LEARNING Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Learning Chapter Breakdown

LEARNING Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Learning Chapter Breakdown Classical Conditioning (Pavlov & Watson) Operant Conditioning (Thorndike & Skinner) Cognitive-Social Learning (Insight, Latent, Observational Learning, Scaffolding) The Biology of Learning (Neuroscience & Evolution in Learning) Using Conditioning and Learning Principles

Warm-up w. Write a paragraph describing something you learned to do and how you learned it. w. Give specifics in your description; stay away from generalizations.

Defining Learning • Relatively permanent change in an organism’s behavior due to experience

Learning by Association §We learn by association § Our minds naturally connect events that occur in sequence §Associative Learning § learning that two events occur together § two stimuli § a response and its consequences § Food aversions?

Association • Learning to associate two events • Similar to cause and effect

How Do We Learn? • Classical Conditioning • Operant Conditioning • Learning by Observation

Classical Conditioning w. A type of learning that occurs when an association is made between a meaningful stimulus & a non-meaningful stimulus w. Ivan Pavlov (1903) w. Pavlovian Conditioning • Russian physiologist/digestion in dogs w. John Watson (1925) • Little Albert

Terminology w. Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): Stimulus that evokes an unconditioned response (automatic) w. Conditioned Stimulus (CS): Previously neutral stimulus that has, through conditioning, acquired the capacity to evoke a conditioned response w. Unconditioned Response (UCR): Unlearned reaction to an unconditioned stimulus that occurs without previous conditioning w. Conditioned Response (CR): Learned reaction to a conditioned stimulus that occurs because of previous conditioning

Procedures in Classical Conditioning • Acquisition § the initial stage in classical conditioning § the phase associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus comes to elicit a conditioned response • Testing and Extinction • Presenting the CS alone • If a stimulus is never reinforced, then the response will go away.

Classical Conditioning NEUTRAL STIMULUS will elicit NO REACTION UNCONDITIONED STIMULUS will elicit a REFLEX ACTION will elicit a CONDITIONED RESPONSE UNCONDITIONED STIMULUS NEUTRAL STIMULUS CONDITIONEDSTIMULUS

Classical Conditioning Apparatus

Classical Conditioning Diagram

Second-Order Conditioning

Processes in Classical Conditioning • Acquisition: initial stage of learning • Extinction: the gradual weakening and disappearance of a conditioned response tendency CS repeatedly presented without UCS • Spontaneous Recovery: a reappearance of an extinguished response after a period of nonexposure to the conditioned stimulus • Stimulus Generalization: a similar CS makes a CR • A baby will call Daddy “Dada. ” When the baby sees any man, the baby calls out “Dada. ”) • Stimulus Discrimination: no CR with a similar CS

Acquisition, Extinction & Spont. Recovery Curve

Acquisition, Extinction, Spont. Recovery Graph

Cognitive Processes • Conditioning occurs best when the CS and UCS have just the sort of relationship that would lead a scientist to conclude that the CS causes the UCS • even in classical conditioning, it is not only the simple stimulus-response association but also the thought that counts. • Can’t work as well if not expected

Biological Predispositions • John Garcia Conditioned taste aversions • Not all neutral stimuli can become conditioned stimuli. • Internal stimuli—associate better with taste • External stimuli—associate better with pain • Biological preparedness • Stronger with involuntary behaviors such as reflexes, basic drives (food, water, sex) and emotions.

Behaviorism §John B. Watson § viewed psychology as objective science § generally agreed-upon consensus today § recommended study of behavior without reference to unobservable mental processes § not universally accepted by all schools of thought today

Little Albert Experiment • The reaction of children, whenever they heard loud noises, was prompted by fear. • This fear was innate or due to an unconditioned response. • He felt he could condition a child to fear another distinctive stimulus which normally would not be feared by a child.

Results of Experiment • Albert showed fear to anything furry, especially white furry. (fur coat and Santa mask_ • Over time the response went away (extinction). • Once they banged the bar again, the response returned.

Aftermath • Conditioned fear experiments such as Albert’s experience would never occur today because of the existing ethical standards.

Mary Cover Jones Who She Is • Mary Cover Jones used an early form of desensitization to prove that fears (phobias) could be unlearned. Her Experiment • Peter, a young boy, had an extreme fear of rabbits. Jones gave Peter his favorite food while slowly bringing the rabbit closer and closer. Eventually Peter no longer panicked around rabbits.

Applications of Classical Conditioning • Addictions • Fears • Drug abuse/Alcoholism • Phobias • A fear when no realistic dangers exists • Advertising • Pairing good looking • Many psychologist models with products believe they come from • Music and product conditioned emotional responses (CER’s) • Aversion Therapy • Taste Aversion

Identify UCS, UCR, CS, CR • Cancer patients who suffer nausea and vomiting after chemotherapy often develop classically conditioned nausea to stimuli associated with taking the drug. After four or five clinic visits, they may react to its sight, sound, and smell with anxiety and nausea.

Identify UCS, UCR, CS, CR • As a child you were playing in the backyard when the neighbor’s cat wandered over. Your mother screamed and snatched you into her arms. Her behavior caused you to cry. You now have a fear of cats.

Identify UCS, UCR, CS, CR • The first time Joe went to the casino he won a jackpot and was very excited and happy. He won again the next time he went. He has since lost all the money and is gambling more than he can afford to lose.

Our Experiment • Purpose: • We will recreate the Pavlov experiment using a student and lemonade powder • Goal: • To change the behavior of the student’s saliva glands by introducing a neutral stimulus that will eventually become a conditioned stimulus • Procedure: • Have a trigger word to prompt the tasting • Have an action that you will add later to stop them from tasting