College Board - “Acorn Book”

Course Description7-9%

Unit VI. Learning1

VI. Learning

Instinct

Unit VI. Learning2

Learned Behavior

Unit VI. Learning3

Summary Outline

Unit VI. Learning4

• A. Classical Conditioning• B. Operant Conditioning• C. Cognitive Processes in Learning• D. Biological Factors• D. Social Learning

Unbeknownst to most students of psychology, Pavlov’s first experiment was to ring a bell and cause his dog to attack Freud’s cat.

A. Classical Conditioning

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Learning from Associations

Ivan Pavlov’s Experiments UCS UCR NS CS CR

Important Terms

Acquisition

Extinction

Spontaneous Recovery

Stimulus Generalization

Stimulus Discrimination

It is important to know

how to apply to both

Classical Conditioning and

Operant Conditioning

Classical Conditioning Applications

Higher Order Conditioning

John B. Watson (Little Albert)

Conditioned Emotional Response,

Phobias

Aversions

Reflexes – Instinct vs. Learned

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FloodingProfessor Gallagher and his controversial technique of simultaneously confronting the fear of heights, snakes, and the dark.

B. Operant Conditioning

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Learning from Consequences

Instrumental Learning – E. L. Thorndike and the Law of Effect

B. F. Skinner (Skinner Box – operant chamber)

Operant Conditioning

Appetitive stimulus Organism wants to achieve or receive

Aversive stimulus Organism wants to avoid or escape from

Positive ReinforcementAdding consequence increases likelihood of a behavior

Negative ReinforcementRemoving consequence increases likelihood of a

behavior

PunishmentAdding consequence decreases likelihood of a behavior

Operant Conditioning

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Generalization

Discrimination

Acquisition

Shaping

Extinction

Delayed Reinforcement

Operant Conditioning

Conditioned Reinforcement

Primary and Secondary Reinforcers

Schedules of Reinforcement

Fixed v. variable

Ratio v. interval

Aversive conditioning Escape and avoidance learning

Operant Conditioning

“Oh, not bad. The light comes on, I press the bar, they write me a check. How about you?”

Reinforcement

“Good dog.”

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C. Cognitive factors in Classical Conditioning

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The organism extracts information from the environment

classical conditioning involves more than the appearance of robot-like reflexive responses

organisms acquire conditioned responses when one event reliably predicts, or signals, the appearance of another

Example:Failure of redundant stimulus to become a CS

What determines whether and how a conditioned response is learned?

TimingForward conditioning (NS then UCS)Backward conditioning (UCS then NS)Interval between NS and UCS

PredictabilityAlways / Sometimes

Signal StrengthWeak shock / intense shock

AttentionWhen several stimuli are present, the one

the organism is paying attention to is more likely to become the CS

Biopreparednesscertain signals or events are especially likely

to form associations with other events“biologically prepared” or “genetically tuned”

to develop certain conditioned associations.Second-Order Conditioning

Fear of doctor associated with pain of shot but also white coat he’s wearing

Predictive value of CS – Rescorla

Assessment of the reliability of the stimulus to be a predictor

Cognitive interpretation of whether a stimulus is predictive rather than simple pairing of UCS - NS

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Cognitive factors in Operant ConditioningNon-contingent reinforcement

(Superstitious behavior)

Latent Learning, Cognitive Maps – Edward C. Tolman

Learned Helplessness – Martin Seligman

Insight Learning - Köhler

Cognitive Factors in Behavior Modification

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D. Biological Factors

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Learning vs. InstinctLearning vs. MaturationHabituation

Limits on Learning - Biological Factors in Conditioning

Instinctive Drift - Breland (instinctive tendencies interfering with conditioning -)

Conditioned Taste Aversion – Garcia (specific stimuli associated with nausea)

Preparedness and Phobias?

Social Learning

“This is a nice restaurant. Turn your cap around.

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E. Social Learning

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Observational learningKey Processes in observational learning

Attention, Retention, Reproduction, Motivation

Acquisition of a behavior may occur without the performance of the behavior

ModelingBandura (Bobo doll)

Quiz on Negative Reinforcement

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1. What is another word that means the same thing as negative reinforcement?

2. When negative reinforcement is supplied it usually results inA. Weakening a behavior that you want

weakenedB. Strengthening a behavior that you want

strengthened 3. Do people usually look forward to negative

reinforcement?A. Yes B. No

4. Will you regularly (consciously) use positive reinforcement in the future?A. Yes B. No

5. Will you regularly (consciously) use negative reinforcement in the future?A. Yes B. No

The majority tends to answers:

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1. Punishment (or some punitive meaning)2. Decreases3. No4. 92% said yes5. 68 said yes. Majority said that people

had to be punished to be motivated

Positive v NegativeConsequence matrix

Supply a Stimulus

Remove a Stimulus

AppetitiveStimulus

Aversive Stimulus

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Positive v NegativeReinforcement / Punishment Grid

Give something

the organism:

Take away something

the organism:

Likes

Dislikes

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Positive v NegativeReinforcement / Punishment Grid

Give something

the organism:

Take away something

the organism:

Likes Positive Reinforcemen

t

Dislikes

Unit VI. Learning30

Positive v NegativeReinforcement / Punishment Grid

Give something

the organism:

Take away something

the organism:

Likes Positive Reinforcemen

t

Dislikes Negative Reinforcement

Unit VI. Learning31

Positive v NegativeReinforcement / Punishment Grid

Give something

the organism:

Take away something

the organism:

Likes Positive Reinforcement

Dislikes Punishment Negative Reinforcemen

tUnit VI. Learning32

Positive v NegativeReinforcement / Punishment Grid

Give something the

organism:

Take away something

the organism:

Likes Positive Reinforcement Time-out

Dislikes Punishment Negative Reinforcemen

tUnit VI. Learning33

Positive v NegativeConsequence matrix

Supply a Stimulus

Remove a Stimulus

Appetitive

Stimulus

Positive Reinforceme

nt

“Time-out”

Aversive Stimulus

Punishment Negative Reinforceme

nt

Unit VI. Learning34

Punishment vs. ReinforcementLarzelere

Spanked children have an increased risk of aggression , depression, and low self-esteem.

Reinforcement = increased behaviorPunishment = decreased behavior

Punishment doesn’t guide one towards a desired behavior rather it teaches one how to avoid getting caught.