HANDOUT 8–2
Examples of Learning
1. The cessation of thumb sucking by an infant.
2. The acquisition of language in children.
3. A computer program generates random opening moves for its first 100 chess games and
tabulates the outcomes of those games. Starting with the 101st game, the computer uses
those tabulations to influence its choice of opening moves.
4. A worm is placed in a T maze. The left arm of the maze is brightly lit and dry; the right arm
is dim and moist. On the first 10 trials, the worm turns right 7 times. On the next 10 trials, the
worm turns right all 10 times.
5. Ethel stays up late the night before the October GRE administration and consumes large
quantities of licit and illicit pharmacological agents. Her combined (verbal plus quantitative)
score is 410. The night before the December GRE administration, she goes to bed early after
a wholesome dinner and a glass of milk. Her score increases to 1210. Is the change in
scores due to learning? Is the change in pretest regimen due to learning?
6. A previously psychotic patient is given Dr. K’s patented phrenological surgery and no
longer exhibits any psychotic behaviors.
7. A lanky zinnia plant is pinched back and begins to grow denser foliage and flowers.
8. MYCIN is a computer program that does a rather good job of diagnosing human infections
by consulting a large database of rules it has been given. If we add another rule to the
database, has MYCIN learned something?
9. After pondering over a difficult puzzle for hours, Jane finally figures it out. From that point
on, she can solve all similar puzzles in the time it takes her to read them.
10. After 30 years of smoking two packs a day, Zeb throws away his cigarettes and never
smokes again.
Source: Reprinted by permission of Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. and the author from Rocklin, T. (1987).
Defining learning: Two classroom activities. Teaching of Psychology, 14, 228.
28 Chapter 8 Learning
HANDOUT 8–3
Conditioning the Eyeblink Response
This exercise involves the conditioning of the human eyeblink. It’s best if you work with one
other co-experimenter who does the recording. In addition, you will need one willing
participant, a spoon, a straw, and two tall, thin glasses.
Fill one glass with water, leave the other empty.
1. Have the subject sit at a table with his chin resting in his hands so his head remains
stationary.
2. Begin by tapping the full glass once (CS) with the spoon. Note the participant’s reactions.
Tap a few more times until he makes no consistent response.
3. Begin conditioning by tapping the glass once, followed immediately by a strong puff of air
to the subject’s eye (US) through the straw. Be certain the air is strong enough to elicit an
eyeblink (UR). Repeat the procedure seven times at 20-second intervals.
4. On the eighth trial (the test trial) tap the glass but deliver no puff of air. Record whether an
eyeblink (CR) occurs in response to the sound.
5. Repeat seven more conditioning trials and then another test trial, also at 20-second
intervals. Record any blinking responses. Continue alternating seven conditioning trials with
one test trial until the sound clearly elicits an eyeblink.
6. To assess whether generalization has occurred, tap the empty glass with the spoon.
Record whether a clear blink is made. If the generalization is obvious, proceed with
discrimination training. Otherwise go to step 8.
7. Tap each of the glasses in random fashion and present the puff of air only after tapping the
full glass. Record the number of trials until the subject stops blinking in response to your
tapping the empty glass.
8. Proceed with extinction. Tap the full glass approximately every 20 seconds until no
eyeblink is elicited. Record the number of trials needed to achieve extinction.
9. After allowing the participant to relax for 4 minutes, test for spontaneous recovery. Tap the
glass but deliver no puff of air. Record the number of trials needed to achieve extinction again.
Source: Adapted by permission of Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, from Gardner, R. M. (1980). Exercises
for general psychology (pp. 69–72). Copyright 1980.Chapter 8 Learning 29
HANDOUT 8–4
Consideration of Future Consequences Scale
For each of the statements below, please indicate whether or not the statement is characteristic of
you. If the statement is extremely uncharacteristic of you (not at all like you) please write a “1” to the
left of the question; if the statement is extremely characteristic of you (very much like you) please
write a “5” next to the question. And, of course, use the numbers in the middle if you fall between the
extremes. Please keep the following scale in mind as you rate each of the statements below.
1
2
3
4
5
extremely
somewhat
uncertain
somewhat
extremely
uncharacteristic
uncharacteristic
characteristic characteristic
1. I consider how things might be in the future, and try to influence those things with my day to day
behavior.
2. Often I engage in a particular behavior in order to achieve outcomes that may not result for many
years.
3. I only act to satisfy immediate concerns, figuring the future will take care of itself.
4. My behavior is only influenced by the immediate (i.e., a matter of days or weeks) outcomes of my
actions.
5. My convenience is a big factor in the decisions I make or the actions I take.
6. I am willing to sacrifice my immediate happiness or well-being in order to achieve future outcomes.
7. I think it is important to take warnings about negative outcomes seriously even if the negative
outcome will not occur for many years.
8. I think it is more important to perform a behavior with important distant consequences than a
behavior with less-important immediate consequences.
9. I generally ignore warnings about possible future problems because I think the problems will be
resolved before they reach crisis level.
10. I think that sacrificing now is usually unnecessary since future outcomes can be dealt with at a
later time.
11. I only act to satisfy immediate concerns, figuring that I will take care of future problems that
mayoccur at a later date.
12. Since my day-to-day work has specific outcomes, it is more important to me than behavior that
has distant outcomes.
Source: Strathman, A., Gleicher, F., Boninger, D. S., & Edwards, C. S. (1994). The consideration of future consequences:Weighing
immediate and distant outcomes of behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66, 752. Copyright © 1994 by the American
Psychological Association. Reprinted with permission.
30 Chapter 8 Learning