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Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, Talbot
Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Conditioning and Learning
Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, Talbot
Chapter 6
Learning: Some Key Terms
• Learning: Relatively permanent change in behavior due
to experience. Often due to ________ &___________.
– Does NOT include temporary changes due to
disease, injury, maturation, injury, or drugs, since
these do NOT qualify as learning
• Reinforcement: Any event that increases the probability
that a response will recur
Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, Talbot
Chapter 6
Classical Conditioning and Ivan Pavlov
• Russian physiologist who initially was studying digestion
• Used dogs to study salivation when dogs were
presented with meat powder
• Also known as Pavlovian or Respondent Conditioning
• Reflex: Automatic, nonlearned innate response e.g., an
eyeblink
Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, Talbot
Figure 6.1
Chapter 6
FIGURE 6.1 In classical conditioning, a stimulus that does not produce a response is paired
with a stimulus that does elicit a response. After many such pairings, the stimulus that
previously had no effect begins to produce a response. In the example shown, a horn precedes
a puff of air to the eye. Eventually, the horn alone will produce an eye-blink. In operant
conditioning, a response that is followed by a reinforcing consequence becomes more likely to
occur on future occasions. In the example shown, a dog learns to sit up when it hears a whistle.
Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, Talbot
Figure 6.3
Chapter 6
FIGURE 6.3 The classical conditioning procedure.
Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, Talbot
Chapter 6
Principles of Classical Conditioning
• Expectancy: Expectation about how events are
interconnected
• Acquisition: Training period when a response is
reinforced
• Extinction: Weakening of a conditioned response
through removal of reinforcement
• Spontaneous Recovery: Reappearance of a learned
response following apparent extinction
Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, Talbot
Chapter 6
Principles of Classical Conditioning (cont'd)
• 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 learned ability to respond
differently to various stimuli (e.g., Paula will respond
differently to various bells (alarms, school, timer))
Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, Talbot
Chapter 6
Classical Conditioning in Humans
• Conditioned Emotional Response: Learned emotional
reaction to a previously neutral stimulus
• Phobia: Intense, unrealistic, irrational fear of a specific
situation or object (e.g., arachnophobia; fear of spiders;
see the movie!)
• Taste Aversions
Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, Talbot
Chapter 6
Operant Conditioning
(Instrumental Learning)
• Definition: Learning based on the
consequences of responding; we
associate responses with their
consequences
• Operant Reinforcer: Any event that follows
a response and increases its likelihood of
recurring
Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, Talbot
Chapter 6
Timing of Reinforcement
• Operant reinforcement most effective
when given immediately after a correct
response
• Shaping: Molding responses gradually to a
desired pattern
• Successive Approximations: Ever-closer
matches
• Extinction: When learned responses that
are NOT reinforced gradually fade away
Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, Talbot
Chapter 6
More Operant Conditioning Terms
• Positive Reinforcement: When a response is followed by a reward or
other positive event
• Negative Reinforcement: When a response is followed by the
removal of an unpleasant event (e.g., the bells in Fannie’s car stop
when she puts the seatbelt on) or by an end to discomfort
• Primary Reinforcer: Nonlearned and natural; satisfies biological
needs (e.g., food, water, sex)
• Secondary Reinforcer: Learned reinforcer (e.g., money, grades,
approval)
• Punishment: Any event that follows a response and decreases the
likelihood of it recurring (e.g., a spanking)
• Response Cost: Removal of a positive reinforcer after a response is
made
Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, Talbot
Chapter 6
Partial Reinforcement
• Definition: Reinforcers do NOT follow every response
• Schedules of Reinforcement: Plans for determining
which responses will be reinforced
• Continuous Reinforcement: A reinforcer follows every
correct response
• Partial Reinforcement Effect: Responses acquired with
partial reinforcement are very resistant to extinction
Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, Talbot
Chapter 6
Schedules of Partial Reinforcement
• Fixed Ratio Schedule (FR): A set number of correct
responses must be made to obtain a reinforcer.
• Variable Ratio Schedule (VR): Varied number of correct
responses must be made to get a reinforcer.
• Fixed Interval Schedule (FI): The first correct response
made after a certain amount of time has elapsed is
reinforced; produces moderate response rates.
• Variable Interval Schedule (VI): Reinforcement is given
for the first correct response made after a varied amount
of time
Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, Talbot
Chapter 6
Stimulus Control
• Stimuli that consistently precede a rewarded response
tend to influence when and where the response will
occur
• Operant Stimulus Generalization: Tendency to respond
to stimuli similar to those that preceded operant
reinforcement. How can this lead to superstitions?
• Operant Stimulus Discrimination: Occurs when one
learns to differentiate between the stimuli that signal
either an upcoming reward or a nonreward condition
Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, Talbot
Chapter 6
Punishment
• Punisher: Any consequence that reduces the frequency
of a target behavior
• Definition of Punishment
• Most effective when:
• Undesirable side effects of punishment:
Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, Talbot
Chapter 6
Cognitive Learning
• Latent Learning: Occurs without obvious
reinforcement and is not demonstrated
until reinforcement is provided
• Rote Learning: Takes place mechanically,
through repetition and memorization, or by
learning rules
• Discovery Learning: Based on insight and
understanding
Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, Talbot
Chapter 6
Modeling or Observational Learning
(Albert Bandura)
• Model: Someone who serves as an example in
observational learning
• Occurs by watching and imitating actions of another
person or by noting consequences of a person’s actions
– Occurs before direct practice is allowed