Learning Module One: Booklet #7

Learning Is a relatively permanent change in behaviour that results from experience There are various ways is which people learn (we will look at some learning styles in Module 2) We will look at 2 main schools of thought (viewpoints) regarding learning: 1) Classical Conditioning 2) Operant Conditioning

Psychology - Learning-Classical & Operant Conditioning-1 Psychology - Learning-Classical & Operant Conditioning-1.avi (13:50) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUa_F2OJ T0k Psychology - Learning-Classical & Operant Conditioning-2.avi (13:46) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMMNkxx XVKI

1) Classical Conditioning Is a learning procedure in which associations are made between a neutral stimulus and a learned, neutral stimulus Remember Little Albert and the white rat (BANG!)

It is thought that it helps animals and humans avoid danger Person’s or animal’s old response becomes attached to a new stimulus Ivan Pavlov did research (accidental discovery while researching digestion!)

Here is what he observed: A neutral stimulus (one that does not initially elicit (draw out) a response) will cause a formerly unrelated response if it is presented regularly just before the stimulus that normally brings about that response

Here is what he observed: In Pavlov’s example, a bell (conditioned stimulus) stimulated the dog to salivate (conditioned response)

Some of the finer details: Acquisition (gaining) of a conditioned response will happen gradually (depends on frequency of practice and timing of a neutral stimulus) Generalization can happen where a similar neutral stimulus initiates the conditioned response (anything white or fluffy for Little Albert) Extinction (behaviour disappears) may happen and the conditioned response will stop if the conditioned response is repeatedly presented with the controlled stimulus Example of a behaviourist theory

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpoLxEN54ho (3:10)  

Try This... Ryan was really looking forward to lunch because his mother had prepared a tuna salad sandwich. Unfortunately, the mayonnaise she used had been left out too long and was spoiled. Not long after eating the sandwich, Ryan felt sick and had to rush to the bathroom. Thereafter, the mere mention of a tuna sandwich would make Ryan nauseous. Q: What is the NS, US, UR, CS & CR?

When Good Tuna Goes Bad: NS: mention of tuna sandwich US: spoiled mayonnaise UR: getting sick CS: mention of tuna sandwich CR: feel nauseous

2) Operant Conditioning Refers to learning in which a certain action is reinforced or punished, resulting in corresponding increases or decreases in occurrence Learning occurs from the consequences of behaviour The subject "operates” on or causes some change in the environment which produces a result that influences whether the subject will operate or responds the same way in the future

Depending on the effect of the operant behaviours, the learner will repeat or eliminate these behaviours to get rewards or avoid punishment Must engage in a behaviour in order for the programmed outcome to occur Study of how voluntary behaviour is affected by its consequences

B.F. Skinner most closely worked with operant conditioning (worked with a rat in a “Skinner Box”)

Reinforcement (part of operant conditioning) Occurs when a stimulus or event that follows a response and increases the likelihood that the response will be repeated Skinner believed that most behaviour is influenced by a person's history of rewards and punishments

Two types: Positive reinforcement When a reward is added after an action Ex: At work, you exceed this month's sales quota so your boss gives you a bonus. Negative reinforcement When something unpleasant is taken away if the animal/person performs an action Ex: Before heading out for a day at the beach, you slather on sunscreen in order to avoid getting sunburned.

Schedules of Reinforcement (part of operant conditioning) Continuous schedule Behaviour is reinforced every time it occurs If continuously reinforced for a behaviour, you tend to maitain that behaviour only when the reinforcement is given If the reinforcement stops, the behaviours quickly undergoes extinction(disappears)

Partial schedule Positive reinforcement only intermittently (not all the time) Responses are more stable and last longer once they are learned Behaviours are established more slowly but are more persistent (“continual”) because cannot predict when the next reinforcement will occur so have learned to be persistent

Aversive Control (part of operant conditioning) Process of influencing behaviour by means of unpleasant stimuli Events or actions that serve as reinforcers or punishers depend on their effect on the learner: Are two ways in which unpleasant events can affects our behaviour: Negative reinforcement Punishment

Negative Reinforcement: Increasing the strength of a given response by removing or preventing a painful stimulus when the response occurs GOAL : The removal of unpleasant consequences increases the frequency of a behaviour Ex: If walking with a rock in your shoe causes you to limp, removing stone from shoe allows you to walk without pain

Operates in opposite ways from negative reinforcement Punishment An unpleasant consequence occurs and decreases the frequency of the behaviours that produced it Ex: If you want to stop a dog from pawing at you when it wants attention, you should loudly say “NO!”, and reprimand it when it paws at you Operates in opposite ways from negative reinforcement Behaviour that is punished decreases or is not repeated

Can produce unwanted side effects such as rage, aggression (violent behaviour), and fear More likely to suppress (hold back) rather than eliminate behaviours Punishment alone does not teach appropriative and acceptable behavior The Big Bang Theory - Sheldon Trains Penny (2:45) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy_mIEnnlF4

POSITIVE (ADDED) NEGATIVE (SUBTRACTED) REINFORCEMENT (STRENGTHENS) Clean the house and earn $5 a coach pats you on the back after a good play a paycheck for working Getting $10 for getting an “A” on your report card You leave early for school to avoid traffic You take Tylenol to remove back pain You buy your child ice cream so they stop nagging PUNISHMENT (WEAKENS) You get your mouth washed out with soap when you curse Touch and hot stove and get burned Getting a ticket for speeding

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6zS7v9nSpo (6:29)

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING CONCEPT CLASSICAL CONDITIONING OPERANT CONDITIONING BASIC PRINCIPLE Building associations between an conditioned stimulus and conditioned response Reinforcement increases the FREQUENCY of the behaviour preceding it; punishment decease the FREQUENCY of the behaviour preceding it NATURE OF BEHAVIOUR Based on involuntary, nature innate behaviour. Behaviour is elicited by the unconditioned or conditioned stimulus. Organism voluntarily operates on its environment to produce a desirable result. After behaviour occurs, the likelihood of the behaviour occurring again is increase or decreased by the behaviour's consequences. ORDER OF EVENTS Before conditioning, an unconditioned stimulus leads to an unconditioned response. After conditioning, a conditioned stimulus leads to a conditioned response. Reinforcement leads to an increase in behaviour. Punishment leads to a decrease in behaviour. EXAMPLE After a physician gives a child a series of painful injections (an unconditioned stimulus) that produce an emotional reaction (and unconditioned response), the child develops a emotional reaction (a conditioned response) whenever he sees the physician (the conditioned stimulus. A student who after studying hard for a test, earns and A ( the positive reinforcer) is more likely to study hard the night before the test. A student who after going out partying the night before a test, fails the test (punishment) is less likely to go out partying the night before the next test.