Learning

1
Learning
2
A. Introduction to learning

• 1. Why do psychologists care about learning?
• 2. What is and isnt learning?
• IS A relatively permanent change in an
  organisms behavior due to experience.
• ISNT reflex or effects of drug (temporary)
• natural maturation (not experience)
• 3. How do we know weve learned?

3
B. Association in Learning

• Everyday examples...
• Association linking two events or stimuli that
  occur together in space or time. Early theories
  of learning were based on principles of
  association.
• Classical Conditioning
• Operant Conditioning

4
C. Classical Conditioning

• 1. Example
• Learning that results from pairing two events in
  the environment.
• Learn to associate a neutral event with another
  event or stimulus from the environment.
• 2. Ivan Pavlov
• Review from video

5
C. Classical Conditioning

• 2. Pavlov
• Paired neutral stimulus (tone/bell) with coming
  of food.
• What occurred when bell alone was sounded?
• What is the difference between when the dog
  salivated to food versus the bell?
• Food naturally causes salivation
• Tone/bell learned to associate with food
  causes salivation.

6
C. Classical Conditioning

• 3. Classical Conditioning Terms
• Two parts response (action that takes place)
• stimulus (cause of action)
• Response salivation
• Stimulus food, bell/tone
• How do we differentiate between food/salivation
  and bell/salivation?

7
C. Classical Conditioning

• 3. Classical Conditioning Terms
• Food and salivation
• a. Unconditioned Stimuli and Response
• UCS (food) UCR (salivation)
• occurs naturally, automatically, unconditionally.
  
• NOT learned, like reflex

8
C. Classical Conditioning

• 3. Classical Conditioning Terms
• Bell and Salivation
• b. Conditioned Stimuli and Response
• CS (tone/bell) CR (salivation)
• originally NEUTRAL stimulus, that, after being
  paired with UCS, triggers CR.
• learned, NOT automatic.
• not naturally occurring.

9
(No Transcript)
10
(No Transcript)
11
C. Classical Conditioning

• 4. Conditioning Processes and Principles
• a. Acquisition initial stage of learning.
• b. Extinction diminishing of a CR.
• When CS is no longer paired with UCS, eventually,
  the CS ALONE will not elicit the CR.
• c. Spontaneous Recovery
• The reappearance, after a rest period, of an
  extinguished CR.
• (What does this suggest?)

12
C. Classical Conditioning

• Example of Little Albert (Watson).
• d. Generalization when a CS is paired with a
  UCS, stimuli similar to CS can evoke similar
  responses (like CR).
• e. Discrimination learned ability to
  distinguish between two stimuli.
• How could an animal be trained to discriminate
  between stimuli?

13
C. Classical Conditioning

• 5. Limits and concerns with original theory.
• From CC early psychologists concluded
• Any organism can be conditioned to any stimulus.
• a. Influence of biological predispositions
  (Garcia Koelling, 1966).
• Only study observable responses/behavior.
• No mention of mental processes
• (dogs were passive, mechanical, mindless)
• Behaviorism only study observable behavior, no
  thoughts, cognition, etc.
• Couldnt use terms expectation, prediction

14
D. Operant Conditioning

• Do we always learn by associating neutral stimuli
  with other stimuli in environment?
• Importance of controlling learning, particularly
  complex, voluntary, goal-directed behavior.
• 1. Examples...

15
D. Operant Conditioning

• 2. Law of Effect Thorndike
• Cats in puzzle box

16
D. Operant Conditioning

• 3. B.F. Skinner
• Operant Conditioning
• Learning that relies on associating behavior with
  its results or consequences.
• Defined as operant animal is operating on
  environment not passive like CC.
• Highlights importance of reinforcement
  punishment in learning.

17
D. Operant Conditioning

• To study this type of learning needed to design
  controlled environment.
• Skinner Box
• 4. Procedure
• a. Shaping
• Conditioning procedure that uses reinforcers to
  guide behavior closer to desired behavior.
• successive approximations
• b. Reinforcer
• Anything that increases the frequency of the
  preceding response or strengthens behavior.

18
D. Operant Conditiong

• b. Reinforcers
• i. Positive reinforcers strengthens response
  by presenting stimulus after response.
• ii. Negative reinforcers strengthens response
  by removing an aversive stimulus after a
  response.
• - NOT PUNISHMENT
• What happens if you remove reinforcement?
• Extinction of response.

19
D. Operant Conditioning

• iii. Important characteristics of reinforcement.
• aa. Immediate vs. Delayed Reinforcement
• in animals?
• Superstitious pigeons
• in humans?
• bb. Continuous vs. Partial Reinforcement
• Continuous more effective
• initially learning response (during shaping).
• Partial more effective
• to resist extinction, create persistence,
  continue behavior.

20

• Too much reinforcement?
• Overjustification effect
• An already enjoyable activity becomes
  overjustified by providing reward for activity.
  Become extrinsically motivated.

21
D. Operant Conditioning

• c. Punishment
• An aversive consequence that decreases the
  frequency of the preceding behavior.
• Positive and negative punishment.
• Effective?
• Maybe if strong, immediate, consistent,
  inescapable
• Why not effective?
• Only suppresses behavior.
• Only tells you what NOT to do, not what TO do.
• May cause anger, resentment, fear.
• Demonstrates aggression is way to deal with
  conflict.

22
D. Operant Conditioning

• 5. Concerns with original theory.
• No room for mental operations again.
• But evidence for thinking (even in animals.)
• Latent Learning
• Learning that becomes apparent only when there
  is some incentive to demonstrate it.
• Difference between learning and performance.

23
F. Observational Learning

• Also called Social Learning Theory
• Different take on learning
• We not only learn through direct experience, but
  also by observing and imitating others (through
  modeling).
• Not simple, automatic, requires attention
  sometimes motivation

24
F. Observational Learning

• 1. Bandura - Bobo Doll Studies.
• Learned how to aggress (modeled behavior).
• Inhibitions were lowered (thought of new ways to
  aggress).
• 2. Vicarious Learning learning by watching
  others with NO reinforcement.

25
F. Observational Learning

• 3. Influence of TV and media on behavior
• APAs Conclusion There is a causal link between
  watching aggressive acts on TV and being
  aggressive IN SOME CHILDREN.
• TV/Media not the ONLY cause of aggressive
  behavior.

26
F. Observational Learning

• 4. How does social learning theory differ from
  classical conditioning and operant conditioning?