Learning Psyc 2000

Learninga relatively permanent change in an organism�s behavior due to experience

a relatively permanent change in an organism�s behavior due to experience

Adaptabilityour capacity to learn new behaviors that enable us to cope with changing circumstances

our capacity to learn new behaviors that enable us to cope with changing circumstances

How do we learn?

Association, Classical conditioning, Operant conditioning and Observation

Association

our minds naturally connect events that occur in sequence

Classical conditioning

we learn to associate two stimuli, in order to anticipate events that will follow (e.g. bell sounding before a certain stumil takes place, we become accustomed to the after stimulation after hearing a bell)

Respondent behavior�

behavior that occurs as an automatic response to a stimulus (conditioned or unconditioned)

____'s work provided a basis for later behaviorists like John Watson and B. F. Skinner. Behaviorists focus on ____.Pavlov�s, observable behavior

Pavlov�s, observable behavior

Unconditioned response (UR)

naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus

Unconditioned stimulus (UR)

naturally and automatically elicits a response

Conditioned response (CR)

learned response to a previously neutral stimulus

Conditioned stimulus (CS)�

an originally neutral stimulus that comes to trigger a conditioned response by being associated with an unconditioned stimulus

Acquisition� the initial stage in classical conditioning in which an association between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus takes place.

the initial stage in classical conditioning in which an association between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus takes place.

Why is Timing is important when dealing with Acqusition?

In most cases, for conditioning to occur, the neutral stimulus needs to come before the unconditioned stimulus.�The time in between the two stimuli should be about half a second.

Extinction

When the US (food) does not follow the CS (tone), CR(salivation) begins to decrease and eventually causes extinction

Spontaneous Recovery

After a restperiod, an extinguished CR (salivation) spontaneously recoversin weakened form. But if the CS(tone) persists alone, the CR becomes extinct again.

Stimulus Generalization

Tendency to respond to stimuli similar to the CS iscalled generalization. Pavlov conditioned the dog�s salivation (CR) by usingminiature vibrators (CS) on the thigh. When he subsequently stimulated otherparts of the dog�s body, salivation dropped

Stimulus Discrimination

Discrimination is thelearned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and other stimulithat do not signal an unconditioned stimulus.

Pavlov�s Legacy

Pavlov�s greatest contribution to psychology isisolating elementary behaviors from more complex ones through objectivescientific procedures

Early behaviorists believed that learned behaviors of variousanimals could be reduced to ______ ____.

mindless mechanisms.

later behaviorists suggested that animals learn thepredictability of a stimulus, meaning they learn ____ or ____ of a stimulus.

expectancy or awareness

Habituation

we learn to ignore unchangingstimuli Ex. you don�t notice certain smells after being in a place for a while

Associativelearning

learning that certain events occur togetherEx. your dog knows you are aboutto go on a walk when you grab the leash

Classical conditioning, AKA Pavlovianconditioning

type of learning in which a response naturallyprovoked by one stimulus comes to be provoked by a different, formerly neutralstimulus

neutralstimulus

is one that does not usually produce thebehavior being studied.

ConditionedResponses Over Time: Extinction andSpontaneous Recoveryexplain with dog experiment

If Pavlov had stopped giving the dogs foodafter ringing the bell, eventually, they would stop drooling to the sound ofthe bell. This is known as extinction If Pavlov had then gone back to dogs whoseconditioned response of drooling had been extinguished, and again startedgiving them food after the bell rang, he would have seen reconditioning

reconditioning

quick relearning of a CRfollowing extinction

extinction

gradual disappearance of aconditional response when a conditional stimulus no longer predicts appearanceof the unconditioned stimulus

Spontaneousrecovery

the reappearance of the conditioned responseafter extinction and without further pairings of the conditioned andunconditioned stimuli

Stimulusgeneralization

a phenomenon in which a conditioned response is elicited by stimuli that are similar but not identical to the conditioned stimulusMight drool to a similar bell

Stimulusdiscrimination

a process through which individuals learn to differentiate among similar stimuli and respond appropriately to each oneEx. babies crying; there is a cry when they are hungry, angry, and in pain

Describe Biological Predisposition according to slides

Some associations are more quickly learned than others.Nausea and the taste of foodFear of spiders, snakesWhy?Ecologically relevant�similar to how stimuli are associated in the natural environmentEvolutionarily adaptive

Phobias

irrational fears of particularthings, activities, or situations

OperantConditioning

a type of learning in which a behavior isstrengthened if followed by a reinforce or diminished if followed by a punisher

Operantbehavior

behavior designed to operate on theenvironment in a way that will gain something desired or avoid somethingunpleasant

Lawof effect �rewarded behavior islikely to recur

�rewarded behavior islikely to recur

______ formsassociations between stimuli (CS and US). Operant conditioning, on the otherhand, forms an association between behaviors and the resulting events

Classical conditioning

Shaping

reinforcers guide behavior towards the desired targetbehavior through successive approximations.

Reinforcement

anyevent that strengthens or increases the frequency of the preceding response

Positive reinforcement

strengthens a response by presenting a (usually) pleasurable stimulusStrength of reinforcement varies with circumstances

Negative reinforcement

strengthens aresponse by removing an aversive stimulusNot punishment!

PrimaryReinforcer

An innately reinforcing stimulus like food or drink.

ConditionedReinforcer

A learned reinforcerthat gets its reinforcing power through association with the primaryreinforcer.

ImmediateReinforcer

A reinforcer that occurs instantly after a behavior. Arat gets a food pellet for a bar press

DelayedReinforcer

Areinforcer that is delayed in time for a certain behavior.