LEARNING
Chapter 6
Chapter 6: Learning
Chapter Breakdown
Classical Conditioning
(Pavlov & Watson)
Operant Conditioning
(Thorndike & Skinner)
Cognitive-Social Learning
(Insight, Latent, Observational Learning, Scaffolding)
The Biology of Learning
(Neuroscience & Evolution in Learning)
Using Conditioning and Learning Principles
Warm-up
wWrite a paragraph
describing something
you learned to do and
how you learned it.
wGive specifics in your
description; stay away
from generalizations.
Defining Learning
• Relatively permanent
change in an
organism’s behavior
due to experience
Learning by Association
We learn by association
 Our minds naturally connect events that
occur in sequence
Associative Learning
 learning that two events occur together
 two stimuli
 a response and its consequences
 Food aversions?
Association
• Learning to
associate two
events
• Similar to cause
and effect
How Do We Learn?
• Classical
Conditioning
• Operant
Conditioning
• Learning by
Observation
Classical Conditioning
wA type of learning that occurs
when an association is made
between a meaningful stimulus
& a non-meaningful stimulus
wIvan Pavlov (1903)
w Pavlovian Conditioning
• Russian physiologist/digestion
in dogs
wJohn Watson (1925)
• Little Albert
Terminology
wUnconditioned Stimulus (UCS): Stimulus that evokes an
unconditioned response (automatic)
wConditioned Stimulus (CS): Previously neutral stimulus
that has, through conditioning, acquired the capacity to
evoke a conditioned response
wUnconditioned Response (UCR): Unlearned reaction to
an unconditioned stimulus that occurs without previous
conditioning
wConditioned Response (CR): Learned reaction to a
conditioned stimulus that occurs because of previous
conditioning
Procedures in Classical Conditioning
• Acquisition
 the initial stage in classical conditioning
 the phase associating a neutral stimulus with
an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral
stimulus comes to elicit a conditioned
response
• Testing and Extinction
• Presenting the CS alone
• If a stimulus is never reinforced, then the
response will go away.
Classical Conditioning
NEUTRAL STIMULUS
will
elicit
NO REACTION
UNCONDITIONED STIMULUS
will
elicit a
REFLEX ACTION
will
elicit a
REFLEX ACTION
will
elicit a
CONDITIONED
RESPONSE
UNCONDITIONED STIMULUS
NEUTRAL STIMULUS
CONDITIONED
CONDITIONEDSTIMULUS
STIMULUS
Classical Conditioning Apparatus
Classical Conditioning Diagram
Second-Order Conditioning
Processes in Classical Conditioning
• Acquisition: initial stage of learning
• Extinction: the gradual weakening and
disappearance of a conditioned response tendency
CS repeatedly presented without UCS
• Spontaneous Recovery: a reappearance of an
extinguished response after a period of nonexposure to the conditioned stimulus
• Stimulus Generalization: a similar CS makes a
CR
• A baby will call Daddy “Dada.” When the baby sees any
man, the baby calls out “Dada.”)
• Stimulus Discrimination: no CR with a similar CS
Idealized Curve of Acquisition,
Acquisition,
Spont.
Extinction,
and Extinction
Spontaneous&Recovery
Recovery Curve
Myers in Modules, Module 20
Acquisition, Extinction, Spont.
Recovery Graph
Cognitive Processes
• Conditioning occurs best when the CS and
UCS have just the sort of relationship that
would lead a scientist to conclude that the
CS causes the UCS
• even in classical conditioning, it is not only the
simple stimulus-response association but also
the thought that counts.
• Can’t work as well if not expected
Biological Predispositions
• John Garcia
Conditioned taste aversions
• Not all neutral stimuli can become conditioned
stimuli.
• Internal stimuli—associate better with taste
• External stimuli—associate better with pain
• Biological preparedness
• Stronger with involuntary behaviors such as
reflexes, basic drives (food, water, sex) and
emotions.
Behaviorism
John B. Watson
 viewed psychology as objective science
 generally agreed-upon consensus today
 recommended study of behavior without
reference to unobservable mental processes
 not universally accepted by all schools of thought
today
Little Albert Experiment
• The reaction of children,
whenever they heard loud
noises, was prompted by fear.
• This fear was innate or due to
an unconditioned response.
• He felt he could condition a
child to fear another
distinctive stimulus which
normally would not be feared
by a child.
Results of Experiment
• Albert showed fear to anything furry,
especially white furry. (fur coat and
Santa mask_
• Over time the response went away
(extinction).
• Once they banged the bar again, the
response returned.
Aftermath
• Conditioned fear
experiments such as
Albert’s experience
would never occur
today because of the
existing ethical
standards.
Mary Cover Jones
Who She Is
• Mary Cover Jones used an
early form of desensitization
to prove that fears (phobias)
could be unlearned.
Her Experiment
• Peter, a young boy, had an
extreme fear of rabbits.
Jones gave Peter his
favorite food while slowly
bringing the rabbit closer
and closer. Eventually
Peter no longer panicked
around rabbits.
Applications of Classical Conditioning
• Fears
• Phobias
• A fear when no
realistic dangers exists
• Many psychologist
believe they come
from conditioned
emotional responses
(CER’s)
• Aversion Therapy
• Taste Aversion
• Addictions
• Drug abuse/Alcoholism
• Advertising
• Pairing good looking
models with products
• Music and product
Identify UCS, UCR, CS, CR
• Cancer patients who suffer nausea and
vomiting after chemotherapy often develop
classically conditioned nausea to stimuli
associated with taking the drug. After four
or five clinic visits, they may react to its
sight, sound, and smell with anxiety and
nausea.
Identify UCS, UCR, CS, CR
• As a child you were playing in the backyard
when the neighbor’s cat wandered over.
Your mother screamed and snatched you
into her arms. Her behavior caused you to
cry. You now have a fear of cats.
Identify UCS, UCR, CS, CR
• The first time Joe went to the casino he
won a jackpot and was very excited and
happy. He won again the next time he
went. He has since lost all the money and
is gambling more than he can afford to
lose.
Our Experiment
• Purpose:
• We will recreate the Pavlov experiment using a student
and lemonade powder
• Goal:
• To change the behavior of the student’s saliva glands by
introducing a neutral stimulus that will eventually
become a conditioned stimulus
• Procedure:
• Have a trigger word to prompt the tasting
• Have an action that you will add later to stop them from
tasting