ch7

Myers’ EXPLORING PSYCHOLOGY (5th Ed)

Chapter 7

Learning

James A. McCubbin, PhDClemson University

Worth Publishers

Learning Learning

relatively permanent change in an organism’s behavior due to experience

Associative Learning learning that two events occur together

two stimulia response and its consequences

Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning

We learn to associate two stimuli

Two related events:

Lightning

Stimulus 1

Thunder

Stimulus 2

Result after repetition

We see lightning

Stimulus

We wince anticipatingthunder

Response

Operant Conditioning

We learn to associate a response and its consequence

Response: Pushingvending machine button

Consequence:Receivinga candy bar

Learning

Behaviorism Promoted by John B. Watson View that psychology…

should be an objective sciencestudies behavior without reference to mental processes

Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning

Ivan Pavlov 1849-1936 Russian physician/

neurophysiologist Nobel Prize in 1904 studied digestive

secretions

Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning

Classical Conditioning organism comes to associate two stimuli

lightning and thundertone and food

begins with a reflex a neutral stimulus is paired with a

stimulus that evokes the reflex neutral stimulus eventually comes to

evoke the reflex

Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning

Pavlov’s device for recording salivation

Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS) effective stimulus that unconditionally-

naturally and automatically - triggers a response

Unconditioned Response (UCR) unlearned, naturally occurring response

to the unconditioned stimulussalivation when food is in the mouth

Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning

Conditioned Stimulus (CS) originally neutral stimulus that, after

association with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response

Conditioned Response (CR) learned response to a previously neutral

conditioned stimulus

Pavlov’s Classic Experiment

Before Conditioning

During Conditioning After Conditioning

UCS (foodin mouth)

Neutralstimulus(tone)

Nosalivation

UCR (salivation)

Neutralstimulus(tone)

UCS (foodin mouth)

UCR(salivation)

CS(tone)

CR (salivation)

Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning

Acquisition the initial stage of learning, during which

a response is established and gradually strengthened

the phase associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus comes to evoke a conditioned response

Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning

UCS(passionate kiss) UCR

(sexualarousal)

CS(onionbreath)

CS(onion breath) CR

(sexualarousal)

UCS(passionate Kiss) UCR

(sexualarousal)

Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning

Extinction diminishing of a conditioned

response in classical conditioning, when

an unconditioned stimulus does not follow a conditioned stimulus

Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning

Strengthof CR

Pause

Acquisition(CS+UCS)

Extinction(CS alone)

Extinction(CS alone)

Spontaneousrecovery ofCR

Weak

Strong

Time

Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning

Spontaneous recovery reappearance, after a rest period, of

an extinguished conditioned responseGeneralization

tendency, once a response has been established, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to evoke similar responses

GeneralizationDrops of salivain 30 seconds

60

50

40

30

20

10

0Hindpaw

Pelvis Shoulder Frontpaw

Thigh Trunk Foreleg

Part of body stimulated

Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning

Discrimination in classical conditioning, the

ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and other stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus

Nausea Conditioning among Cancer Patients

UCS(drug)

UCR(nausea)

CS(waiting room)

CS(waitingroom) CR

(nausea)

UCS(drug)

UCR(nausea)

Little Albert’s Fear Conditioning

UCS(loud noise)

UCR(fear)

CS(rat)

CS(rat)

CR(fear)

UCS(loud noise)

UCR(fear)

Stimulus similarto rat (such as rabbit)

Conditioned fear(generalization)

Operant Conditioning

Operant Conditioning type of learning in which behavior is

strengthened if followed by reinforcement or diminished if followed by punishment

Law of Effect Thorndike’s principle that rewarded

behavior is likely to recur

Operant Conditioning

Operant Behavior complex or voluntary behaviors

push button, perform complex task

operates (acts) on environment produces consequences

Respondent Behavior occurs as an automatic response to

some stimulus

Operant Conditioning

B.F. Skinner (1904-1990) elaborated

Thorndike’s Law of Effect

developed behavioral technology

Operant Conditioning

Operant Chamber (“Skinner Box”)

Operant Conditioning

Reinforcer any event that strengthens the

behavior it followsShaping

operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer approximations of a desired goal

Principles of Reinforcement

Primary Reinforcer an innate reinforcer satisfies a biological need

Secondary Reinforcer a conditioned reinforcer

Schedules of ReinforcementContinuous Reinforcement

reinforcing the desired response each time it occurs

extinction occurs rapidlyPartial Reinforcement

reinforcing a response only part of the time results in slower acquisition greater resistance to extinction

Schedules of Reinforcement

Fixed Ratio (FR) schedule that reinforces a response

only after a specified number of responses

the faster you respond, the more rewards you get

different ratios very high rate of responding like piecework pay

Schedules of Reinforcement

Variable Ratio (VR) schedule that reinforces a

response after an unpredictable number of responses

like gambling, fishing very hard to extinguish because

of unpredictability

Schedules of Reinforcement

Fixed Interval (FI) a schedule that reinforces a

response only after a specified time has elapsed

response occurs more frequently as the anticipated time for reward draws near

Schedules of Reinforcement

Variable Interval (VI) schedule that reinforces a

response at unpredictable time intervals

produces slow, steady responding like pop quiz

Schedules of Reinforcement

Variable Interval

Number of responses

1000

750

500

250

010 20 30 40 50 60 70

Time (minutes)

Fixed Ratio

Variable Ratio

Fixed Interval

Steady responding

Rapid respondingnear time forreinforcement

80

Punishment

Punishment aversive event that

decreases the behavior that it follows

Problems with Punishment

Punished behavior is not forgotten, it's suppressed--

Causes increased aggression- shows that aggression is a way to cope with problems-- explains why aggressive delinquents and abusive parents come from abusive homes

Problems with Punishment

Creates fearDoes not necessarily guide toward desired

behavior--Punishment teaches how to avoid it

Operant vs Classical Conditioning

Comparison of Classical and Operant ConditioningClassical Conditioning Operant Conditioning

The response Involuntary, automatic “Voluntary,” operates on environment

Acquisition Associating events; CS announces Associating response with a conse- UCS. quence (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.

Observational Learning

Observational Learning learning by observing and imitating the

behavior of othersModeling

process of observing and imitating behavior

Prosocial Behavior positive, constructive, helpful behavior opposite of antisocial behavior