general psychology (py110)
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General Psychology (PY110). Chapter 4 Learning. Learning. Learning is a relatively permanent change or modification in behavior due to experience or training. Why Do We Learn?. Reward. Reinforcement. Training. Two main types of training. Classical Conditioning. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
General Psychology General Psychology (PY110)(PY110)Chapter 4Learning
LearningLearning
Learning is a relatively permanent change or modification in behavior due to experience or training
Why Do We Learn?Why Do We Learn?
TrainingTrainingTwo main types of training
Behavior
Training type
Innate Classical ConditioningAcquired Operant Conditioning
Classical ConditioningClassical ConditioningDiscovered by Ivan Pavlov - a Russian
physiologist studying digestive processes in dogs
The dogs were strapped into harnesses and had tubes inserted into their cheeks to measure the amount of salivation, the initial step in the digestive process
With time, he noticed that the dogs started to salivate before the meat powder was even put in their mouths, and wanted to know why this was happening
Classical ConditioningClassical Conditioning
(Neutral Stimulus)
Elements and Elements and Procedures Procedures of Classical of Classical ConditioningConditioning
Unconditioned Stimulus
(UCS)
Unconditioned Response
(UCR)
Conditioned Stimulus
(CS)
Conditioned Response
(CR)
Associated Similar
Principles of ConditioningPrinciples of ConditioningExtinction
◦Hey where’s my food?Spontaneous Recovery
◦Maybe I’ll get food this timeStimulus Generalization◦Any bell will do
Stimulus Discrimination◦That’s not the dinner bell
“I don’t know about you,but that bell is starting to
put me off my food”
Acquisition, Extinction, Acquisition, Extinction, and Spontaneous and Spontaneous RecoveryRecovery
Stimulus Generalization Stimulus Generalization and Discriminationand Discrimination
Limitations of Classical Limitations of Classical ConditioningConditioningContinuous
reinforcement required
Extinction occurs quickly
The “Little Albert” StudyThe “Little Albert” StudyJohn Watson conducted a study on an
infant named AlbertWhile Albert was looking at a little white
rat, Watson quietly sneaked behind him and made a loud noise
Albert’s reflexive response, the UCR, was a fear-avoidance response (e.g., crying andtrying to crawl away) to the loudnoise, which was the UCS
After pairing the white rat with theloud noise only 7 times, the white rat became a CS
Operant Conditioning Operant Conditioning
Behaviors that are reinforced (lead to satisfying consequences) will be strengthened, and behaviors that are punished (lead to unsatisfying consequences) will be weakened
Called “operant” conditioning because the organism needs to “operate” on the environment to bring about consequences from which to learn
Learning to associate behaviors with their consequences
Operant ConditioningOperant ConditioningMost famous work conducted by
psychologist B.F. SkinnerUsed apparatus
known as ‘Skinner boxes’ that are still used in experimentation today
The Law of EffectThe Law of EffectOperant conditioning is based on E. L. Thorndike’s Law of Effect Any behavior that results
in satisfying consequences tends to be repeated, and any behavior that results in unsatisfying consequences tends not be repeated
General Learning General Learning Processes Processes in Operant Conditioning in Operant Conditioning Shaping occurs when an animal is
trained to make a particular response by reinforcing successively closer approximations to the desired response◦With humans, this might mean
reinforcing a child the closer he comes to making his bed correctly each morning
Shaping in Operant Shaping in Operant ConditioningConditioning
Imitation (or Modeling)Imitation (or Modeling)Albert Bandura
◦Researched aggressiveness as a learned behavior
◦Children exposed to aggressive adult behavior against Bobo doll
◦Many imitated aggressive behavior
Types of ReinforcementTypes of ReinforcementPositive Negative
Reinforcement
A reward Removal of something unpleasant
Punishment Unpleasant Present
Removal of a reward
Example of ReinforcementExample of ReinforcementA psychologist considering why alcoholics drink can consider two possible reinforcement factors
Positive Reinforcement
Negative Reinforcement
Types of ReinforcementTypes of Reinforcement
Interval Schedules of Interval Schedules of ReinforcementReinforcementFixed Interval
◦Reward arrives on set schedule Work paid with salary
Variable Interval◦Reward arrives sporadically
Ratio Schedules of Ratio Schedules of ReinforcementReinforcementFixed Ratio
◦Reward arrives after performance of task Piece work
Variable Ratio◦Reward will arrive after unknown
number of repetitions of a task Lottery Resistant to Extinction
MotivationMotivation
The Motivation ProcessThe Motivation Process
1. Need2. Drive (awareness)3. Action (direction)4. Need reduction or
Need satisfaction
State ofdeprivation(imbalance)
Theories of MotivationTheories of Motivation
Yerkes-Dodson LawYerkes-Dodson Law
State of Arousal
Diff
icul
ty o
f Tas
k
Best Result
Low
High
High
Low
Yerkes-Dodson LawYerkes-Dodson Law
Increased arousal will aid performance up to a point, after which further arousal impairs performance