Behaviorism Ms Carmelitano What is Behaviorism A field

Behaviorism Ms. Carmelitano

What is Behaviorism � A field of psychology in which researchers believe behavior can be molded with environmental stimuli � Classical Conditioning �A learning process that occurs through associations between an environmental stimuli and a naturally occurring stimulus �Learning occurs through interactions with the environment �The environment shapes behavior �This occurs when a neutral signal is placed before a naturally occurring reflex � Operant Conditioning �A method of learning that occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior �An association is made between the behavior and the reward/punishment

Basic Principles of Classical Conditioning � 1. The Unconditioned Stimulus � A naturally occurring stimulus that triggers an unconscious response � You smell your favorite cookies baking – or a cookie candle, and immediately feel hungry – the smell is the unconditioned stimulus � 2. The Unconditioned Response � The unlearned response that occurs naturally in response to the unconditioned stimulus � Your feeling of hunger when you smell the cookies � 3. The Conditioned Stimulus � A previously neutral stimulus, that is associated with the unconditioned stimulus. Eventually, it will become trigger a conditioned response. � Suppose when you smell the cookies, you also hear a whistle. This is unrelated to the food, but if you always hear it when you smell the cookies, it becomes a conditioned stimulus � 4. The Conditioned Response � The learned response to the conditioned stimulus. � You now become hungry when you hear a whistle

Basic Principles of Classical Conditioning � 3. The Conditioned Stimulus �A previously neutral stimulus, that is associated with the unconditioned stimulus. Eventually, it will become trigger a conditioned response. �Suppose when you smell the cookies, you also hear a whistle. This is unrelated to the food, but if you always hear it when you smell the cookies, it becomes a conditioned stimulus � 4. The Conditioned Response �The learned response to the conditioned stimulus. �You now become hungry when you hear a whistle

Ivan Pavlov �Russian physiologist �First studied behaviorism �Pavlov’s Dogs (1890’s) �Pavlov showed that he could condition dogs to salivate when they heard a metronome, even if food was not present �Unconditioned Stimulus and Response �Dogs naturally salivate when they smell food �Pavlov played a metronome every time food was presented to the dogs �Conditioned Stimulus and Response �The dogs began to salivate when they heard the ticking, even when no food was present

Fear: John B. Watson (1920’s) � Watson believed that non-physiological behaviors could also be conditioned. �He studied the emotion of fear � Little Albert: a nine-month old baby who initially showed no fear of “white, fluffy animals” �Watson repeatedly paired the presentation of rats, rabbits and monkeys with a loud noise � The noise scared the child � Soon, Little Albert associated the feeling of being scared with the animals � He began to cry whenever present with fuzzy white objects �He had been conditioned to have a phobia which was not there before �https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=FMnhy. Goz. Ly. E

Breakdown �Previous to the experiment the rat was a neutral stimulus �The unconditioned stimulus was the loud sounds �The unconditioned response was fear due to the noise �The conditioned stimulus was the rat (paired with the noise) �The conditioned response was fear of white objects �(This is one reason why we may have phobias that may seem irrational)

B. F Skinner 1938: Operant Conditioning � Skinner believed that behaviors can only be learned through a system of punishments and rewards �Positive reinforcements (rewards) will result in a behavior being strengthened �Negative reinforcements (punishments) will result in a behavior being weakened or lost � Pieces of the Puzzle: �Neutral Operant � Responses from the environment that do not increase or decrease the chance of behavior being repeated �Reinforce � Responses from the environment that increase the probability that a behavior will be repeated �Punisher � Response from the environment that decrease the probability that a behavior will be repeated

The Skinner Box (1930’s) � Skinner created a chamber that contained a bar or key that an animal could press and in order to obtain food � A rat was placed in this chamber. When the rat pressed the lever food was released � The rats associated the lever with reward � Watson noticed that while in the box, they spent more time manipulating the lever, than they did on any other behavior � Watson then placed the rats in a box with an electrified floor � The lever stopped the electrical shock � Watson noted that as soon as the rats were placed in a box, they went straight to the lever before any other behavior. � He later repeated the experiment with pigeons � The pigeons did not press a lever, but were given food after making a certain motion � He found that the pigeons began to make this motion more often because they associate it with food � https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=I_ct. Jqjlr. HA