Learning
Dr. Cody Reardon
Reaction
• How do you learn these habits that all of you
have?
• Stimulus- something that produces a reaction
• Response- a reaction that a stimulus gives
Conditioning
• What is your favorite food?
• Conditioning- works through the paring of
different stimuli to produce a reaction
• Classical Conditioning- a simple form of
learning that uses one stimulus comes to call
forth a response. The Stimuli and the
Response have been paired together.
Unconditioned
• Unconditioned stimulus- a stimulus that
causes a response that is automatic, not
learned.
• Unconditioned response- an automatic
response to a stimulus
• Ideas?
Conditioned
• Conditioned Response- A learned response to
a stimulus that was previously neutral, or
meaningless.
• Conditioned stimulus- repeated association
with an object makes an object a learned
stimulus.
Adaption
• When in your life have you adapted to a new
environment.
• Taste Aversion- a learned avoidance to a
particular food.
• Examples of taste aversion?
Extinction
• There are instances in a person, or animal’s life that a
stimulus can loose its effect on its intended response.
• Extinction- when a conditioned stimulus is no longer
followed by an unconditional stimulus, it loses its
ability to bring about a conditioned response.
• This is confusing but break it down with me.
Conditioned stimulus (fire alarm) + Unconditioned Stimulus
(fire in the building)= Conditioned response (panic/leave
students behind)
More Adaptions
• Spontaneous Recovery-this is the recovery of
what was previously an extinguished response
to a stimulus.
• Generalization- Responding the same to
similar stimuli even though they may not be
identical
• Discrimination- the act of responding
differently to stimuli not similar to each other
Applications of Classical Conditioning
• Flooding- A person is exposed to a fearful
stimulus until fear responses are extinguished.
• Systematic Desensitization- taught relaxation
techniques while shown fearful stimuli's
• Counterconditioning- a pleasant stimulus is
paired with a fearful one, counteracting the
fear.
• Bell and Pad Method- used for bed wetting
Operant Conditioning
• Operant Conditioning- when people learn to
do certain things and learn not to do others.
• Reinforcement- the process by which a
stimulus increases the chances that a
preceding behavior will occur again.
Types of Reinforces
• Primary Reinforces- reinforces that function
due to biological makeup
Examples?
• Secondary Reinforcers- these must be learned
and acquire value by being paired with
established reinforcers.
Examples?
Types of Reinforcers
• Positive Reinforcers- increase the frequency
of the behavior they follow when they are
applied.
• Negative Reinforcers- increase the frequency
of the of the behavior they follow when they
are removed.
• What is better, rewards or punishments?
Schedules of Reinforcement
• Continuous reinforcement- the reinforcement
of a behavior every time that behavior occurs.
• Partial Reinforcement- a behavior is not
reinforced every time.
Then why keep doing the behavior?
Types of Schedules
• Interval Schedules- Amounts of time that pass
before being reinforced.
– Fixed Interval Schedule- a fixed amount of time
must pass between reinforcements. (consistent)
– Variable Interval Schedule- varying amounts of
time elapse between reinforcements
– Ratio Schedules- varying amount of times a
behavior is reinforced. (5:1)
Shaping
• Shaping- this is the way to teach a complex
activity to someone using small steps to
complete the activity.
• Programmed Learning- Any activity no matter
how complex can be taught by breaking down
into smaller steps.
Latent Learning
• I need to be picked up at the football stadium,
what street can you pick me up on.
• Latent Learning- Learning that remains hidden
until it is needed
• How did you learn to get home from school,
and how did you learn to get to school from
home?
Observational Learning
• Observational Learning- we learn skills and
knowledge by observing and imitating others.
• Give me some real life examples
• Are there instances in life when observational
learning is dangerous.
PQ4R
• Preview- getting a general picture before you
begin to examine the material
• Question- learning is always easier when there is
a goal in mind or when there is something
particular that we want to learn, we become
active learners
• Read- or examine the material with the goal of
answering the question
PQ4R’S CONTINUED
• Reflect- it is important to reflect so we can
understand and remember it.
• Recite- a true method to studying a subject is
reciting the answers over and over again
• Review- distributed review is best rather than
massed. Reviewing can be replaced with
relearning every day.