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Behaviours not dependent on learning (reflex action, fixed pattern action and behaviours due to maturation)
Classical conditioning (Pavlov’s original experiments, conditioned stimulus, unconditioned stimulus, conditioned response, unconditioned response, process of acquisition, extinction, stimulus, generalisation, stimulus discrimination and spontaneous revovery)

 Learning is a relatively permanent change in behaviour as a result of learning
Can you think of any examples?

 Most human behaviour are learned, but some are innate (inborn), these are:
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Reflex actions
Fixed pattern actions
Maturation

 Kit Kat activity
 Actions that are relatively simple and automatic and involuntary
 They come directly from the NS
- eg) pulling hand away from hot stove, salivation, blinking

 When different members of the same species produce an identical response to the same specific stimuli
 These actions are genetically programmed into the animal’s NS and appear to be unable to be changed

 Nesting
 Salmon migrate thousands of ks through ocean waters to spawn (reproduce) in the rivers in which they were born!
 Birds flying south for the winter
 Honey bees perform ritualistic behaviours to indicate the location of a source of food

 Development related to physical growth, social, emotional and intellectual development
 It occurs in a sequence and is largely predictable – determined by genes (+ a bit of environment)
- eg) learning to walk, learning socially acceptable behaviour, learning how to read

 We learn in different ways and it differs for the individual and the situation
 Reinforcement is a key to learning – it refers to any event that increases the chance that the response will occur again
 A response is any identifiable behaviour

 Conditioning is a form of learning that emphasises the relationship between a
stimulus and a response
- What is a stimulus? Can you think of examples from your everyday lives where a stimulus evokes a certain response

 Classical conditioning: also known as respondent conditioning where we learn by association
 Operant conditioning: also known as instrumental conditioning where we learn by consequences
 Observational learning: also known as modelling where we learn through observing

 C:\Program Files\Sniffy Demo For
Windows\SniffyDemo.exe

 We will discuss this in more depth later in the
AOS
 However a token economy is a form of behaviour modification where an individual receives a token (reinforcement) for appropriate behaviour and these tokens can be collected and exchanged for real rewards

 Define the following terms in relation to
Classical Conditioning (pg 284-289)
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Conditioned stimulus
Stimulus generalisation
Stimulus discrimination
Extinction
Spontaneous recovery

Respondent, Pavlovian or Associative Conditioning

 Also known as respondent or Pavlovian conditioning
 Conditioning that occurs through repeated association between two or more stimuli
 There are several terms we use to describe the events in classical conditioning

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Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)
Unconditioned response (CR)
Neural stimulus (NS)
Conditioned stimulus (CS)
Conditioned response (CR)
Extinction
Spontaneous recovery
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Stimulus generalisation
Stimulus discrimination

 Before learning a neural stimulus (NS) will
NOT evoke a response
 After learning the neural stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS)

 Is a stimulus that is naturally capable of creating a response
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 EG:
Food
A loud sound
Cold weather
A loud sound
A puff of air on your eye
A hot stove

 Is a naturally occurring (innate) response to an unconditioned stimulus (UCS)
 EG:
When you smell food you salivate
(food is the UCS salivation is the UCR)
When it is cold you shiver
(cold is the UCS shivering is the UCR)

 Is a stimulus that will evoke a response AFTER learning has taken place
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 EG:
In Pavlov’s experiment the bell becomes a CS which triggers salivation (CR)
You eat every time you go to the kitchen. Food is originally the UCS and feeling hungry is the UCR. In time the kitchen itself becomes the CS and feeling hungry becomes a CR

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A response to a stimulus that has been learned
EG:
Salivating at the sound of the bell becomes a
CR
You get bitten by a spider in your bed one night. The spider is the UCS, pain is the UCR, your bed becomes the CS and being scared of being bitten becomes the CR

 Often the UCR will become the CR but NOT always
 For example with the spider. Pain was the original UCR but then fear of pain becomes the CR

 The period of time it takes for a response or behaviour to be learned
 To acquire behaviour a CS must be reinforced during training

 After conditioning has occurred, if the UCS is no longer followed by the CS, conditioning will gradually disappear
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 EG:
When Pavlov rang the bell (CS) but no longer presented the food (UCS), the dog eventually stopped salivating (CR) after hearing the bell
(UCS)

 When the conditioned response (CR) reappears after a period of time following the conditioned stimulus (CS) spontaneous recovery has occurred
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 EG:
The next day the experimenter rings the bell
(CS) and the salivation occurs (CR) after it was thought to be extinct

 After conditioning has occurred, other stimulus that appears to be the same (similar) to the conditioned stimulus (CS) may also trigger the conditioned response (CR)
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 EG:
Pavlov’s dog might salivate at the sound of a phone ringing or a door bell

 This happens when the person or animal responds ONLY to the conditioned stimulus
(CS) and no other similar stimulus
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 EG:
Pavlov’s dog only salivates at the sounds of the bell

With reference to taste aversion

 One trial learning with reference to taste aversion

 Classical conditioning where it only takes one pairing of a neural stimulus prior to unpleasant stimulus to create a lasting association between the two
 Most often occurs with pain or food
 Time lapse between NS and UCS could be hours – different to classical conditioning where it needs to be immediate

 Sometimes called Garcia response (John
Garcia first demonstrated this with animals in
1974) – pg 289 read its interesting
 Type of one-trial learning
 Association between stimuli (smell or taste) and unpleasant response (vomiting, nausea)

With reference to Thorndike’s experiments

 Trial and error learning, including Thorndike’s puzzle-box experiment

 Thorndike studied animal intelligence – he placed hungry cat in box with salmon outside box just out of reach and cat had to work out how to press a lever to open the door (puzzle box experiment)
 Trial and error learning occurs when an organism eliminates responses that do not achieve desired goals and continue to explore environment until they discover the response that gains the desired reward

Instrumental or Skinnerian Conditioning

 Operant conditioning, including Skinner’s original experiments (the Skinner box) and processes of acquisition, extinction, stimulus generalisation, stimulus discrimination and spontaneous recovery

 Where we associate a response with a consequence
 Behaviours or responses that are reinforced tend to be repeated (Thorndike called this the
law of effect)
 A response is followed by a reinforcer (food, praise, removal of unpleasant stimuli etc)

 Most operant studies take place in a conditioning chamber (think back to the video on the Skinner box)
 Hungry rat (or other animal) is placed in box and receives reinforcement (food) for behaviours such as grooming or pressing a lever (positive reinforcement)
 Unpleasant stimuli such as an electric shock may also be removed after the response (negative
reinforcement)

• Positive reinforcement
• Negative reinforcement
• Punishment
• Response cost

 When a pleasant or desirable event follows a response (action/behaviour) and then chances of the response occurring again are increased
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 EG:
You get $5 for doing the dishes
You get verbal praise for working hard in class
You get an A+ on an essay your worked really hard on

 Occurs when an unpleasant stimulus is removed or reduced, increasing the chances of the response occurring again
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 EG:
You have a headache and take a panadol
Rat is given shock and shock is removed if it presses the level

 Any event following a response that will
decrease the likelihood of the response occurring again
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 EG:
Being sent out of class for talking, talking will become less likely in the future
Your parents send you to your room without dinner for being naughty, you will be less likely to be naughty in the future

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Another type of punishment (involved in punishment)
Reinforcement where a positive reinforcer is removed after a response
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 EG:
Parking tickets
Speeding fines
TV privileges

 (Skinner box – operant conditioning) video02.mp4
 (Thorndike – trial and error learning – type of operant conditioning) video03.mp4

 In operant conditioning, it is more effective when reinforcement directly follows the desired response (refer to graph on page 300)
 If there is a delay in the reinforcement, learning is less likely to occur therefore the chance of the response occurring again will not be increased

 Refers to plans for determining which responses will be reinforced
 Continuous reinforcement is when a reinforcer follows every correct response (not realistic under non-lab conditions)
 Partial reinforcers do not follow every correct response (extinction is less likely to take place)

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 Fixed ratio: number of responses must be made before reinforcement
EG: I give you a lollie for every 5 minutes you are quiet
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 Variable ratio: varied number of responses must be made before reinforcement
EG: playing a poker machine – you don’t know how many dollars you will have to put in to be rewarded

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 Fixed interval: reinforcer given after response after a fixed amount of time
EG: pedestrian button – light will only go green after a fixed amount of time after you press it
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 Variable interval: reinforcer given after correct response after a varied amount of time
EG: fishing – you don’t know how long you will have to wait for the fish to bite

Bobo doll experiment – (observational learning) video01.mp4

 Observational learning (modelling) processes: attention, retention, reproduction, motivation, reinforcement; Bandura’s experiments with observational learning in children

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 We learn by observation – but how does it occur?
Learner pays attention to model
Learner perceives the model to be interesting
Learner remembers what was done by the model (retention)
Learner reproduces the behaviour
(reproduction)
Learner has motivation to repeat the task

 Learning set and its influence on future learning

 Is a positive transfer of information from a previous learning situation to a new learning situation
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EG: a driving simulator – a real car
EG: playing tennis – playing badminton
EG: gymnastics – diving
EG: Sprinting – hurdles

 Comparison of classical and operant conditioning, role of learner, timing of stimulus and response, nature of response
(reflex/voluntary)

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Role of learner
Timing of stimulus and response
Nature of response (reflexive/voluntary)
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 Task:
In your booklets you need to write up a comparison of classical and operant conditioning

 Ethical issues in conditioning behaviour including Watson’s ‘little Albert’ experiment

 Little Albert experiment
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 Task:
Read focus on research Little Albert page 298
What are the ethical issues?
Why would this experiment not be conducted today? There is a section in your booklets for these answers