LEARNING
Chapter 8
BEHAVIORISM
Popular 1920s – 1960s
 Rose to prominence after WWI due to
decreasing popularity of Freud’s theories
 John B. Watson


viewed psychology as objective, quantitative
science of observable behavior
LEARNING

Learning
 relatively
permanent change
in an organism’s behavior due
to experience
 experience (nurture) is the key
to learning
ASSOCIATION
Event 1
Event 2

Sea snail associates splash with a tail shock
Seal learns to expect a snack for its showy antics
Learning to
associate two
events
CLASSICAL OR PAVLOVIAN
CONDITIONING
Ivan
Pavlov
1849-1936
 Russian physician/ neurophysiologist
 Nobel Prize in 1904
 studied digestive secretions

CLASSICAL OR PAVLOVIAN
CONDITIONING
Two related events:

Stimulus 1
Lightning
Stimulus 2
Thunder
Result after repetition
Stimulus
We see
lightning
Response
We wince
anticipating
thunder
We learn to
associate two
stimuli
CLASSICAL OR PAVLOVIAN
CONDITIONING

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)


effective stimulus that unconditionally-automatically and
naturally- triggers a response
Unconditioned Response (UCR)

unlearned, naturally occurring automatic response to the
unconditioned stimulus

salivation when food is in the mouth
CLASSICAL OR PAVLOVIAN
CONDITIONING

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)


previously neutral stimulus that, after association with an
unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned
response
Conditioned Response (CR)

learned response to a previously neutral conditioned
stimulus
PAVLOV’S CLASSIC EXPERIMENT
Before Conditioning
UCS (food
in mouth)
UCR
(salivation)
During Conditioning
Neutral
stimulus
(tone)
No
salivation
After Conditioning
UCS (food
in mouth)
Neutral
stimulus
(tone)
UCR
(salivation)
CS
(tone)
CR (salivation)
CLASSICAL OR PAVLOVIAN
CONDITIONING
Pavlov’s
device
for recording
salivation
CONDITIONING

Acquisition


the initial stage of learning, during which a response is
established and gradually strengthened
Extinction


diminishing of a CR
in classical conditioning, when a UCS does not follow a CS
CLASSICAL OR PAVLOVIAN
CONDITIONING

Spontaneous Recovery


reappearance, after a rest period, of an
extinguished CR
Generalization

tendency for a stimuli similar to CS to evoke
similar responses
CLASSICAL OR PAVLOVIAN
CONDITIONING

Discrimination

in classical conditioning, the ability to distinguish
between a CS and other stimuli that do not signal and
UCS
OPERANT CONDITIONING

Operant Conditioning


type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if
followed by reinforcement or diminished if followed
by punishment
Law of Effect

Thorndike’s principle that behaviors followed by
favorable consequences become more likely and
behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences
become less likely
OPERANT CONDITIONING
 Operant

Behavior
complex or voluntary behaviors

push button, perform complex task
operates (acts) on environment
 produces consequences

 Respondent
Behavior
occurs as an automatic response to stimulus
 behavior learned through classical conditioning

OPERANT CONDITIONING
B.F.
Skinner (1904-1990)
elaborated Thorndike’s Law of Effect
 developed behavioral technology


Skinner Box
soundproof chamber with a bar
or key that an animal presses or
pecks to release a food or water
reward
 contains a device to record
responses

OPERANT CONDITIONING

Reinforcer
any event that strengthens the behavior it follows
 Positive Reinforcement
 Negative Reinforcement


Shaping

conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide
behavior toward closer approximations of a desired
goal
TYPES OF REINFORCERS

Primary Reinforcer
innately reinforcing stimulus
 satisfies a biological need


Secondary Reinforcer
conditioned reinforcer
 learned through association with primary
reinforcer

SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT

Continuous Reinforcement
learning occurs rapidly
 extinction occurs rapidly


Partial Reinforcement



reinforcing a response only part of the time
results in slower acquisition
greater resistance to extinction
SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT
Fixed
Ratio (FR)
reinforces a response only after a specified number of
responses
 Example:

Variable
Ratio (VR)
reinforces a response after an unpredictable number
of responses
 Example: like gambling, fishing


Both number of times
SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT
 Fixed
Interval (FI)
reinforces a response only after a specified time
has elapsed
 Example:

 Variable
Interval (VI)
reinforces a response at unpredictable time
intervals
 produces slow steady responding
 like pop quiz

 Both
focused on time
SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT
Number of
responses
1000
Fixed Ratio
Variable Ratio
Fixed Interval
750
Rapid responding
near time for
reinforcement
500
Variable Interval
250
Steady responding
0
10
20
30
40
50
Time (minutes)
60
70
80
PUNISHMENT

Punishment


aversive event that decreases the
behavior that it follows
Problems with punishment:
APPLICATIONS OF BEHAVIORISM
School
 Work
 Home

OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING

Observational Learning
learning by observing and imitating others
 Discovery of mirror neurons


Modeling


process of observing and imitating behavior
Prosocial Behavior
positive, constructive, helpful behavior
 opposite of antisocial behavior

SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY

Albert Bandura
(Neobehaviorist b/c he
uses unobservable
processes in explanations)


Bobo doll experiment
Modeling
BEHAVIORISM WAS DISPROVED:

Biological predispositions interfere:
Garcia and Koelling
 Brelands
 Rozin

BEHAVIORISM WAS DISPROVED:

Cognitive Interference:
Tolman
 Rescorla
 Overjustification
 Emory Study

BEHAVIORAL THERAPIES

Behavior Modification (Therapy) – applies learning
principles to eliminate unwanted behaviors.

Counter conditioning (Classic) techniques – pairs the trigger
stimulus with a new response.

Systematic Desensitization





Aversive Conditioning – pairs associations with unpleasant
feelings and the unwanted behavior.



Mary Cover Jones
Wolpe
Progressive relaxation
Exposure therapy – can use imagination or reality to face a feared
situation
Examples
Mowrer
Operant Conditioning


Token Economy – rewards for desired behaviors
Concerns?
OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING

Observational Learning
learning by observing and imitating others
 Discovery of mirror neurons


Modeling


process of observing and imitating behavior
Prosocial Behavior

positive, constructive, helpful behavior
SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY

Albert Bandura
(Neobehaviorist b/c he
uses unobservable
processes in explanations)


Bobo doll experiment
Modeling
EVALUATION OF BEHAVIORISM

Overall positives



Many useful practical applications
Empirical Perspective
Overall negatives



Too deterministic
Largely based on work with animals
Use of behaviorists principles to control others is
unethical