Unit 6 Operant Conditioning: Expanding Skinner’s Understanding

Cognition and Operant Conditioning Skinner acknowledged the role of one’s cognition on operant conditioning Cognitive Map: A mental representation of the layout of one’s environment E.g. after exploring a maze, rats act as if they have learned a cognitive map of it

Cognition and Operant Conditioning Latent Learning: Learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it

Video Clip: Cognitive Maps How does the rat use latent learning in pursuit of food, after its path has been blocked?

Cognition and Operant Conditioning Can you think of an example when you experienced latent learning?

Cognition and Operant Conditioning Insight: A sudden and often novel realization of the solution to a problem

Types of Motivation Intrinsic Motivation: Extrinsic Motivation: A desire to perform a behavior for its own sake Extrinsic Motivation: A desire to perform a behavior to receive promised rewards or avoid threatened punishment

Types of Motivation What is something that you are intrinsically motivated to do? What is something that you are extrinsically motivated to do? With which type of motivation is operant conditioning more effective?

Biology and Operant Conditioning Biological constraints predispose organisms to learn associations that are naturally adaptive Breland and Breland (1961) showed that animals drift toward their biologically predisposed instinctive behaviors Marian Breland Bailey

Operant Vs. Classical Conditioning

Review What is a cognitive map? How did rats use it in operant conditioning? What is latent learning? Provide an example. What is insight? What is its role in problem-solving? What is the difference between intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation? In what ways do organisms’ biology influence operant conditioning?

Unit 6 Learning By Observation

Learning By Observation Observational Learning: Learning by observing others Also called Social Learning Albert Bandura Modeling: The process of observing and imitating a specific behavior

Learning By Observation Higher animals, especially humans, learn through observing and imitating others. The monkey on the right imitates the monkey on the left in touching the pictures in a certain order to obtain a reward.

Observational Learning and Language Have you ever traveled to another country, or another region of the US, and found yourself speaking and/or acting similar to the people of that region? Why do you think your speech and/or behavior changed?

Mirror Neurons Mirror Neurons: Frontal lobe neurons that fire when performing certain actions or when observing another doing so The brain’s mirroring of another’s action may enable imitation and empathy

Learning by observation begins early in life. Imitation Onset Learning by observation begins early in life. This 14-month-old child imitates the adult on TV, in pulling a toy apart.

Imitation in Children Can you remember any ways that you imitated others (parents, older siblings, cousins, etc.) as a child? Can you remember any ways that your younger siblings, cousins, etc. imitated you?

Bandura’s “Bobo Doll” Experiment Bandura's “Bobo Doll” Experiment (1961) indicated that individuals (children) learn through imitating others who receive rewards and punishments.

Applications of Observational Learning Unfortunately, Bandura’s studies show that antisocial models (family, neighborhood, or TV) may have antisocial effects.

Applications of Observational Learning Gentile et al., (2004) shows that children in elementary school who are exposed to violent television, videos, and video games express increased aggression.

Applications of Observational Learning What are some TV shows, video games, or movies that you were exposed to as a child that modeled aggressive behavior?

Applications of Observational Learning Research shows that viewing media violence leads to an increased expression of aggression. Children modeling after pro wrestlers

Applications of Observational Learning Fortunately, prosocial (positive, helpful) models may have prosocial effects.

Applications of Observational Learning Prosocial Behavior: Positive, constructive, helpful behavior The opposite of antisocial behavior