Behavioralism

1
Behavioralism

• Psychological perspective that emphasizing the
  role of learning and experience in determining
  behavior. A strict behavioralist believes that
  babies are tabula rasa and the study of
  psychology should focus purely on observable
  behaviors and not unobservable thoughts.

2
Learning

• 1)Behavioristsrelatively permanent change in
  behavior that results from experience
• 2) Cognitivelearning is made evident by
  behavioral change, but learning is defined as an
  internal and not directly observable process.

3
Associative learning learning that certain
events occur together

• Classical conditioning An INVOLUNTARY behavior
  is determined by what PRECEDES it
• Operant conditioning rewards and punishment A
  VOLUNTARY behavior is determined by the
  anticipation of something that FOLLOWS it.

4
Which is which?

• 1. A child is attacked by a dog. The child now
  fears all dogs.
• 2. You do your homework every night to get good
  grades and avoid punishment.

Classical involuntary, stimulus precedes
behavior Operant voluntary, stimulus follows
behavior
5
Ivan Pavlovs Experiments

• Pavlov paired a neutral stimulus (a bell) with a
  meat powder (which made the dog salivate).
• Eventually, dog salivates to bell alone

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Identifying Parts

• Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)
• Meat powder
• Unconditioned Response (UCR)
• Salivation
• Conditioned Stimulus (CS)
• Bell
• Conditioned Response (CR)
• Salivation
• Hint replace conditioned with learned to
  make it more intuitive.

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Little Albert

• John Watson famous behavioralist
• Little Albert 11 month old orphan
• Showed him a white rat. No fear.
• Made a loud noise. Albert cried.
• Showed him a white rat and made a loud noise.
  Albert cried. Repeated several times.
• Eventually Albert cried at white rat alone.

8
Identify the parts
Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS) Loud
noise Unconditioned Response (UCR) Fear/crying Co
nditioned Stimulus (CS) White rat Conditioned
Response (CR) Fear/crying
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Definitions

• Acquisition initial learning of the
  stimulus-response relationship (learning that
  bell means meat powder)
• Extinction diminished response to the
  conditioned stimulus when it is no longer coupled
  with UCS. (stop giving meat powder with bell and
  dog will stop salivating to bell)
• Spontaneous recovery reappearance of an
  extinguished CR after a rest.
• Generalization the tendency to respond to any
  stimuli similar to the CS (Dog salivates to other
  noises)
• Discrimination the ability to distinguish
  between the CS and similar stimuli (Dog only
  salivates to specific tone)

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Application to Little Albert

• If Little Albert generalized, what would we
  expect to happen?
• He might cry at the sight of similar objects (he
  did rabbit, dog, sealskin coat, some rumors
  Santas beard)
• How could we teach Little Albert to discriminate?
  
• Continually expose him to stimuli similar to the
  rat, but only make the loud noise when exposing
  him to the rat
• How could Little Alberts conditioning be
  extinguished?
• Continually expose him to a white rat without
  making the loud noise (unfortunately, this was
  never done because Little Albert was adopted soon
  after the original experiments (he would be 83
  now if he is still alive probably scared of
  rats!)
• If Little Albert is still alive, his fear of
  white rats is likely to have been extinguished
  (no loud noise when he sees a rat). However,
  occasionally, when he sees a rat, he may find
  that his heart races for a second or two. What
  is this called?
• Spontaneous recovery

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Higher-Order Conditioning

• A previously neutral stimulus comes to serve as a
  CS after being paired repeatedly with a stimulus
  that has already become the CS
• Ex light?bell?salivate
• TV show?car in driveway?squeal of happiness

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Flooding

• Fear-evoking reduction technique in which the
  fear-evoking stimuli (CS) are presented
  continuously in the absence of harm so that fear
  responses (CR) are extinguished
• Ex Little Albert-presenting rat without the
  banging noise until the fear is no longer evoked
• Can be unpleasant

13
Systematic Desensitization

• Client is exposed gradually to fear-evoking
  stimuli under circumstances in which he or she is
  relaxed
• Ex when Little Albert is relaxed, show him
  pictures of rats before gradually bringing them
  over

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Counterconditioning

• A pleasant stimulus is paired repeatedly with a
  fear-evoking object, in this way counteracting
  the fear response
• Ex Joneses experiment with 2 year old Peter.
• Placed rabbit in corner of room while Peter
  munched on cookies. Gradually, the animal was
  brought closer. Peter ate treats and touched the
  rabbit at the same time

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On your own

• With your partner, practice with the terms by
  completing the worksheet.

16
A friend has learned to associate the sound of a
dentists drill to a fearful reaction because of
a painful experience she had getting a root
canal. In this example, what is the

• UCS? Pain from the drill
• UCR? Fear
• CS? Sound of the drill
• CR? Fear

17
Using the example in question 4, give an example
of how each of the following may occur

• Extinction if the pain does not result when the
  drill is used, the CS (fear) will diminish.
• Spontaneous recovery the child returns for a
  visit the next day and the sound of the drill
  elicits fear again.
• Generalization the child becomes fearful of the
  sound of any motor
• Discrimination the child learns that only the
  high pitched dentist drill is associated with
  pain and not a low pitch hum of the vacuum
  cleaner.

18
A BMW commercial has lots of pretty people in it.
People who watch the commercial find the people
pleasing to look at. With repeated viewing, they
begin to associate the car with the pleasant
feeling.

• UCS? Pretty people
• UCR? Feeling good
• CS? Sight of BMW
• CR? Feeling good

19
You get in a car accident and find you are afraid
to get in a car.

• UCS? Pain of the accident
• UCR? Fear
• CS? Presence of car
• CR? Fear

20
You go to a fancy restaurant and decide to try an
appetizer youve never tried before escargot.
After dinner, you go to a concert and get
violently ill (from a stomach virus thats been
going around). From then on, you cant even look
at snails without feeling sick.

• UCS? Stomach virus
• UCR? Feeling sick
• CS? Sight of snails
• CR? Feeling sick

21
You are cruising on 440 at 75 mph when you see
flashing police lights behind you. You pull over
and the policeman gives you a ticket. You get in
insane amounts of trouble from your parents. The
next time you see flashing police lights, your
heart rate speeds up.

• UCS? Getting in trouble from parents
• UCR? Increased heart rate
• CS? Flashing lights
• CR? Increased heart rate

22
Name one practical application of classical
conditioning.

• Stop drug or alcohol addiction by pairing a
  nausea-producing drug with the drug of addiction.
• Extinguish a drug addiction by administering a
  drug that blocks the pleasant feeling normally
  elicited by the drug.
• If a child is afraid of rabbits because one bit
  him when he was young, you can expose the child
  to rabbits in safe environments repeatedly until
  the behavior is extinguished

23
Cancer patients and chemotherapy.

• Cancer patients tend to associate the nausea
  produced by chemotherapy with the hospital
  setting.
• UCS chemotherapy
• UCR nausea
• CS hospital
• CR nausea

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Cognitive Processes

• It was once thought that cognitive processes
  werent involved in classical conditioning. Now
  we know better. For example, therapists give
  alcoholics drink containing a nausea-producing
  drug to condition them to avoid alcohol. Because
  clients KNOW that the drug is what is actually
  causing the nausea, it doesnt work so well.

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Biological Predispositions

• It was once believed that conditioning occurred
  the same in all animals (and therefore you could
  study human behavior by studying any animal) and
  that you could associate any neutral stimulus
  with a response. Not so. Animals have biological
  predispositions to associating certain stimuli
  over others
• Example You eat a novel food and later get
  sick. You will be conditioned to associate the
  taste of the FOOD with getting sick (and thus
  avoid that food in the future), but NOT the music
  playing in the restaurant, the plate it was
  served on, or the perfume your neighbor was
  wearing.
• It is much easier to condition someone to have a
  fear of snake than of flowers.
• Birds hunt by sight and will more quickly become
  conditioned to the SIGHT of tainted food

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Operant Conditioning

• Rewards and punishment

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Classical vs. Operant Conditioning
Classical Conditioning Operant Conditioning
Behavior is determined by what PRECEDES it. Behavior is determined by anticipation of what FOLLOWS it.
Involuntary Voluntary
Dog salivates after a tone. Dog sits in anticipation of getting a treat.
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Operant Conditioning

• A simple form of learning in which an organism
  learns to engage in behavior because it is
  reinforced.

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Classical or Operant?

• When a mother strokes her infants skin, the
  stroking creates pleasure responses in the baby.
  After this goes on for many days, the baby begins
  to show pleasure responses simply at the sight of
  her mother (even before being touched).

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Classical or Operant?

• A patient in a mental hospital is very disruptive
  at mealtimes. She grabs food from the plates of
  those sitting near her and tries to cram the food
  in her mouth. Because this behavior of stealing
  food is very undesirable, a plan is developed
  whereby every time the patient steals food from
  other plates, she is immediately taken to a room
  without food.

31
Classical or Operant?

• Imagine you have a friend who keeps the
  temperature in her home so high that each
  occasion on which you visit her you find yourself
  perspiring. The last time you visited her, you
  noticed that you began to perspire and became
  uncomfortable as soon as you saw her house (even
  before you got inside).

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Classical or Operant?

• Fred leaves his clothes and toys all over his
  room. It seems that the only time he cleans up
  his room is when his mother yells at him. When
  she yells at him, Fred picks up his clothes and
  put away his toys.

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Edward L. Thorndike

• Cats in a box-trial and error
• As trials were repeated, it would take less time
  for the cat to pull the string
• Law of Effect responses are stamped in by
  rewards (escaping from box and eating) and
  stamped out by punishments.

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B.F. Skinner

• Reinforce to follow a response with a stimulus
  that increases the frequency of the response
• Operant behavior an organism learns to do
  something because of its effects or consequences

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Skinner Box

• Hungry rats in a cage
• Sniffed around the cage and engaged in random
  behavior
• Rats first pressing of lever is by accident-food
  pellet dropped in cage
• Food pellet increased the probability that the
  rat would press lever again
• Pellet serves as a reinforcement for the lever
  pressing

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Reinforcement vs. Punishment

• Practice with partner.

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Types of Reinforcers

• Positive a reinforcer that when presented
  increases the frequency of the operant (pellet,
  approval, praise)
• Negative a reinforcer that when removed
  increases the frequency of an operant (removal of
  fear and pain)

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Types of Reinforcers

• Primary-an unlearned reinforcer that are
  effective because of the biological makeup of the
  organism
• (food, water, warmth)
• Secondary- a stimulus that gains reinforcement
  value through association with established
  reinforcers
• (money, attention, social approval)

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Positive Reinforcer

• Behavior Consequence Change in Behavior
• Studying ? Positive reinforcer ? ?
• (Teacher approval) frequency of
  is presented behavior increases-
• when student ( student studies more)
• studies

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Negative Reinforcer

• Behavior Consequence Change in Behavior
• Studying ? Negative reinforcer ? ?
• (Teacher disapproval) frequency of
  is removed behavior increases-
• when student ( student studies more)
• studies

41
Rewards and Punishments

• Reward a pleasant stimulus that increases the
  frequency of the behavior it follows

42
Rewards and Punishments

• Punishments an unpleasant stimulus that
  suppresses the behavior it follows
• -although it works it is usually undesirable
• -better to focus on rewarding behavior

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Negative Reinforcer

• Behavior Consequence Change in Behavior
• Studying ? Negative reinforcer ? ?
• (Teacher disapproval) frequency of
  is removed behavior increases-
• when student ( student studies more)
• studies

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Punishment

• Behavior Consequence Change in Behavior
• Talking in ? Punishment ? ?
• class (detention) frequency of
  is presented behavior decreases-
• when student ( student talks less in
• talks in class class)

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Problems with Punishment

• it models aggression as a way to solve problems
• breeds anger in the recipient
• doesnt provide an alternative behavior.
  Therefore, the behavior only goes away when the
  punisher is around.

46
Reinforcement vs. Punishment(increase behavior)
(decrease behavior)

• Action Consequence Behavior
• Positive ) ) ?
• Reinforcement
• Negative ) - ( ?
• Reinforcement
• Positive Punishment ( ( ?
• Negative Punishment ( - ) ?

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Reinforcement Schedules

• reinforcement schedules
• continuous rewarded every time
• partial not every time
• fixed set, constant
• variable unpredictable
• interval time
• ratio number, doing a behavor

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Reinforcement Schedules

• fixed ratio set number/behavior (every three
  times you raise your hand I call on you)
• variable ratio unpredictable number of
  responses (slot machine)
• fixed interval set amount of time (pay you
  every hour)
• variable interval unpredictable amount of time
  (fishing)

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• Schedules of reinforcement-Draw 4 squares
• Fixed Specific, Set
• Ratio behavior
• Variable Unpredictable
• Interval time
• Highest response rate to lowest in order 
• Fixed Ratio-food pellet for every 5 times of
  hitting desk
• Variable Ratio-food pellet randomly (gambling)
• Fixed Interval-every 2 mins you get food pellet
• Variable Interval-randomly given food pellet for
  random time

50
Reinforcement Schedules

• Summary
• Ratio schedules cause a greater response rate
• Variable schedules are more resistant to
  extinction
• Continuous reinforcement causes the fastest
  learning.
• Immediate reinforcement is more effective than
  delayed.

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Shaping

• A procedure for teaching complex behaviors that
  at first reinforces approximation of the target
  behavior (smiling and saying good)
• Ex driving stick shift car-first reinforce and
  say good when they shift without stalling

52
Token Economies

• An environmental setting that fosters desired
  behavior by reinforcing it with tokens (secondary
  reinforcers)
• Ex giving tickets for good behavior and using
  the tickets to buy goodies
• Star stickers for reading more stars allows you
  free time or buy more books etc.

53
Overjustification Effect

• Overjustification effect when we are rewarded
  for behaviors that we naturally enjoy, we
  sometimes lose our intrinsic motivation.
• Learning and grades?
• Professional athletes?

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Criticisms of Behavioralism

• Deemphasizes the role of internal thoughts and
  feelings in behavior Presents humans as lacking
  free will
• Ignores biological predispositions

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Support for Criticisms

• 1. Experiments with humans and animals both
  indicate that biological predispositions
  influence conditioning.
• a. Animal training
• b. fear of snakes more than flowers

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Support for Criticisms

• 2. Cognition seems to influence conditioning
  (alcoholics and nausea-producing drug).
• 3. Learning occurs in the absence of rewards or
  punishments (this is called latent learning)
• - mice and cognitive maps

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Learning Observational
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Observational Learning

• The acquisition of knowledge and skills through
  the observation of others (who are called models)
  rather than by means of direct experience.

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Observational Learning

• May account for most human learning
• Not mechanically acquired through reinforcement
• We can learn by observation without engaging in
  overt responses at all
• Ex observe parents cook, read, clean

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Latent Learning

• Latent
• hidden or concealed
• Tolmans rats
• Rats learned about mazes in which they roamed
  even when they were unrewarded for doing so
• Rats would acquire a cognitive map of the maze
• Learning remained hidden until they were
  motivated to follow the rapid routes for food
  goals

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Modeling

• Models may be live, symbolic, or verbal
  instruction
• Behaviors learned
• Academic skills reading, problem-solving
• Aggression doll experiment, media violence
• Moral thinking generosity, self-control,
  temptation resistance

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Modeling

• Effects of modeling on Behavior
• Learn new behaviors and ways of responding
• Reinforcement may facilitate or inhibit frequency
  of behaviors
• Increases similar behavior

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Modeling

• Traits of Effective Models
• Perceived as competent, successful, and high
  status individuals
• Typically exhibit gender-appropriate behavior
• Relevant to observers situation

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Modeling

• Prosocial Behavior constructive behavior
• Antisocial Behavior unproductive or destruction
  behavior

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Social Learning Theory

• Albert Bandura
• Bobo doll experiment