LEARNING
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
OPERANT CONDITIONING
COGNITIVE LEARNING
A (NOTES ARE AVAILABLE TO PRINT OUT)
07_ CLASSICAL CONDITIONING02
PHASE I: Before conditioning has occurred
UCS
Fig6_3 UCR
(meat powder) (salivation)
Neutral stimulus Orienting
(tone) response
PHASE II: The process of conditioning
Neutral stimulus followed UCS UCR
(tone) by (meat powder) (salivation)
PHASE III: After conditioning has occurred
CS CR
(tone) (salivation)
DELAYED CONDITIONING .5 SECONDS
07_03
SALIENCY OF REINFORCERS
Fig6_4
Acquisition Extinction Spontaneous
recovery
Strength of CR
Extinction if
UCS again
withheld
Trials Trials
Time delay
InRev5a
InRev5b
InRev2a
InRev4b
BASIC PROCESSES OF CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
Process Description Example
Acquisition
InRev6a
A neutral stimulus and an
unconditioned stimulus (UCS) are
paired. The neutral stimulus becomes
A child learns to fear
(conditioned response) the
doctor’s office (conditioned
a conditioned stimulus (CS), eliciting stimulus) by associating it with
a conditioned response (CR). the reflexive emotional reaction
(unconditioned response), to a
painful injection (unconditioned
stimulus).
Stimulus A conditioned response is elicited not A child fears most doctors’
generalization only by the conditioned stimulus but offices and places that smell like
also by stimuli similar to the them.
conditioned stimulus.
Stimulus Generalization is limited so that some A child learns that his mother’s
discrimination stimuli similar to the conditioned doctor’s office is not associated
stimulus do not elicit the conditioned with the unconditioned stimulus.
response.
Extinction The conditioned stimulus is presented A child visits the doctor’s office
alone, without the unconditioned several times for a checkup, but
stimulus. Eventually the conditioned does not receive a shot. Fear
stimulus no longer elicits the may eventually cease.
conditioned response.
07_08
POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT
Fig6_8
Behavior Presentation of a Frequency of
pleasant or positive behavior increases
You put coins into
stimulus
a vending machine. You put coins in
You receive a cold vending machines
can of soda. in the future.
NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT
Behavior Removal of an Frequency of
In the middle of a unpleasant stimulus behavior increases
boring date, you say The date ends early. You use the same
you have a headache. tactic on future boring
dates.
07_12
PUNISHMENT Fig6_10
Behavior Presentation of an Frequency of
You touch a hot iron. unpleasant stimulus behavior decreases
Your hand is burned. You no longer touch
hot irons.
OMISSION
Behavior Removal of a Frequency of
You're careless with pleasant stimulus behavior decreases
your ice cream cone. The ice cream falls on You're not as careless
the ground. with the next cone.
InRev4b
InRev5a
InRev5b
InRev6a
InRev2a
REINFORCEMENT AND PUNISHMENT
Concept Description Example or Comment
Positive
reinforcement InRev6b
Increasing the frequency of behavior
by following it with the presentation of
Saying “Good job” after
someone works hard to perform
a positive reinforcer—a pleasant, a task.
positive stimulus or experience.
Negative Increasing the frequency of behavior Pressing the “mute” button on a
reinforcement by following it with the removal of a TV remote control removes the
negative reinforcer—an unpleasant sound of an obnoxious
stimulus or experience. commercial.
Escape conditioning Learning to make a response that A little boy learns that crying will
ends a negative reinforcer. cut short the time that he must
stay in his room.
Avoidance Learning to make a response that You slow your car to the speed
conditioning avoids a negative reinforcer. limit when you spot a police car,
thus avoiding arrest and
reducing the fear of arrest. Very
resistant to extinction.
Punishment Decreasing the frequency of behavior Swatting the dog after she steals
by either presenting an unpleasant food from the table, or taking a
stimulus or removing a pleasant one. favorite toy away from a child
who misbehaves. A number of
cautions should be kept in mind
before using punishment.
SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT
1000
Fixed Fig6_13
ratio
Variable
Number of responses
ratio
750
Fixed
interval
500
Variable
interval
250
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Time in minutes
LATENT LEARNING
10
8
Fig73
6
Average
errors in
the maze 4
2
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17
Days
No reward
Regularly rewarded
No reward until day 11