Learning & Maladaptive Behavior Lesson 17

Maladaptive Behavior n Detrimental to well-being/survival n How is it acquired? l Normal learning mechanisms n Operant (Instrumental) learning l overt behaviors n Respondent learning l CERs l physiological responses l covert behaviors ~

Maladaptive Learning: Respondent n Conditioned Emotional Responses l fear/anxiety l anticipatory pain n Phobias n Depression n Panic Disorder l With agoraphobia n Post-traumatic stress-disorder ~

Conditioned Emotional Responses n Acquired Motivation l Motivates maladaptive behaviors l covert behavior: Fear & Anxiety l Pavlovian n Self-medication l Addictive behaviors l Mood modification l Via behavior or substance use l acquisition by operant ~

Maladaptive Eating Behaviors n Higher incidence of l depression & anxiety l OCD & substance abuse l women: relationship problems n Maintained via reinforcement l self-medication n Obesity l positive & negative reinforcement l health problems ~

Eating Disorders n Anorexia nervosa l little or no eating n Bulimia l binge & purge n Motivation? l Negative body image  anxiety l lack of control n Control eating  RFT ~

Substance Abuse & Addiction n Abused/Addictive drugs l Positive reinforcers l Negative reinforcers l Aversive aftereffects n Normal reinforcement mechanisms l Same as natural reinforcers n Strengthens drug-taking behavior l Addiction: compulsive use ~

Abusive Relationships n Why do women stay with men who physically abuse them? l Pain as punishment n Honeymoon phase as Pos RFT l Initially l later following abuse n History of punishing behavior l early weak  later severe l habituation ~

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder n Obsessions l Persistent, intrusive thoughts l Produce anxiety n Compulsions l Repetitive behaviors l Reduce anxiety n Acquired & maintained by… l Negative reinforcement ~

Learned Helplessness n Animal model of depression n No contingency b/n behavior & aversive outcomes l S aversive : B  no effect n Global expectancy develops l ineffectiveness of behavior l Failure to respond even when it may be successful ~

Experimental procedure n Master l response can terminate shock n Yoked l shocked w/ master l no control over shock ~ Master ratYoked rat

Give all avoidance training n Transfer all to shuttlebox training l Standard escape / avoidance task n Will they learn to escape? l Master? l Yoked? ~

Master vs Yoked n Difference in escape learning, but n Both shocked l Same number l Same intensity l Same duration n How do they differ? l Control of shock ~

Conclusions n Yoked rat develops expectation l no response will terminate shock l generalizes to other situations n Global expectancy of ineffectiveness ~ Uncontrollable Aversive Events Learned Helplessness

Stress-induced Analgesia n Decrease in pain sensitivity l Occurs in rats in uncontrollable circumstances n Use same rats from learned helplessness l Test for analgesia l Tail Flick Test ~

Results n Master  no analgesia l stress is controllable n Yoked rat  analgesic l stress is uncontrollable n Less sensitive to pain l May stay in contact with painful stimulus longer l Injury more likely ~

Kids & Math Problems n Dweck & Rapucci (1973) l 5th graders given series of math problems n Give easy problems l performance good n Give unsolvable problems n Give easy again l difficulty doing easy problems ~