Procedures based on principles of Respondent Conditioning. Operant & Respondent conditioning together

OPERANT CONDITIONING B.F. Skinner (1938) Voluntary behavior that operates on the environment to bring about some consequence or change Behavior is modified by its consequences (Reinforcement)

Respondent Conditioning Classical conditioning Also called Pavlov 1905 (Nobel prize medicine) Involuntary behavior by antecedent stimulation Unconditioned Reflexes US--- UR ( puff of air to eye- Blink) Neutral stimulus (Larry approaching + “Hi”) Conditioned stimulus (“Hi”+ Puff of air - Blink after several pairings this results in: “hi” - Blink Elicited

Respondent Conditioning If a neutral stimulus (“larry + “Hi!”) is followed closely in time by a US (puff of air) which elicits a UR (blink) then the previously neutral stimulus will also tend to elicit the UR ( now a conditioned response CR) Conditioned Reflex the stimulus-response relationship between a neutral stimulus(NS) and a US that establishes the NS as a CS eliciting a CR

UNCONDITIONED REFLEXES Unconditioned Stimulus Unconditioned response Food Salivation High Temp Sudden loud noise Sweat, flush. Blanch. Pounding heart Nose irritation Allergens Sneeze Asthma attack (constriction) Tap to patellar Light to eye Knee jerk Pupil constriction Stroke cheek Held + feet touch ground Head turn Stepping

Terminology In Respondent conditioning A US or a CS a response Respondent behavior is reflexive and is elicited (involuntarily) In Operant conditioning An Sd a response Operant behavior is Emitted (voluntarily ELICITS EVOKES

Factors influencing Respondent conditioning 1.The greater the the greater the ability of the CS to elicit the CR, until a maximum strength of the conditioned reflex is obtained number of pairings of a US and a CS,

Factors influencing Respondent Conditioning 2. Stronger conditioning occurs if the rather than a longer time or rather than following the US CS precedes the US by .5 sec

Factors influencing Respondent Conditioning 3.   A Cs acquires greater ability to elicit a CR if the CS is paired with a given US than if it is only occasionally paired with the US ALWAYS

Factors influencing Respondent Conditioning 4. When several neutral stimuli precede a US, the stimulus that with the US is the one most likely to become a strong CS. is most consistently associated

Factors influencing Respondent Conditioning 5. Respondent conditioning will develop more quickly and strongly when the CS or US or both are rather than weak. intense

Respondent extinction Presentation of the CS while withholding the US. After several presentations the CS gradually loses its ability to elicit the CR

Counter conditioning new Recall : Operant extinction works faster if there is an Alternative response being reinforced. A similar feature is true in respondent extinction. A conditioned response may be eliminated more effectively if a response is conditioned to the conditioned stimulus at the same time that the former conditioned response is being extinguished. new

Counter conditioning A CS will lose its ability to elicit a CR if that CS is paired with a stimulus that elicits a response that is with the CR. incompatible

Respondent & Operant Conditioning Compared Type of Behavior Voluntary, Emitted, usually skeletal muscles Reflexive, Elicited, Involuntary Smooth muscles & Glands SR+ Presentation of a +ve reinf. following a response (removal of a –ve) = behavior increase Pairing of a NS with a US The NS Becomes a CS CS elicits CR( same as UR) Ext Reinf. Is withheld following the previously reinforced response = response decrease CS presented without US CS looses ability to elicit the CR Spont. Rec Rest period following extinction session in which behavior = 0 The behavior again occurs Rest period following extinction session in which CS “0” CS once again elicits the CR

Respondent & Operant components of Emotions A) Reaction one has during the experience of an emotion (queasiness) B) How one learns to express or disguise an emotion ( hand clasp) C) How one becomes aware of and describes one’s emotions ( I’m nervous) D) Causes of emotions

The respondent component of our emotions: Feelings Autonomic nervous system: Heart beat, respiration,digestion, glandular function Fear: heart rate, adrenaline, breathing, sweat, no blood to stomach, dry mouth, (temporary bladder/bowel control loss). Autonomic reactions to stimuli: blushing, trembling, crying

The respondent component of our emotions: Feelings In infants Fear: grasping, lip puckering, crying Anger: crying, screaming, body stiffening Joy: Smiling, gurgling cooing Watson & Rayner (1920) Little Albert Several formerly neutral stimuli come to elicit fear after pairing with a loud noise

The operant component of our emotions: Actions An emotion causing event causes immediate physiological reactions What we then DO depends on our operant learning experiences Person to person Shout & swear or walk away? Cultural “booing” or whistling?

The operant component of our emotions: Awareness We are taught to label our emotions By 9 yrs. Most can recognize a range of expressions in themselves and others The problem of the outside observer: Running and yelling from anger Running and yelling in play

Some Causes of Emotions Presentation of reinforcers-happiness “A”; paycheck, funny movie Withholding of reinforcers- anger Vending machine, out of ink, Presentation of aversives – anxiety Approaching car, dark alley encounter Withdrawal of aversives – relief The doctor said “Maalox”!!(not cancer)

Applications of respondent conditioning principles Aversion Therapy Undesirable reinforcer paired with aversive stimulation to make object aversive and not reinforcing Chronic constipation Electrical stimulation paired with laxative and time of day to acquire appropriate bowel control Nocturnal Enuresis Urine triggered Bell awakening paired with full bladder feeling resulting in self-awakening

Cautionary note DON”T DO THIS AT HOME!!!! Requires: A) more information B) expertise