Unit 6 Learning Module 26 Learning Process of

Unit 6 - Learning Module 26

Learning • Process of acquiring new and relatively enduring information or behaviors

Behaviorism and the Behaviorists • Psychology should only include the investigation of observable and measurable behaviors.

Classical Conditioning • A learning procedure in which associations are made between a natural and a neutral stimulus • Easy Button

Stimulus and Response • Stimulus • Anything that causes a reaction • Response • Any reaction that is voluntary or involuntary

Ivan Pavlov • Russian • Study dogs digestive system • 1904 Nobel Prize – learning by association • Classical conditioning

Unconditioned Stimulus • (UCS) • Stimulus that automatically elicits a response • Pavlov’s Experiment • Dog food • Easy button • Air gun

Unconditioned Response • (UCR) • An automatic response to a particular natural stimulus • Pavlov’s Experiment • Salivation • Easy button • Flinch

Neutral Stimulus • (NS) • Any stimulus that produces no conditioned response prior to learning • Pavlov’s experiment • Bell • Easy button

Conditioned Stimulus • (CS) • Previous neutral stimulus that has been associated with a natural stimulus • Pavlov’s Experiment • Bell • Easy button

Conditioned Response • (CR) • Learned reaction caused by a conditioned stimulus (CS) that is the same or similar to the unconditioned response (UR) • Pavlov’s Experiment • Salivation • Easy Button • Flinch

Let’s Practice • Every time someone flushes a toilet in a health club locker room, the nearby shower becomes hot. The sudden stream of hot water causes the person taking a nearby shower to jump back. Over time, the person hears the flush and then automatically jumps back before the water temperature changes.

AP Psych Scores 2015 Score 5 National 20% Illinois 27% 4 26% 28% 3 20% 18% 2 13% 11% 1 21% 17% 3 or 66% 73%

Important!!!! • Classical Conditioning • Associating a new stimulus with a stimulus that automatically and involuntarily brings about the response • Must be involuntary response • Heartbeat • Breathing • Sweating • Sadness • Fear

Here’s Another… • A song is played frequently when Colette is out with her boyfriend whom she loves. Now when she hears the song, it causes her to have positive emotions. • UCS: • UCR: • NS: • CR:

Other Key Ideas • Acquisition • Initial learning • Generalization • Tendency for a stimuli similar to the original stimulus also elicit the conditioned response • Colette experiences positive emotions (CR) when listening to any similar song (CS). • Discrimination • Ability to distinguish between two similar stimuli • Colette experiences positive emotions (CR) when listening to only the specific song (CS)

Other Key Ideas • Extinction • When the conditioned stimulus (CS) no longer causes a conditioned response (CR). • Colette no longer responds with positive emotions to specific song because they have been broken up for several months. • Spontaneous Recovery • The reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response (CR) to the conditioned stimulus (CS) after a delay. • Colette hears the song a year later and has positive emotions.

Other Key Ideas • Reconditioning • After extinction, the rapid relearning of a CR because of the CS being paired with the UCS again. • Illustrates that extinction involves weakening and not the complete elimination of the CR

John Watson • Father of American Behaviorism • Classical conditioning to create a learned response of fear • Little Albert Experiment • Generalization • video

Counterconditioning • Mary Cover Jones • Behavior therapy – behavior modification • Remove fear • UCS that create involuntary feelings of pleasant emotions are paired with the anxiety-producing object until it is no longer produces fear • Classical Conditioning song