College Board - “Acorn Book” Course Description 7-9% Unit VI. Learning 1 VI. Learning

Instinct Unit VI. Learning 2

Learned Behavior Unit VI. Learning 3

Summary Outline Unit VI. Learning 4 A. Classical Conditioning B. Operant Conditioning C. Cognitive Processes in Learning D. Biological Factors D. Social Learning

Unbeknownst to most students of psychology, Pavlov’s first experiment was to ring a bell and cause his dog to attack Freud’s cat.

A. Classical Conditioning Unit VI. Learning 6  Learning from Associations  Ivan Pavlov’s Experiments UCS  UCR NS CS  CR

Important Terms  Acquisition  Extinction  Spontaneous Recovery  Stimulus Generalization  Stimulus Discrimination It is important to know how to apply to both Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning

Classical Conditioning Applications  Higher Order Conditioning  John B. Watson (Little Albert)  Conditioned Emotional Response,  Phobias  Aversions

Reflexes – Instinct vs. Learned Unit VI. Learning 9

Flooding Professor Gallagher and his controversial technique of simultaneously confronting the fear of heights, snakes, and the dark.

B. Operant Conditioning Unit VI. Learning 11  Learning from Consequences  Instrumental Learning – E. L. Thorndike and the Law of Effect  B. F. Skinner (Skinner Box – operant chamber)

Operant Conditioning Appetitive stimulus Organism wants to achieve or receive Aversive stimulus Organism wants to avoid or escape from Positive Reinforcement Adding consequence increases likelihood of a behavior Negative Reinforcement Removing consequence increases likelihood of a behavior Punishment Adding consequence decreases likelihood of a behavior

Operant Conditioning Unit VI. Learning 13 Generalization Discrimination Acquisition Shaping Extinction Delayed Reinforcement

Operant Conditioning Conditioned Reinforcement Primary and Secondary Reinforcers Schedules of Reinforcement Fixed v. variable Ratio v. interval Aversive conditioning Escape and avoidance learning

Operant Conditioning “Oh, not bad. The light comes on, I press the bar, they write me a check. How about you?”

Reinforcement “Good dog.” Unit VI. Learning 16

C. Cognitive factors in Classical Conditioning Unit VI. Learning 17  The organism extracts information from the environment  classical conditioning involves more than the appearance of robot-like reflexive responses  organisms acquire conditioned responses when one event reliably predicts, or signals, the appearance of another Example: Failure of redundant stimulus to become a CS

What determines whether and how a conditioned response is learned? Timing Forward conditioning (NS then UCS) Backward conditioning (UCS then NS) Interval between NS and UCS Predictability Always / Sometimes Signal Strength Weak shock / intense shock

Attention When several stimuli are present, the one the organism is paying attention to is more likely to become the CS Biopreparedness certain signals or events are especially likely to form associations with other events “biologically prepared” or “genetically tuned” to develop certain conditioned associations. Second-Order Conditioning Fear of doctor associated with pain of shot but also white coat he’s wearing

Predictive value of CS – Rescorla Assessment of the reliability of the stimulus to be a predictor Cognitive interpretation of whether a stimulus is predictive rather than simple pairing of UCS - NS

Unit VI. Learning 21 Cognitive factors in Operant Conditioning Non-contingent reinforcement (Superstitious behavior) Latent Learning, Cognitive Maps – Edward C. Tolman Learned Helplessness – Martin Seligman Insight Learning - Köhler

Cognitive Factors in Behavior Modification Unit VI. Learning 22

D. Biological Factors Unit VI. Learning 23 Learning vs. Instinct Learning vs. Maturation Habituation Limits on Learning - Biological Factors in Conditioning Instinctive Drift - Breland (instinctive tendencies interfering with conditioning -) Conditioned Taste Aversion – Garcia (specific stimuli associated with nausea) Preparedness and Phobias?

Social Learning “This is a nice restaurant. Turn your cap around. Unit VI. Learning 24

E. Social Learning Unit VI. Learning 25 Observational learning Key Processes in observational learning Attention, Retention, Reproduction, Motivation Acquisition of a behavior may occur without the performance of the behavior Modeling Bandura (Bobo doll)

Quiz on Negative Reinforcement Unit VI. Learning What is another word that means the same thing as negative reinforcement? 2. When negative reinforcement is supplied it usually results in A. Weakening a behavior that you want weakened B. Strengthening a behavior that you want strengthened 3. Do people usually look forward to negative reinforcement? A. Yes B. No 4. Will you regularly (consciously) use positive reinforcement in the future? A. Yes B. No 5. Will you regularly (consciously) use negative reinforcement in the future? A. Yes B. No

The majority tends to answers: Unit VI. Learning Punishment (or some punitive meaning) 2. Decreases 3. No 4. 92% said yes said yes. Majority said that people had to be punished to be motivated

Positive v Negative Consequence matrix Supply a Stimulus Remove a Stimulus Appetitive Stimulus Aversive Stimulus Unit VI. Learning 28

Positive v Negative Reinforcement / Punishment Grid Give something the organism: Take away something the organism: Likes Dislikes Unit VI. Learning 29

Positive v Negative Reinforcement / Punishment Grid Give something the organism: Take away something the organism: Likes Positive Reinforcement Dislikes Unit VI. Learning 30

Positive v Negative Reinforcement / Punishment Grid Give something the organism: Take away something the organism: LikesPositive Reinforcement Dislikes Negative Reinforcement Unit VI. Learning 31

Positive v Negative Reinforcement / Punishment Grid Give something the organism: Take away something the organism: LikesPositive Reinforcement DislikesPunishmentNegative Reinforcement Unit VI. Learning 32

Positive v Negative Reinforcement / Punishment Grid Give something the organism: Take away something the organism: LikesPositive Reinforcement Time-out DislikesPunishmentNegative Reinforcement Unit VI. Learning 33

Positive v Negative Consequence matrix Supply a Stimulus Remove a Stimulus Appetitive Stimulus Positive Reinforcement “Time-out” Aversive Stimulus PunishmentNegative Reinforcement Unit VI. Learning 34

Punishment vs. Reinforcement Larzelere Spanked children have an increased risk of aggression, depression, and low self-esteem. Reinforcement = increased behavior Punishment = decreased behavior Punishment doesn’t guide one towards a desired behavior rather it teaches one how to avoid getting caught.