Lecture 5. Learning and
Adaptation
Learning
A relatively permanent change in
behaviour or knowledge that occurs as
a result of experience
Habituation
Associative Learning
Habituation
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Aplysia
The animal learns not to show a
characteristic response to a stimulus
because it has been encountered frequently
without important consequences.
Habituation is adaptive because it conserves
energy and leaves more time for other important
activities.
Associative learning
Associative learning, sometimes called
conditioning, is a type of learning in which
an association is made between a stimulus
and a response.
Classical conditioning
Instrumental conditioning
Classical Conditioning
• The animal learns to give a response
normally elicited by one stimulus (US) to a
new stimulus (CS) because the two are
repeatedly paired.
“It is pretty evident that under natural conditions the normal animal
must respond not only to stimuli which themselves bring immediate
benefit or harm, but also to other events which in themselves
only signal the approach of these stimuli.”
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Classical conditioning in the blue gourami
(Trichogaster trichopterus)
Advantages of conditioning to males:
• superior in territorial defense
• victorious in subsequent battles
Karen Hollis (1984)
Operant Conditioning
• The frequency of some action is
changed because of the consequences.
Novel behaviors can be introduced into
the repertoire through shaping.
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Positive reinforcement versus negative reinforcement
Negative reinforcement versus punishment
Instinctive Drift - interference of innate
behaviour with a conditioned response
• A raccoon trained by
the Brelands to deposit
money in a bank often
handled the coins as it
would a prey item. An
innate behaviour
interfered with a
conditioned response.
Biological constraints and preparedness
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Preparedness and offspring recognition in swallows
Densely crowded colonies
Low density nesting
Good offspring recognition
Poor offspring recognition
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Latent Learning
• Latent learning occurs without any obvious
reinforcement and is not obvious until
sometime later in life. The information
gained through exploration is an example
Latent learning in rats
The group that received food for the first time on the 11th trial
demonstrated latent learning
Insight Learning
• Insight learning occurs rapidly and without
any obvious trial and error responses. The
animal seems to draw on information
gained in previous similar situations to
arrive at a solution to the problem.
Learning by insight
Observational Learning
• The individual learns from others. Social
learning may occur by watching the
behaviour of another, but it may also occur
by simpler means.
Observational learning in Japanese macaques
The habit of washing
sweet potatoes in the sea
started with a young
Japanese macaque
female. It spread rapidly
to other members of the
troop.