Chapter 4Learning

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Topics to Explore

1. Classical Conditioning

2. Operant Conditioning

3. Motivation

Part 1Classical Conditioning

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Learning: Relatively permanent change in behavior due to

experience

Does NOT include temporary changes due to disease,

injury, maturation, injury, or drugs, since these do

NOT qualify as learning

Reinforcement: Any event that changes the probability that

a response will recur

Response: Any identifiable behavior- Internal: Faster heartbeat- Observable: Eating, scratching

Learning: Some Terms

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Classical conditioning: acquiring a new response (the

conditioned response) to a previously neutral stimulus (the

conditioned stimulus) that reliably signals the arrival of an

unconditioned stimulus.

Ivan Pavlov: Russian physiologist who initially was studying

digestion; first identified mechanisms of classical

conditioning

Also known as Pavlovian or Respondent Conditioning

Classical Conditioning

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Pavlov’s Experimental Setup

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Some Terms

• Reflex: a stimulus-response pair in which the stimulus automatically elicits the response

• Unconditioned stimulus (UCS): the stimulus in a reflex that automatically elicits a response

• Unconditioned response (UCR): the response in a reflex that occurs automatically after the occurrence of the unconditioned stimulus

• Example: physician strikes below knee with little hammer (unconditioned stimulus) knee jerk (unconditioned response)

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Process of Classical Conditioning

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Unconditioned stimulus: a stimulus that elicits a response

without training

Conditioned stimulus: A stimulus that elicits a response

because it has been repeatedly paired with an unconditioned

stimulus

Unconditioned response: An innate response elicited by an

unconditioned stimulus; usually either a reflex or an emotional

response

Conditioned response: Term used to refer to a reflex response

after learning has occurred to elicit the response by a

conditioned stimulus

Components of Classical Conditioning

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There are two different stimuli:

• the unconditioned stimulus, which elicits the response

reflexively, without an training [the smell of food]

• the conditioned stimulus, which can only elicit the response

after training [the sound of the bell]

There is only one response [salivation]. What the response is

called depends on which stimulus elicited it:

• It is the unconditioned response when elicited by the

unconditioned stimulus [the smell of food]

• It is the conditioned response when elicited by the conditioned

stimulus [the sound of the bell]

More on Stimuli & Responses

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Acquisition: acquiring a new response to the conditioned

stimulus

Extinction: the diminishing of the conditioned response when

the unconditioned stimulus no longer follows the conditioned

stimulus

Spontaneous Recovery: a partial recovery in strength of the

conditioned response following a break during extinction

training

Principles of Classical Conditioning

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Graphic: Acquisition & Extinction

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Stimulus Generalization: A tendency to respond to stimuli

that are similar, but not identical, to a conditioned stimulus

(e.g., responding to a buzzer or a hammer banging when the

conditioning stimulus was a bell)

Stimulus Discrimination: The ability to respond differently to

various stimuli (e.g., Rudy will respond differently to various

bells [alarms, school, timer])

Principles, continued

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Phobia: Intense, unrealistic, irrational fear of a specific

situation or object (e.g., arachnophobia (fear of spiders; see the

movie!))

Conditioned Emotional Response (CER): Learned emotional

reaction to a previously neutral stimulus

Desensitization: Exposing phobic people gradually to feared

stimuli while they stay calm and relaxed

Classical Conditioning in Humans

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A Little Demonstration

See in class!

Part 2Operant Conditioning

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Operant Conditioning: Learning based on the consequences of

responding; we associate responses with their consequences

Operant Reinforcer: Any event that follows a response and

changes its likelihood of recurring

Operant Conditioning (Instrumental Learning)

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Example of Operant Conditioning

• Child says “doll,” “duh,” “dat” to get doll.

• On Day 1, parents give doll only when child says “doll”

• By Day 20, child only says “doll” to get doll

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Graphic: Acquisition of Learning

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Skinner Box (conditioning chamber)

Apparatus

designed to study

operant

conditioning in

animals

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Operant reinforcement most effective when given immediately

after a correct response

Effectiveness of reinforcement is inversely related to time

elapsed after correct response occurs

Timing of Reinforcement

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Graphic: Effect of Delay of Reinforcement

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Reinforcer: a stimulus that increases the probability of a prior

response.

Reinforcement: process by which the probability of a

response is increased by the occurrence of a reinforcer.

Punisher: a stimulus that decreases the probability of a prior

response.

Punishment: the process by which the probability of a

response is decreased by the occurrence of a punisher.

Types of Reinforcement

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Types of Stimuli

• Appetitive stimulus: a stimulus that is pleasant

• Aversive stimulus: a stimulus that is unpleasant

• Positive reinforcement: reinforcement in which an appetitive stimulus is presented.

• Positive punishment: punishment in which an aversive stimulus is presented

• Negative reinforcement: reinforcement in which an aversive stimulus is removed

• Negative punishment: reinforcement in which an appetitive stimulus is removed

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Types of Conditioning

consequence:desirable

(appetitive)undesirable(aversive)

given positive reinforcement positive punishment

taken away negative punishment negative reinforcement

yellow increases behavior; blue decreases behavior

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Comparison: Classical & Operant Conditioning

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Comparison: Classical & Operant Conditioning, 2

classical operant

behavior involuntary (reflexive) voluntary (nonreflexive)

association of events (CS & UCS) of response & reinforcer

expectationthat CS signals arrival of UCS

that behavior will be reinforced

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Primary Reinforcer: Unlearned and natural; satisfies

biological needs (e.g., food, water, sex)

Secondary Reinforcer: Learned reinforcer (e.g., money,

grades, approval, praise)

Token Reinforcer: Tangible secondary reinforcer (e.g.,

money, gold stars, poker chips)

Social Reinforcer: Provided by other people (e.g.,

learned desires for attention and approval)

Types of Reinforcers

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Effectiveness of Token Economy

Tokens used to reward socially desirable behavior in a mental hospital ward. Tokens could be used for snacks, coffee, game-room privileges, weekend passes.

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Continuous Reinforcement: A reinforcer follows every

correct response

Partial Reinforcement: Reinforcers do NOT follow every

response

Partial Reinforcement Effect: Responses acquired with

partial reinforcement are very resistant to extinction

Continuous & Partial Reinforcement

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Review: Types of Reinforcers

Part 3Motivation

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Drive Reduction Theory

• Motivation: the set of internal and external factors that energize our behavior and direct it toward goals

• Drive reduction theory: a theory of motivation that proposes that our behavior is motivated to reduce drives (bodily tension states) created by unsatisfied bodily needs to return the body to a balanced state

• Need vs. Drive:

You begin a fast: after 1 day after 1 week

need for food some need need increases

drive for food (hunger) some hunger hunger decreases

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Incentive & Arousal Theories

• Incentive theory: a theory of motivation that proposes that our behavior is motivated by incentives, external stimuli that we have learned to associate with reinforcement.

• Arousal theory: a theory of motivation that proposes that our behavior is motivated to maintain an optimal level of physiological arousal.

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Yerkes-Dodson Law

• Yerkes-Dodson law: a law describing the relationship between the amount of arousal and the performance quality on a task

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Intrinsic & Extrinsic Motivation

• Extrinsic motivation: the desire to perform a behavior for external reinforcement

• Intrinsic motivation: the desire to perform a behavior for its own sake

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A Little Demonstration: Sensation Seeking Scale

See in class!

THE END!