Learning

1. Learning

2. Not learning intellectually but learning behaviors • Remember psychology: • study of behavior and mental processes • 3 Ways we acquire behavior • Classical Conditioning (CC) – Pavlov and Watson • Operant Conditioning (OC) - Skinner • Observational Learning – Bandura • Behaviorists – focus on observable, measurable behavior – very objective • Height of influence in 1920s • NURTURE - environment

4. CLASSICAL CONDITIONING

5. Classical Conditioning • Turn of the 20th century, Russian Psychologist, Ivan Pavlov discovered CC while studying digestion in dogs

6. Classical Conditioning = learning by association - people and animals learn to associate neutral stimuli w/ stimuli that produce reflexive, involuntary responses and will learn to respond similarly to the new stimulus as they did the natural one

7. CC • 1. US (unconditioned stimulus) • Original stimulus that elicits natural response • (ex. Food) • 2. UR (unconditioned response) • The natural response • (ex. Salivation) • 3. CS (Conditioned stimulus) • Neutral stimulus paired with US that eventually elicits response alone • (ex. Bell) • 4. CR (Conditioned Response) • UCR solicited by CS • (ex. Salivation)

8. Learning has taken place once the animals respond to the CS without the US = Acquisition because animals have acquired a new behavior – CS produces CR without US

9. Pavlov’s Dogs

10. Factors that affect acquisition • 1. Repeated pairings of CS & US ; more times paired = stronger CR • 2. Order and timing of CS & US affect the strength of conditioning • Most effective = present CS first and then introduce the US while CS is still evident . . . Called delayed conditioning (ex. Bell rung, while still ringing food is presented) A break of time in between CS and US weakens the response • 3. Less effective methods . . . • a. trace conditioning • Present CS, short break, present US • b. simultaneous conditioning • CS & US at same time • c. backward conditioning – worst kind – doesn’t work • US followed by CS

11. CC – Important Terms • Acquisition – behavior is learned. CS produces CR without US • Extinction – behavior is unlearned. CS no longer produces CR • Spontaneous Recovery – acquisition, extinction and period of no training. CS briefly produces CR but response is weak and will disappear quickly unless repeated training/pairing.

13. CC – Important Terms • Generalization – organism responds to stimuli similar to CS. i.e. a buzzer produces the CR • Discrimination – the organism is trained to ONLY respond to the CS. Bell, food….buzzer, no food. • Second/Higher Order Conditioning – once CS produces CR. It’s possible to use CS as a US to condition a new stimulus

14. CC – John Watson • Baby Albert Experiment – conditioned fear (many phobias are the result of CC) • US – loud noise • UR – fear/cry • CS – white rat • CR – fear/cry

15. http://www.learner.org/series/discoveringpsychology/08/e08expand.htmlhttp://www.learner.org/series/discoveringpsychology/08/e08expand.html

16. Aversive Conditioning • Any time in CC that the response is undesirable • Garcia affect – taste aversion • Can be used to get you to stop an unhealthy behavior (nail biting, shock therapy)

17. Biology and CC • Can animals be conditioned to do any response? • Equipotentiality – many behaviorists believed yes. All organisms have equal potential. • Instinctive Drift – research says equipotentiality is false. Animals will drift towards their natural instincts and cannot be conditioned to do things that go against their nature.

18. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfZfMIHwSkU“The Office” CC clip

20. OPERANT CONDITIONING

21. Operant Conditioning • Learning by association – associate a behavior with its consequences • Edward Thorndike – predecessor • Law of effect – if consequences of a behavior are pleasant, the stimulus response connection is strengthened and the behavior increases. If consequence is unpleasant, the connection will weaken and behavior will decrease. Thorndike called this instrumental learning – the consequence is instrumental to you learning the behavior

22. Father of Operant Conditioning…. BF Skinner

23. Skinner • Skinner created the Skinner box with pigeons • Reinforcer = food; reinforcers are always positive consequences • Punishment is always a negative consequence • + addition, - subtraction

24. Reinforcements – makes behavior more likely • + reinforcement: the addition of a desirable consequence; Johnny gets all As and his parents give him $100 • - reinforcement: the subtraction of something unpleasant as a desirable consequence; Johnny gets all As and his parents say he doesn’t have to do his chores.

25. Punishments make behavior less likely • Punishment: the addition of an unpleasant result; Johnny gets an F and gets a spanking or extra chores • Omission Training: the removal of a pleasant stimulus; Johnny gets an F and loses his car privileges

26. OC Terms • Escape Learning – terminating an aversive stimulus. Johnny comes to class and hears there is an exam and he asks to go to the clinic (- reinforcement) • Avoidance Learning – enables one to avoid unpleasant stimulus all together. Johnny remembers there is a test and he skips school. (- reinforcement)

27. OC Terms • Shaping – reinforcing gradual steps of improvement as one gets closer to desired behavior. • Chaining – reinforcement after subject performs a series of behaviors. Little Johnny cleans his room, brushes his teeth, says his prayers and then gets a bed time story • Premack Principle – what works as a reinforcer for one person may not work for another. If I don’t like chocolate, than a candy bar will not work as a reinforcer for me

28. OC Terms • Acquisition – behavior learned. Rat presses lever to get food • Extinction – behavior is unlearned. Rat no longer gets good and therefore stops pressing lever • Generalization – do similar behavior to get reinforcer – rat presses other button hoping for food • Discrimination – only get reinforcer for specific behavior

29. Types of Reinforcers • Primary – innately rewarding – food, water, rest • Secondary – things we learn to value – praise, games, material objects • Generalized Reinforcer – can be traded in for something else – money • Token Economy – desired behavior gets tickets or tokens to be traded for reinforcers (arcade)

31. Reinforcement Schedules

32. 2 critical questions • 1.) Do I know EXACTLY when the reinforcer is coming? • Yes = fixed • No = variable 2.) Is the reinforcer contingent on me completing a task? - Yes = Ration - No = Interval

33. 4 Schedules • Fixed Ratio (FR) – I get a water break after running 5 suicides • Variable Ratio (VR) – I’m going to play the slot machine and hope I win • Fixed Interval (FI) – spring break is 4 weeks away • Variable Interval (VI) – my car is in the shop and I am not sure when it will be ready

34. Variable schedules are more resistant to extinction that fixed schedules. Once an animal becomes accustomed to a fixed schedule, a break in the pattern will quickly lead to extinction • When learning a behavior, continuous reinforcement is best. Once behavior learned, variable reinforcement is better. • VR most resistant to extinction – why gambling is addictive

36. Observational Learning Social Modeling

37. Albert Bandura’s Bobo Doll Experiment

38. Observational Learning • Modeling has two basic components – • Observation • Imitation • Kids who observed models play violently with the Bobo doll were more likely to interact violently with the Bobo doll themselves • We can model prosocial or antisocial behaviors • Do violent TV shows and video games make people more likely to act in violent ways???

39. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWsxfoJEwQQBobo Doll footage

41. Other Types of learning • Latent Learning – Edward Tolman – hidden learning Ex: rats and maze – they don’t show knowledge until there is an incentive • Insight Learning – Wolfgang Kohler – when one suddenly realizes how to solve a problem. The answer comes in a flash or insight. Ex: apes and bananas