Learning (Conditioning)

Learning is how we Adapt to the Environment Learning— A relatively permanent change in behavior due to experience

Behaviorism The view that psychology should restrict its efforts to studying observable behaviors, not mental processes. Founded by John Watson –Thought that all human behavior is a result of conditioning or a result of past experiences and environmental influences. –Claimed he could take any child and train him to become any type of specialist.

Classical Conditioning A type of learning where a stimulus gains the power to cause a response because it predicts another stimulus that naturally produces that response OR to put it simply: When an animal learns a natural reflexive response to something that it would NOT NORMALLY respond to. Learning by association

Stimulus-Response Stimulus - anything in the environment that one can respond to Response – any behavior or action

Stimulus-Response Relationship

Ivan Pavlov (1849–1936) Classical Conditioning

Pavlov’s Dogs Digestive reflexes and salivation Psychic secretion

Pavlov’s Research Apparatus

Ivan Pavlov Watch “Pavlov’s Discovery of Classical Conditioning” Video #6 from Worth’s Digital Media Archive for Psychology.“Pavlov’s Discovery of Classical Conditioning” Video #6 from Worth’s Digital Media Archive for Psychology. – 3:00 clip

Neutral Stimulus Does not normally elicit (cause) a response or reflex action by itself –a color –a furry object What was the NS in Pavlov’s Experiment? Bell

Unconditioned Stimulus Always elicits a reflex action: an unconditioned (unlearned) response –blast of air –Noise What was the UCS in Pavlov’s Experiment? Food

Unconditioned Response The automatic response to the unconditioned stimulus A response to an unconditioned stimulus— naturally occurring & not learned –Eye blinks at blast of air –Startle reaction in babies What was the UCR in Pavlov’s Experiment? Salivation

Conditioned (Learned) Stimulus The stimulus that was originally neutral becomes conditioned after it has been paired with the unconditioned stimulus Will eventually cause the unconditioned response by itself What was the CS in Pavlov’s Experiment? Bell

Conditioned (Learned) Response The original unconditioned response becomes conditioned after it has been caused by the neutral stimulus Usually the same behavior as the UCR What was the CR in Pavlov’s Experiment? Salivation

Pavlov’s Experiment

Classical Conditioning Terms Acquisition Extinction Spontaneous recovery Generalization Discrimination training

Acquisition The initial learning that takes place in the during stage of conditioning when the animal starts to associate the NS with the UCS. NS + UCS = UCR

Extinction The diminishing of a learned response When the CS is continually presented without the UCS then the CR will eventually begin to disappear.

Spontaneous Recovery The reappearance, after a rest period, of an extinguished conditioned response After a period of time if the CS is presented, the CR returns. Learning may disappear but is not eliminated.

Spontaneous Recovery

Generalization Process in which an organism produces the same CR to two similar stimuli (CS) The more similar the substitute stimulus is to the original used in conditioning, the stronger the generalized response

Discrimination Ability of an animal to not respond to a new CS that is too different from the original CS. The subject learns that one stimuli predicts the UCS and the other does not.

John B. Watson and Little Albert 11-month-old infant Watson and his assistant, Rosalie Rayner, classically conditioned Albert to be frightened of white rats Led to questions about experimental ethics To Watch a Short Video on Watson and the Little Albert experiment (4:00) click HERE.HERE.

Little Albert – Before Conditioning Watch “Watson’s Little Albert” Video #7a from Worth’s Digital Media Archive for Psychology.“Watson’s Little Albert” Video #7a from Worth’s Digital Media Archive for Psychology. – 13 seconds

Little Albert – During Conditioning

Little Albert – After Conditioning Watch “Watson’s Little Albert” Video #7b from Worth’s Digital Media Archive for Psychology.“Watson’s Little Albert” Video #7b from Worth’s Digital Media Archive for Psychology. – 14 seconds

Little Albert - Generalization Watch “Watson’s Little Albert” Video #7c from Worth’s Digital Media Archive for Psychology.“Watson’s Little Albert” Video #7c from Worth’s Digital Media Archive for Psychology. – 17 seconds

Could Little Albert’s Fear Have Been Undone? YES!!! Through Counter Conditioning! Must pair the conditioned stimulus (Rat) with something that is incompatible with fear (Candy). CS = CRUCS = UCR CS + UCS = UCR CS = New CR Rat Fear Not Scared CandyHappy CandyHappy BEFORE: DURING: AFTER:

How is classical conditioning involved in the placebo effect? Individual expects a drug will work a certain way and have a psychological and physiological reaction to it. Regular use may produce “placebo response” where user associates sight, smell, taste with drug effect

Cognition and Biological Predispositions

Robert Rescorla (1940- ) Developed a theory emphasizing the importance of cognitive/mental processes in classical conditioning Pointed out that subjects had to determine (think) whether the NS/CS was a reliable predictor of the UCS

Rescorla’s Experiment When the rats in group 2 could not reliably predict when the shocks would occur the result was they didn’t learn to fear the tone. This shows they were using cognitive processes!

Evolutionary Perspective

Biological Preparedness We are predisposed to learn things that affect our survival. Internal stimuli—associate better with taste External stimuli—associate better with pain The majority of phobias are about objects of natural importance to the survival of the species. Animals seem to be biologically prepared to fear certain types of stimuli that represent natural threats to survival. –We are predisposed to avoid threats our ancestors faced-- food that made us sick, storms, heights, snakes, etc. –But not modern-day threats--cars, water pollution, etc.

Taste Aversion Rats drank flavored water (NS) and hours later were given a shot with a drug (UCS) that made them sick (UCR). The rats refused to drink the flavored water again. Subjects become classically conditioned to avoid specific tastes, because the tastes are associated with nausea. John Garcia (1917- ) **Differs from other Classical Conditioning in that: It did not require repeated pairings of a NS and UCS. The time span between the two was a few hours. Rats were conditioned to taste and not anything else that occurred in the hours between when they drank the flavored water and got sick.

How Taste Aversion Works: BEFORE NS = No ResponseUCS = UCR DURING: NS + UCS = UCR AFTER: CS = CR Flavored Water DrugNausea Flavored Water DrugNausea Flavored Water Avoidance

Flooding as a Cure for Phobias (example of extinction) When a fear is disproportionate to the harm it could cause, psychologists could use flooding to cure phobias. Expose person to the harmless stimulus repeatedly until fear becomes extinct. Drawbacks of this technique?

Systematic Desensitization People are taught relaxation techniques and are gradually exposed to the stimulus causing fear. Example: Pictures of the stimulus (snakes), the actual stimulus far away, the stimulus closer, and finally holding/touching a snake. All the while, they are pairing the experience with something NOT fearful and hopefully relaxing How Classical Conditioning is used for curing phobias: Virtual Systematic Desensitization – video clip #31 from Scientific American Frontiers (9:31).Systematic Desensitization