1. Myers’ EXPLORING PSYCHOLOGY (4th Ed) Chapter 6 Learning James A. McCubbin, PhD Clemson University Worth Publishers

2. Learning z Learning yrelatively permanent change in an organism’s behavior due to experience yexperience (nurture) is the key to learning

3. Association zWe learn by association yOur minds naturally connect events that occur in sequence yAristotle 2000 years ago yJohn Locke and David Hume 200 yrs ago zAssociative Learning ylearning that two events occur together xtwo stimuli xa response and its consequences

4. Association zLearning to associate two events Event 1Event 2 Sea snail associates splash with a tail shock Seal learns to expect a snack for its showy antics

5. Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning zWe learn to associate two stimuli Two related events: Lightning Stimulus 1 Thunder Stimulus 2 Result after repetition We see lightning Stimulus We wince anticipating thunder Response

6. Operant Conditioning zWe learn to associate a response and its consequence Response Response: Pushing vending machine button Stimulus Consequence:Receiving a candy bar

7. Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning zIvan Pavlov y1849-1936 yRussian physician/ neurophysiologist yNobel Prize in 1904 ystudied digestive secretions

8. Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning zClassical Conditioning yorganism comes to associate two stimuli xlightning and thunder xtone and food ybegins with a reflex ya neutral stimulus is paired with a stimulus that evokes the reflex yneutral stimulus eventually comes to evoke the reflex

9. Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning zPavlov’s device for recording salivation

10. Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning zUnconditioned Stimulus (UCS) yeffective stimulus that unconditionally- naturally and automatically - triggers a response zUnconditioned Response (UCR) yunlearned, naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus xsalivation when food is in the mouth

11. Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning zConditioned Stimulus (CS) yoriginally neutral stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response zConditioned Response (CR) ylearned response to a previously neutral conditioned stimulus

12. Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning zAcquisition ythe initial stage of learning, during which a response is established and gradually strengthened ythe phase associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus comes to evoke a conditioned response

13. Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning zExtinction ydiminishing of a conditioned response yin classical conditioning, when a unconditioned stimulus does not follow a conditioned stimulus

14. Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning Strength of CR Pause Acquisition (CS+UCS) Extinction (CS alone) Extinction (CS alone) Spontaneous recovery of CR

15. Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning zSpontaneous recovery yreappearance, after a rest period, of an extinguished conditioned response zGeneralization ytendency, once a response has been established, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to evoke similar responses

16. Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning zDiscrimination yin classical conditioning, the ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and other stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus

17. Generalization Drops of saliva in 30 seconds 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Hind paw PelvisShoulderFront paw ThighTrunkForeleg Part of body stimulated

18. Nausea Conditioning among Cancer Patients UCS (drug) UCR (nausea) CS (waiting room) CS (waiting room) CR (nausea) UCS (drug) UCR (nausea)

19. Behaviorism zJohn B. Watson yviewed psychology as objective science xgenerally agreed-upon consensus today yrecommended study of behavior without reference to unobservable mental processes xnot universally accepted by all schools of thought today

20. Little Albert’s Fear Conditioning UCS (loud noise) UCR (fear) CS (rat) CS (rat) CR (fear) UCS (loud noise) UCR (fear) Stimulus similar to rat (such as rabbit) Conditioned fear (generalization)

21. Operant Conditioning zOperant Conditioning ytype of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by reinforcement or diminished if followed by punishment zLaw of Effect yThorndike’s principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely

22. Operant Conditioning zOperant Behavior ycomplex or voluntary behaviors xpush button, perform complex task yoperates (acts) on environment yproduces consequences zRespondent Behavior yoccurs as an automatic response to some stimulus

23. Operant Conditioning zB.F. Skinner (1904-1990) yelaborated Thorndike’s Law of Effect ydeveloped behavioral technology

24. Operant Conditioning zSkinner Box ysoundproof chamber with a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a food or water reinforcer ycontains a device to record responses

25. Operant Conditioning zReinforcer yany event that strengthens the behavior it follows zShaping yoperant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer approximations of a desired goal

26. Principles of Reinforcement zPrimary Reinforcer yan innate reinforcer ysatisfies a biological need zSecondary Reinforcer ya conditioned reinforcer yan event that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer

27. Schedules of Reinforcement zContinuous Reinforcement yreinforcing the desired response each time it occurs ylearning occurs rapidly yextinction occurs rapidly zPartial Reinforcement yreinforcing a response only part of the time yresults in slower acquisition ygreater resistance to extinction

28. Schedules of Reinforcement zFixed Ratio (FR) yschedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses ythe faster you respond, the more rewards you get ydifferent ratios yvery high rate of responding ylike piecework pay

29. Schedules of Reinforcement zVariable Ratio (VR) yschedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses ylike gambling, fishing yvery hard to extinguish because of unpredictability

30. Schedules of Reinforcement zFixed Interval (FI) ya schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed yresponse occurs more frequently as the anticipated time for reward draws near

31. Schedules of Reinforcement zVariable Interval (VI) yschedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals yproduces slow steady responding ylike pop quiz

32. Punishment zPunishment yaversive event that decreases the behavior that it follows ypowerful controller of unwanted behavior

33. Problems with Punishment zPunished behavior is not forgotten, it's suppressed- behavior returns when punishment is no longer eminent zCauses increased aggression- shows that aggression is a way to cope with problems- Explains why aggressive delinquents and abusive parents come from abusive homes

34. Problems with Punishment zCreates fear that can generalize to desirable behaviors, e.g. fear of school, learned helplessness, depression zDoes not necessarily guide toward desired behavior- reinforcement tells you what to do-- punishment tells you what not to do- Combination of punishment and reward can be more effective than punishment alone zPunishment teaches how to avoid it

35. Cognition and Operant Conditioning zCognitive Map ymental representation of the layout of one’s environment yexample- after exploring a maze, rats act as if they have learned a cognitive map of it zLatent Learning ylearning that occurs, but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it

36. Operant vs Classical Conditioning Comparison of Classical and Operant Conditioning Classical Conditioning Operant Conditioning The Response Involuntary, automatic “Voluntary,” operates on environment Acquisition Associating events; CS announces Associating response with a consequen- UCS. ce (reinforcer or punisher). Extinction CR decreases when CS is repeatedly Responding decreases when reinforce- presented alone. ment stops. Cognitive Subjects develop expectation that Subjects develop expectation that a processes CS signals the arrival of UCS response will be reinforced or punished; they also exhibit latent learning, without reinforcement. Biological Natural predispositions constrain Organisms best learn behavior similar to predispositions stimuli and responses can easily be their natural behaviors; unnatural be- associated. haviors instinctively drift back toward natural ones.

37. Observational Learning zObservational Learning ylearning by observing and imitating the behavior of others zModeling yprocess of observing and imitating behavior zProsocial Behavior ypositive, constructive, helpful behavior yopposite of antisocial behavior