Learning

1
Learning

• Chapter 5

2
Learning Preview

• Learning refers to a relatively durable change in
  behavior knowledge or attitude that is due to
  experience
• Three kinds of learning
• Classical conditioning (association between two
  stimuli)
• Operant conditioning (association between
  behavior and consequences)
• Cognitive learning

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Learning Classical Conditioning

• Conditioning involves learning associations
  between events that occur in an organisms
  environment
• Classical conditioning
• Ivan Pavlov
• conducted experiments with dogs
• Pavlov rang a bell before putting food in a dogs
  mouth.
• after numerous trials of pairing the food and
  bell the dog salivated to the sound of the bell
• This becomes a conditioned reflex
• The Components of Classical Conditioning

4
Learning Classical Conditioning
Pavlovs Classic Experiment. Before the
experiment the sound yielded no response from the
dog. Tasting the food (US) made the dog salivate
(UR). During the experiment Pavlov paired the
sound with the food (US) to prompt the dog to
salivate (UR). After many repetitions the sound
(CS alone) prompted salivation (CR).
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Learning Classical Conditioning

• The Components of Classical Conditioning
• Unconditioned (unlearned) stimulus (US) food
• Unconditioned response (UR) salivation
• Conditioned stimulus (learned) (CS) bell
• Conditioned response (CR) salivation

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Learning Classical Conditioning

• Other conditioning concepts
• Generalization
• tendency for a stimulus that is similar to the
  original conditioned stimulus to elicit a
  response that is similar to the conditioned
  response
• Discrimination
• occurs during classical conditioning when an
  organism learns to make a particular response to
  some stimuli but not to others
• Extinction
• refers to a procedure in which a conditioned
  stimulus is repeatedly presented without the
  unconditioned stimulus and as a result the
  conditioned stimulus tends to no longer elicit
  the conditioned response
• Spontaneous recovery
• tendency for the conditioned response to reappear
  after being extinguished even though there have
  been no further conditioning trials

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Learning Classical Conditioning

• Classical conditioning in everyday life
• Conditioned fear and anxiety
• Phobias traced back to experiences involving
  classical conditioning
• Everyday anxiety responses may also be products
  of classical conditioning
• Dentists drill example
• Other conditioned responses
• Cue reactivity in drug use
• Environmental cues associated with drug use
  elicit cravings
• TV advertising

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Learning Operant Conditioning

• Operant conditioning
• refers to a kind of learning in which the
  consequences that follow some behavior increase
  or decrease the likelihood of that behaviors
  occurrence in the future
• E. L. Thorndike
• experimented with cats in the puzzle box
• Law of Effect
• says that if some random actions are followed by
  pleasurable consequences or reward such actions
  are strengthened and will likely occur in the
  future

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Learning Operant Conditioning

• Skinner
• Causes of behavior are in the environment
• No mental events influencing behavior
• No such thing as free willbehavior is shaped and
  controlled by those around us
• How does this happen
• Operant conditioning
• Conditioning of voluntary responses
• focuses on how consequences (reinforcements or
  punishments) affect behaviors (decrease or
  increase)
• Shaping
• Gradually mold behavior or response by
  reinforcing behaviors or responses that gradually
  get closer to desired behavior.

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Learning Operant Conditioning

• Reinforcement
• A consequence that increases or strengthens a
  behavior
• Positive
• Reward or pleasant consequence of behavior that
  increases probability of future similar behavior
• Examples
• Negative
• Behavior is reinforced by the termination or
  avoidance of a unpleasant stimulus or condition
• Examples

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Learning Operant Conditioning

• Reinforcement cont
• Primary Reinforcers
• Secondary Reinforcers

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Learning Operant Conditioning

• Reinforcement cont
• Schedules of Reinforcement
• Systematic program for administering
  reinforcements resulting in predictable effect on
  behavior
• Types
• Fixed-ratio
• Variable-ratio
• Fixed-interval
• Variable-interval
• Punishment

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Learning Operant Conditioning

• Operant Conditioning Overview
• Increasing a response
• Positive reinforcement
• Negative reinforcement
• Decreasing a response
• Punishment

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Learning Cognitive Learning

• Important contributions
• Kohler (1887-1967)
• Insight
• Tolman (1886-1959)
• Latent learning
• Bandura (1986)
• Observational learning

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Learning Overview

• Learning refers to a relatively durable change in
  behavior knowledge or attitude that is due to
  experience
• Three kinds of learning
• Classical conditioning
• Operant conditioning
• Cognitive learning