Principles of Learning Chapter 7

How do we learn?

Types of Learning Classical Conditioning Operant conditioning Social learning Cognitive approach

Classical Conditioning Ivan Pavlov’s method of conditioning, in which associations are made between a natural stimulus and a learned, neutral stimulus

Who is Ivan Pavlov and why is he important?

Classical Conditioning Ivan Pavlov researched Mental disorders Aging Personality types

Classical Conditioning Associations Worked with digestive system Used dogs in experiments

Classical Conditioning Important words Stimulus – anything that elicits a response Response – a reaction to a stimulus Ex. Food (S) Salivation (R)

Classical Conditioning Unconditional stimulus – a stimulus that automatically elicits a response, as meat causes salvation Unconditional response – an automatic response to a particular natural stimulus, such as salvation to meat Ex. Food (UCS) Salivation (UCR)

Why did the dogs start salivating when they saw the experimenter?

Classical Conditioing Conditioned stimulus – a previously neutral stimulus that has been associated with a natural or unconditional stimulus Conditioned response – a response to a stimulus that is brought about by learning – for example salivating at the word pickle Ex. Experimenter (NS) Food (UCS) Salivation (UCR)

Classical Conditioning Conditioned stimulus and response leads to Ex. Experimenter (NS) Food (UCS) Salivation (UCR) Experimenter (CS) Salivation (CR)

What are the steps for classical conditioning?

Who is John B. Watson and what is he known for?

Emotional Conditioning John B. Watson Originally worked with lab rats Everything learned resulted from stimuli and responses Deep emotions are the result of associations and learning

Emotional Conditioning Fear Experiment “Little Albert” Loud sound (UCS) Fear (UCR) Association Phase Rat (NS) Loud Sound (UCS) Fear (UCR) Results Rat (CS) Fear (CR)

Emotional Conditioning Stimulus generalization – process in which a response spread from one specific stimulus to other stimulus that resembles the original Extinction – the gradual loss of an association over time Spontaneous recovery – the sudden reappearance of an extinguished response

What is a specific phobia and how does it develop?

Emotional Conditioning Watson Proved Conditioning of emotions to neutral objects is possible Conditioned emotion can generalize to other objects that have similar characteristics

How can a therapist help rid a person of a specific phobia?

What is operant learning?

Operant Learning Conditioning that results from the individual’s actions and the consequences they cause

How is it different from classical conditioning?

Operant Learning Organism plays role in what happens Do things based on learned results

When you go to a restaurant how do you know what to order?

Operant Learning B. F. Skinner The way we turn out is a result of what we learn from all the operations we make over the years

Operant Learning Reinforcement – something that follows a response and strengthens the tendency to repeat that response

Operant Learning Primary Reinforcement – something necessary for psychological or physical survival that is used as a reward Secondary Reinforcement – anything that comes to represent a primary reinforce, such as money

Operant Learning Positive reinforcement – reinforcement that involves strengthening the tendency to repeat response by following it with the addition of something pleasant Negative reinforcement – reinforcement that involves strengthening a response by following it with the removal of something unpleasant

Is a negative reinforcement and a punishment the same?

Operant Learning Punishment – the process of weakening a response by following it with unpleasant consequences

What is generalization, extinction and spontaneous recovery?

Operant Learning Discrimination learning – learning to tell the difference between one event or object and another, the reverse of generalization Shaping – the process of gradually refining a response by successively reinforcing closer approximations of it Chaining – reinforcing the connection between parts of a sequence

Is it good to reinforce every time the organism gives the desired response?

Operant Learning Continuous reinforcement – occurs every time Schedules for reinforcements – different methods

Operant Learning Partial Reinforcement Schedule – not given each time act is performed Variable Ratio Schedule – Random set number of times Fixed Ratio Schedule – Set specific number of times Variable Interval Schedule – Can happen at any time Fixed Interval Schedule – Occurs after a specific amount of time has passed

Are you a robot or are you able to analyze your decisions?

Social Learning Social Learning – learning from the behavior of others Observational learning – a form of social learning in which the organism observes and imitates the behavior of others

What does the word cognitive mean?

Cognitive Psychology and Learning Cognitive approach – an approach to the study of learning that emphasizes abstract mental processes and previous knowledge

Cognitive Psychology and Learning Focuses on how knowledge is obtained, processed and organized

Why was this approach idea developed?

Cognitive Psychology and Learning Rewards have different affects Simple conditioning is not so simple Knowledge based reasons for phobias

Cognitive Psychology and Learning Latent learning – learning that is not obvious but goes on under the surface Expectancies – beliefs about our ability to perform an action and to get the desired reward Reinforcement Value – what its worth to you

Cognitive Psychology and Learning E. C. Tolman Cognitive Maps a mental image of where one is located in space Strategies methods for solving problems