Learning
A relatively permanent change in an organism’s
behavior due to experience
How do we learn? Association
We connect events that occur in sequence
Why does
Dentist = Pain?
Simple Learning
Withdraws it’s gill when squirted
with water
Electric shock after squirting
Aplysia water - withdrawel response
(Sea Snail) becomes stronger
Associative Learning!
Habituation
Associative Learning
Past becomes associated with
immediate future
Event 1 Event 2
Squirt Tail Shock
Process of learning associations
Conditioning
Types of Conditioning
Classical Operant
Process of associating Process of associating
two stimuli a response & its
consequence
Lightening
Pulling candy machine
lever
Thunder
Delivery of candy bar
Types of Learning
Classical Conditioning
Operant Conditioning
Observation
“Forget the mind…”
Psychology should based on
observable behavior
John B. Watson Behaviorism
Classical Conditioning
Short Biography
20 years studying digestive system
30 years studying learning
1904 Nobel Prize in Medicine
Noticed that dogs would
drool in anticipation
Ivan Pavlov of food.
What were dogs
thinking or feeling?
Classical Conditioning
What were dogs thinking
or feeling?
Pointless!
Examine the phenomenon more
objectively using Experiments!
Ivan Pavlov
Classical Conditioning
Ivan Pavlov
Will the dog learn to associate
the arrival of food with a neutral
stimulus (e.g., a bell)?
Classical Conditioning
Terms
Unconditioned Response
Unconditioned Stimulus
Conditioned Response
Conditioned Stimulus
UCR - drool in response to food (not learned)
UCS - food (triggers drool reflex)
CR - drool in response to sound of bell (learned)
CS - sound of bell (triggers drool reflex)
Five Major Conditioning Processes
Acquisition - initial learning of the response
(Is Before better than After?)
Extinction - decrease in CR without CS
Spontaneous Recovery - reappearance of the
CR after some time period
Generalization - tendency to respond to similar
CS (e.g., a similar sounding bell)
Discrimination - learned ability to distinguish
between the CS and other stimuli
Pavlov & Cognitive Processes
Biological Predispositions
Applications of Classical Conditioning
Is human behavior nothing more
than a bunch of conditioned
behaviors?
Case of “Little Albert”
UCS UCR
Loud Noise Fear
John Watson
CS CR
White Rat Fear
Applications of Classical Conditioning
Case of “Little Albert”
Five days later Albert shows
generalization to other white,
furry objects.
Epilogue
Albert’s mother pulls him
from the study and they
disappear. Little Albert
is never heard from again.
Better Applications of Classical
Conditioning
Rats
Treatment Snakes
of Enclosed Places
Phobias Open Places
Dirt
Walrus
Operant Conditioning
Classical Conditioning - associating different
stimuli that the organism does not control
Operant Conditioning - associating your behavior
with its’ consequences
(e.g., teaching a child to say “Please”)
Using Operant Conditioning,
individuals are more likely to repeat
rewarded behaviors
Different Types of Behavior
Classical Respondant Behavior
Behavior occurs as an automatic response to stimulus
Operant Operant Behavior
Action that operates on environment to produce
rewarding or punishing stimulus
Fear response to Saying “Please”
a white beard versus to elicit praise
B. F. Skinner
Skinner elaborated on Thorndike’s
Law of Effect
“Rewarded behavior is likely
to reoccur”
B. F. Skinner
(1904-1990)
External influences,
not internal thoughts
& feelings, govern
E. L. Thorndike
behavior.
Skinner’s Experiments
Fave Subjects Rats & Pidgeons
Fave Operatus Skinner Box
Fave Procedure Shaping
Shaping
Guiding current behavior
toward some desired
behavior through
successive approximations
Principles of Reinforcement
Reinforcer - any event that increases the frequency
of the preceding event
Positive Reinforcers Negative Reinforcers
Introduce (+) stimulus Remove (-) stimulus
(e.g., food) (e.g., electric shock)
Reinforcers ALWAYS strengthen behavior!
More Reinforcement
Primary Reinforcers
Innately satisfying,
Not learned
(e.g., getting food)
Secondary Reinforcers
Associated with primary
reinforcers & learned
(e.g., praise)
Reinforcers ALWAYS strengthen behavior!
Still More Reinforcement
Immediate Reinforcement
Reinforce immediately preceding
behavior (e.g., nicotine)
Delayed Reinforcement
Reinforcement at some point
after behavior occurs
(e.g., paychecks)
Reinforcers ALWAYS strengthen behavior!
Reinforcement Schedules
Continuous - every time behavior occurs (rare)
or
Partial - not every time behavior occurs
(learning is slower but more resistant to extinction)
Partial Reinforcement
(a pidgeon will peck 150,000 times without reward)
Behavior-Based Reinforcers
Fixed Ratio - reinforce every n responses
Variable Ratio - reinforce after ?? responses
Time-Based Reinforcers
Fixed Interval - reinforce after fixed time
Variable Interval - reinforce after ?? time
Punishment
Opposite of Reinforcement
Attempts to decrease
behavior by introducing
an unpleasant punisher
Problems With Punishment
• Behavior is not forgotten - merely suppressed
(may reappear in other situations)
• P does not guide toward acceptable behavior
(doesn’t tell you what you should do)
Is There No Cognition?
Can we think?
Do we think?
Rats can learn maze even
without reinforcement
Cognitive Maps
Cog Map rats perform
as well as Reinforced rats
Applications of Operant Conditioning
Need for more individualized instruction
to shape behavior toward learning goal
(CAI and ITS)
Profit sharing & positive reinforcement
for jobs well done
Follow principles of positive
reinforcement for better studying!
Learning By Observation
Albert Bandura
&
the Bobo doll
Both (+) and (-)
actions can be
learned by observing
others