Myers’ PSYCHOLOGY (8th Ed) Learning Chapter 8

Learning Learning relatively permanent change in an organism’s behavior due to experience Free Willy

Learning Keiko—the killer whale of Free Willy fame—had all the right genes for being dropped right back into his Icelandic home waters. But lacking life experience, he required caregivers to his life’s end in a Norwegian fjord. Free Willy

Association We learn by association Associative Learning Our minds naturally connect events that occur in sequence Stated by Aristotle 2000 years ago And echoed by John Locke and David Hume 200 years ago Associative Learning learning that two events occur together two stimuli (classical conditioning) a response and its consequences (operant conditioning)

Learning to associate two events Association Sea World Learning to associate two events

Classical Conditioning We learn to associate two stimuli Reflex

Operant Conditioning Controlled Response We learn to associate a response and its consequences Controlled Response Note: Consequence does NOT have to = negative!!

Classical Conditioning Ivan Pavlov 1849-1936 Russian physician/ neurophysiologist Nobel Prize in 1904 studied digestive secretions

Classical Conditioning organism comes to associate two stimuli a neutral stimulus that signals an unconditioned stimulus begins to produce a response that anticipates and prepares for the unconditioned stimulus UCS = UCR  NS  UCS = UCR  CS = CR

Pavlov’s Classic Experiment Before Conditioning UCS (food in mouth) Neutral stimulus (tone) UCR (salivation) No salivation During Conditioning After Conditioning UCS (food in mouth) CS (tone) Neutral stimulus (tone) UCR (salivation) CR (salivation)

Classical Conditioning Pavlov’s device for recording salivation

Classical Conditioning Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS) stimulus that unconditionally--automatically and naturally--triggers a response Unconditioned Response (UCR) unlearned, naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus salivation when food is in the mouth

Classical Conditioning Conditioned Stimulus (CS) originally irrelevant 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

Classical Conditioning UCS (passionate kiss) UCR (sexual arousal) CS (perfume/ cologne) CR Kiss)

Classical Conditioning Acquisition the initial stage in classical conditioning the phase associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus comes to elicit a conditioned response in operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response

Classical Conditioning Extinction 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 Spontaneous Recovery reappearance, after a rest period, of an extinguished CR

Classical Conditioning Strength of CR Pause Acquisition (CS+UCS) Extinction (CS alone) Spontaneous recovery of CR The rising curve shows that the CR rapidly grows stronger as the CS and US are repeatedly paired (acquisition), then weakens as the CS is presented alone (extinction). After a pause, the CR reappears (spontaneous recovery)

Classical Conditioning Generalization tendency for stimuli similar to CS to elicit similar responses Discrimination in classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a CS and other stimuli that do not signal a UCS

Generalization Drops of saliva in 30 seconds 60 50 40 30 20 10 Hind Hind paw Pelvis Shoulder Front Thigh Trunk Foreleg Part of body stimulated Pavlov demonstrated generalization by attaching miniature vibrators to various parts of a dog's body. After conditioning salivation to stimulation of the thigh, he stimulated other areas. The closer a stimulated spot was to the thigh, the stronger the conditioned response.

Nausea Conditioning in Cancer Patients UCS (drug) UCR (nausea) CS (waiting room) CR

Try this!! Any Volunteers?? http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/pavlov/index.html

Youtube.com Video “Office Prank On Dwight”  http://vimeo.com/5371237

Operant Conditioning Operant Conditioning Law of Effect 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 Conditioning Operant Behavior Respondent Behavior operates (acts) on environment produces consequences Associated with OPERANT CONDITIONING Respondent Behavior occurs as an automatic response to stimulus Associated with CLASSICAL CONDITIONING

Operant Conditioning B.F. Skinner (1904-1990) elaborated Thorndike’s Law of Effect developed behavioral technology that revealed principles of behavior control

Operant Chamber Skinner Box chamber with a bar or key that an animal manipulates to obtain a food or water reinforcer contains devices to record responses (delayed v. immediate gratification)

Operant Chamber Video Clip from LOST Sawyer inside of a Skinner Box http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6uAAFdJMBc

Operant Conditioning Shaping operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer approximations of a desired goal

Operant Conditioning

Schedules of Reinforcement Continuous Reinforcement (Fixed) reinforcing the desired response each time it occurs Partial (Intermitent) Reinforcement (Variable) reinforcing a response only part of the time results in slower acquisition greater resistance to extinction

Schedules of Reinforcement Fixed 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 ie. An assembly worker getting paid $20 after every 100 toys assembled

Schedules of Reinforcement Variable Ratio (VR) reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses average ratios very hard to extinguish because of unpredictability ie. Pulling the lever on the slot machine in Vegas (winning is unpredictable… it could take 1 pull or 100 pulls) http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=542_1368081200 How Slot Machines Use Psychology and Design to Keep You Coming Back

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 ie. The school bell sounds after 90 minutes of class has gone by (do you check the clock more often near the end of the period??)

Schedules of Reinforcement Variable Interval (VI) reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals produces slow steady responding “You’ve got mail!” (rewards persistence in rechecking for email… but there is no set time that the message will appear)

Punishment Punishment aversive event that decreases the behavior that it follows powerful controller of unwanted behavior

Punishment Spanking; a speeding ticket Giving something Taking something away Is a prison sentence positive or negative punishment? Debate. Is the death penalty a positive or negative punishment?

Operant Conditioning Remember...

Cognition and Operant Conditioning Cognitive 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 Example: you have a cognitive map of the school in your head

Cognition and Operant Conditioning Latent Learning learning that occurs, but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it ie. Learning at an early age that smoking is wrong, but not demonstrating it until confronted with peer pressure as a teenager to try it

Cognition and Operant Conditioning Overjustification Effect *not in book the effect of promising a reward for doing what one already likes to do the person may now see the reward, rather than intrinsic interest, as the motivation for performing the task ie. Getting paid $1 for every book read over the summer… you might ordinarily enjoy reading, but now it becomes the $1 that motivates you rather than your love of reading

Cognition and Operant Conditioning Intrinsic Motivation Desire to perform a behavior for its own sake and to be effective ie. Competing in a competition because of your love of the sport, not because of the trophy you receive for winning Extrinsic Motivation Desire to perform a behavior due to promised rewards or threats of punishments ie. Competing in a competition because of the trophy you can win and the fame and attention that comes from winning, as well

Operant v. Classical Conditioning

Operant Conditioning Clip from Big Bang Theory http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euINCrDbbD4 (6:21) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-63ysqT5nu0&NR=1&feature=endscreen (shorter version…2:06)

Observational Learning learning by observing others Modeling process of observing and imitating a specific behavior Mirror Neurons frontal lobe neurons that fire when performing certain actions or when observing another doing so may enable imitation, language learning, and empathy

Observational Learning Albert Bandura – Bobo Doll experiment http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCETgT_Xfzg

Observational Learning Prosocial behavior Positive, constructive, helpful behavior Opposite of antisocial behavior Mahatma Gandhi Martin Luther King Jr.