Factors Influencing Respondent Operant Learning Lesson 8 Associative

Factors Influencing Respondent & Operant Learning Lesson 8

Associative Learning & Language acquisition l Interaction of nature & nurture l Respondent & operant n Respondent l Association of sounds & symbols l English: “deh” = d; “err” = r l Russian: “deh” = д; “err” = р ~ n

Respondent Learning & Language Associatе sounds/symbols with objects/actions l English: dog; woman; speak l Spanish: perro; mujer; hablar l Russian: собака; женщина, говорить n Words/ideas l Conditional stimuli l Conditional responses ~ n

Operant Learning & Language Babies start off babbling sounds l Inherited behavior n Certain sounds are reinforced l Directly by parents, etc. l Also by consequences n u n words are understood consequences Mother ~

Respondent & Operant Together SD : B CS : SR US CR UR

Respondent vs Operant Both associative n Involuntary vs voluntary n Biologically important events R l US vs S n Signals/cues D l CS vs S n Contingency R ~ l CS : US vs B S n

Factors Influencing Acquisition Frequency l # learning trials n Predictivity l contingency & probability n Contiguity l timing n Salience l Intensity / novelty ~ n

Acquisition: Frequency Gradual l usually requires many pairings l Respondent: CS : US UR l Operant: S D : B SR n Measuring the learned response l magnitude l latency / probability / frequency n Asymptote l limit to how much can be learned ~ n

Respondent Acquisition CS : US UR CR Hi Asymptote CR Strength Lo CS : US pairings

Operant Acquisition SD : B S R Hi Asymptote Bar Press Rate (B) Lo B SR Trials

Detour Learning Task

Acquisition: Detour Learning Chicks performance on detour learning task

Acquisition: Predictivity Contingency l CS+ / CSD ∆ l S / S n Probability l Usefulness of cues l Hi faster learning l Low slower learning ~ n

Contiguity: Respondent Learning n Order & Timing l Anticipate important event l strongest to weakest CR Delayed CS US CS Trace US

Contiguity: Respondent Learning Simultaneous Backward CS US

Contiguity: Respondent Learning CS-US interval n In general. . . l shorter interval more effective l longer interval less effective n Depends on response system l Fast: . 5 - 2 seconds) n ue. g. , l Slow: 2 -3 min ue. g. , l eye blink, skeletal muscle reflexes CERs, physiological responses Nausea (CTA): hours ~

Contiguity: Operant Learning Delay of Reinforcement n Immediate consequences most effective l temporal contiguity l reinforcement & punishment n longer delays: l probability of other behaviors being reinforced l instead of intended behavior ~ n

Delay of Reinforcement 20 Bar presses per minute 15 10 5 0 0 20 40 60 Delay between B and SR (sec)

Salience: Operant Learning SD / S∆ intensity l More noticeable faster learning n SR intensity l Magnitude of reinforcement l magnitude faster learning n SR value l value faster learning l Can be modified by experience ~ n

Operant: Delay vs Magnitude Delay most important factor l Small, immediate reinforcer more powerful… l Than large, delayed reward n Immediate consequences l More closely connected to situation l e. g. , hangovers as punishment ~ n

Salience: CS Intensity n CS intensity l intensity Hi Faster conditioning ~ stronger CS Asymptote CR weaker CS Lo # of CS - US pairings

Salience: CS Intensity Stimulus millieu l Always multiple potential CSs n Overshadowing l Concurrent cues l TONE/light – shock pain/fear l TONE stronger fear l light weaker fear ~ n

Salience: US Intensity n Increased intensity l Faster conditioning and… l Stronger CR possible u. Raise Asymptote

Salience: US Intensity Hi stronger US Asymptote CR weaker US Lo # of CS - US pairings

Salience & Previous Experience Surprisingness of US important l Affects rapidity & strength of learning n Novel stimuli best cues D ∆ l CS+ / CS- and S / S l Not cues for other R ~ l only occur with US/S n

Salience & Previous Experience Latent Inhibition l Slower acquisition if CS is familiar l Cues associated w/ other events R l Inhibits association w/ new US/S n Blocking effect l Tone—shock pain/fear l Tone fear l Tone/Light – shock pain/fear l Light no fear (or weak) l Redundancy ~ n

Sensory Preconditioning Conditional Stimuli paired first l no US l many times n Acquisition l one CS is paired with a US l other is not n Extinction of CS paired with US ~ n

Conditioned Taste Aversion (CTA) Exception to usual rules of conditioning l Delay can be hours l Requires only single CS-US pairing n Rats: novel food makes them sick l Will avoid that food, even if starving n Adaptive ? n Stewed tomatoes & beef jerky ~ n

Conditioned Taste Aversions Learn to avoid foods that make you sick n Eat a novel food l Taste = CS l Become sick l Avoid food n Resistant to extinction n Species specific tendencies l Mammals: Taste cues (CS) l Birds: Visual cues ~ n

Biological Preparedness Animals differentially prepared l to associate certain CSs & USs n Highly prepared l learn very quickly n Unprepared l according to general learning laws n Contraprepared l great difficulty, if at all l even w/ appropriate contingencies ~ n

Stimulus Relevance Cues relevant for biologically important event l both taste & illness for food l visual cues & painful stimuli l highly-prepared associations n Contra-prepared or unprepared for others l Taste – foot shock l Sound/light -- illness ~ n