whenever he eats anything with lemon in it 3. Steve's mouth waters whenever he eats anything with lemon in it. One day, while seeing an advertisement showing lemons, his mouth begins to water. What is the: UCS UCR CS CR

4. The initial stage of learning a response is called a) extinction b) contiguity c) acquisition d) conditioning

OPERANT CONDITIONING OR INSTRUMENTAL LEARNING Edward L. Thorndike (1913) – the law of effect – puzzle box and learning curve B.F. Skinner (1953) – principle of reinforcement Operant chamber – “Skinner Box” ( positive and negative reinforcement ) Emission of response Reinforcement contingencies – antecedents, behaviors, and consequences (ABC) Cumulative recorder – F 6.13b

Basic Processes in Operant Conditioning Acquisition Shaping – animal examples Extinction Stimulus Control Generalization Discrimination Remote controlled rat

REINFORCEMENT: CONSEQUENCES THAT STRENGTHEN RESPONSES Delayed Reinforcement Longer delay, slower conditioning Primary Reinforces Satisfy biological needs Secondary Reinforces Conditioned reinforcement

SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT Continuous reinforcement Intermittent (partial) reinforcement Ratio schedules Fixed Variable Interval schedules

5. John loves to fish. He puts his line in the water and leaves it there until he feels a tug. On what reinforcement schedule is he rewarded? a) fixed ratio b) fixed interval c) variable ratio d) variable interval

6. Chimpanzees given tokens for performing tricks were able to put the tokens in vending machines to get grapes. The tokens acted as a) primary reinforcers b) classical conditioning c) secondary reinforcers d) unconditioned reinforcers

7. Watson and Rayner’s classical conditioning of “Little Albert” was helpful in explaining that a) some conditioned stimuli do not generalize b) human emotions such as fear are subject to classical conditioning c) drug dependency is subject to classical as well as operant conditioning d) small children are not as easily conditioned as older children

8. Jamel got very sick after eating some mushrooms on a pizza at his friend’s house. He didn’t know that he had a stomach virus at the time, blamed his illness on the mushrooms, and refused to eat them again. Which of the following is the unconditioned stimulus for his taste aversion to mushrooms? a) pizza b) stomach virus c) mushrooms d) headache

9. Which of the following is an example of positive reinforcement? a) Buying a child a video game after she throws a tantrum. b) Going inside to escape a thunderstorm. c) Assigning a student detention for fighting. d) Getting a cavity filled at the dentist to halt a toothache.

CONSEQUENCES: REINFORCEMENT AND PUNISHMENT Increasing a response: Positive reinforcement = response followed by rewarding stimulus Negative reinforcement = response followed by removal of an aversive stimulus Escape learning Avoidance learning Decreasing a response: Punishment Problems with punishment – third variable problem and correlation between punishment and aggression – F 6.21 Responses can be strengthened either by presenting positive reinforcers or by removing negative reinforcers. Negative reinforcement regulates escape and avoidance learning. In escape learning, an organism learns to perform a behavior that decreases or ends aversive stimulation (turning on the air conditioner). In avoidance learning, an organism learns to prevent or avoid some aversive stimulation (turn on the a/c before it gets too hot). Punishment occurs when an event following a response weakens the tendency to make that response. Punishment is much more than disciplinary procedures…wear a new outfit and friends laugh…punishing. Punishment may involve presentation of an aversive stimulus (spanking) or removal of a rewarding stimulus (taking away TV). Some of the problems associated with punishment are that it can trigger strong emotional responses (anxiety, anger, resentment, hostility); physical punishment can lead to an increase in aggressive behavior.

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CHANGES IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF CONDITIONING Biological Constraints on Conditioning Breland and Breland (1961) – misbehavior of organisms Instinctive Drift Conditioned Taste Aversion – Garcia & Koelling (1966) Preparedness and Phobias Cognitive Influences on Conditioning Signal relations- Response-outcome relations Latent learning Evolutionary Perspectives on learning

10. While readying to take a free-throw shot, you suddenly arrive at the answer to a chemistry problem you’d been working on several hours before. This is an example of: a) insight b) backward conditioning c) latent learning d) discrimination

11. If a previous experience has given your pet the expectancy that nothing it does will prevent an aversive stimulus from occurring, it will likely a) be motivated to seek comfort from you b) experience learned helplessness c) model the behavior of other pets in hopes of avoiding it d) seek out challenges like this in the future to disprove the expectation

OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING: BASIC PROCESSES Albert Bandura (1977, 1986) Observational learning Vicarious conditioning Bandura, Ross, & Ross (1963) – featured study 4 key processes attention retention reproduction Motivation acquisition vs. performance- learning or actually doing it

12. Try as you might, you are unable to teach your dog to do a somersault. He will roll around on the ground, but he refuses to execute the gymnastic move you desire because of a) preparedness b) instinctive drift c) chaining d) shaping

Chapter 6 Answer Key 1. C 4. C UCS: crash of thunder 5. D UCR: jump to crash of thunder CS: lightening bolt CR: jump to lightening bolt 3. UCS: lemons UCR: mouth watering to lemon CS: advertisement CR: mouth watering to advertisement 4. C 5. D 5. C 7. B 8. B 9. A 10. A 11. B 12. B