Simple learning: Habituation and classical and operant conditioning

1. Simple learning: Habituation and classical and operant conditioning

2. Habituation • Very basic learning • A stimulus is repeatedly presented • E.g., a light or a tone • With no significant consequence • Result: Initial response to the stimuli diminishes with continued presentation • E.g., 1st car alarm goes off – everyone rushes to help - Car alarms go off every day – no one rushes anymore - habituation

3. Habituation Panic! • Turkeys panic according to direction of movement • Long necked geese and ducks common overhead – habituation = clam • Novel short neck = panic • Schleidt (1961) Calm

4. Classical conditioning • The famous Pavlov (1935)! • Dripping meat juice into dogs mouths elicits secretion of saliva and stomach juices • That is: • An unconditioned stimulus (UCS) - food • Elicits an unconditional response (UCR)- salivation

5. Classical conditioning • Pavlov presented a neutral stimulus (bell ring) just before food (UCS) • The bell elicits no response at first but eventually becomes associated with food so that: • Presentation of the bell ring (now a conditional stimulus – CS) alone elicits salivation (now a conditional response – CR)

6. Classical conditioning: summary Before Training US (food) UR (saliva) CS (tone) No response Training CS (tone) + US (food) After Training CS (tone) CR (Saliva)

7. Instrumental conditioning • Sometimes termed “operant conditioning” • A form of associative learning where the animal is ‘instrumental’ in what occurs • For example: • In a simple maze a rat is rewarded by turning left with food and this increases the chances the animal will turn left subsequently entering the maze

8. Instrumental conditioning 50% chance of either direction ?

9. Instrumental conditioning 100 trials later!