Behaviorism: Antecedent Influences

1
Chapter 9

• Behaviorism Antecedent Influences

2
Factors that Contributed to the Emergence of
Behaviorism

• Logical Positivism -- The philosophy which argued
  that all one could know is what they could
  objectively observe
• Animal Psychology -- Study of animal psychology
  began to focus more on animal behavior than the
  animal mind.

3
Edward Thorndike(1874-1949)
4
Well known for his study of trial and error
learning in cats.
5
Basic paradigm

• Cats placed in puzzle box
• Cats would engage in a variety of behaviors in
  the box until one happened to open a door which
  allowed the animal to escape
• After repeated attempts the cat learned the
  response that permitted escape.

6
(No Transcript)
7
(No Transcript)
8
Thorndikes Connectionist Theory

• Learning involves the formation of a connection
  between a stimulus and a response.
• Complex behaviors can be understood in terms of
  stimulus-response connections.

9
Thorndikes Laws of Learning

• Law of Effect Responses followed by satisfying
  consequences will be strengthened, while
  responses followed by annoying consequences will
  be weakened.
• Law of Exercise Connections become stronger
  with use, while connections become weaker with
  disuse.

10
Ivan Pavlov(1849-1936)
11
Pavlov A brief personal history

• Initially studied for the priesthood
• Became fascinated by science after having read
  books by Darwin and the Russian physiologist
  Sechenov.
• Studies physiology, receives M.D. in 1883
• Accepts a position at the Institute of
  Experimental Medicine in St. Petersburg in 1895
• Awarded nobel prize in 1904 for work on digestion

12
Pavlovs work on digestion

• Develops Pavlovs pouch
• Notes digestive response to food stimuli
• Notes psychic reflexes

13
(No Transcript)
14
(No Transcript)
15
(No Transcript)
16
Pavlovs conditioning paradigm
Prior to conditioning
Food
Salivation
Bell
No response
During Conditioning
Bell Food
Salivation
After Conditioning
Bell
Salivation
17
Pavlovs conditioning paradigm
Prior to conditioning
Food
Salivation
(UCS)
(UCS)
Bell
No response
(Neutral Stimulus)
During Conditioning
Bell Food
Salivation
After Conditioning
Bell
Salivation
(CS)
(CR)
18
Conditioning Phenomena

• Extinction
• Spontaneous Recovery
• Generalization
• Discrimination

19
Explanations

• Excitation and connection
• Inhibition
• Irradiation and concentration

20
Pavlovs neurophysiology and and the notion of
semantic activation
A common concept in modern cognitive psychology
is that activation of a concept in a conceptual
network results in the activation of related
(connected) concepts. Notice the similarity to
Pavlovs notions.
21
Pavlov and Temperment

• Melancholic (depressed) -- weak in both
  excitatory and inhibitory processes.
• Choleric (hot-tempered) -- strong excitatory
  processes
• Phlegmatic (unemotional) -- strong, but equal
  excitatory and inhibitory processes calm
  exterior behavior.
• Sanguine (cheerful) -- strong but equal
  excitatory and inhibitory processes lively
  external behavior.

22
Pavlov on psychology
Pavlov was critical of psychology for its failure
to rely on purely physiological explanations.