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Basic Learning Processes
Robert C. Kennedy, PhD
University of Central Florida
[email protected]
10/5/15 Plan
• Chapter 4 discussion
• Housekeeping
• What’s next
Chapter 4: Pavlovian Applications
Vocabulary
• Aversion therapy: A form of counterconditioning in which a CS is paired
with an aversive US, often a nausea-inducing drug.
• Conditioned emotional response: An emotional response to a stimulus
that is acquired through Pavlovian conditioning.
• Conditioned taste aversion: An aversion, acquired through Pavlovian
conditioning, to foods with a particular flavor.
• Counterconditioning: The use of Pavlovian conditioning to reverse the
unwanted effects of prior conditioning.
• Exposure therapy: A form of therapy based on conditioning in which the
client is gradually exposed to a feared stimulus.
• Systematic desensitization: A conditioning-based therapy in which a client
imagines a very weak form of a frightening stimulus while relaxed.
Gradually the strength of the frightening stimulus is strengthened.
• Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET): A form of exposure therapy in
which the client is exposed to a very realistic electronic simulation of a
troubling situation
Pavlovian Applications
• Critiques suggest that all Pavlov did was train dogs to
salivate at the sound of a bell is unfortunately perpetuated
in the press and in some psychology texts.
• Pavlovian conditioning is important to survival and has
many practical applications in modern society.
• It helps account for phobias, prejudice, advertising effects,
some paraphilias, taste aversions, and the functioning of
the immune system.
• Through counterconditioning, Pavlovian conditioning can
often undo the damage of natural learning experiences.
Fear
• The Little Albert study offends some
• Standards of treatment of children were very
different in Watson’s day.
• Watson planned to eliminate Albert’s fear, but
the child and his mother, who worked at the
hospital, left before he could do this.
• See the following actual clips of Little Albert
experiment
www.YouTube.com/watch?v=KxKfpKQzow8
Prejudice
• Most would agree of a role of learning in prejudice
– “that’s how they were brought up.”
– Important to consider precisely what “how they were
brought up” means
– What sorts of experiences do families provide that convey
prejudice?
– Can these experiences be described in terms of Pavlovian
procedures?
– Are there any that cannot be described in terms of
Pavlovian procedures?
Paraphilias
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The role of learning in sexual behavior is often neglected
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possibly because sex is a controversial topic
possibly because the role of learning is so subtle
Consider when you first became aware that you were male or female.
What sorts of experiences do parents provide that convey gender identity?
How might sexual orientation be influenced by learning experiences?
What is a sexual aberration?
How can “normal” sexual behavior be distinguished from “abnormal” sexual
behavior?
Who decides when someone needs treatment?
Does society have the right to prescribe treatment for pedophilia? For rapists?
What about cross-dressing, exhibitionism, masturbation, and homosexuality?
Taste Aversion
• Research on the role of Pavlovian conditioning in taste
preferences has focused on taste aversions.
• People come to like certain foods just as they come to
dislike others.
• Consider the CS and US that might be involved in a
person’s preference for, say, chocolate.
– Preference for sweets is certainly influenced by evolution
(see Chapter 1)
– Cultural differences as well, which means learning is
involved.
– Foods that many in the U. S. consider spicy might be
considered bland in India and Korea.
Advertising
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Product placement
– The practice of providing exposure to brand name products in media, particularly films.
– For example, a popular actor portraying a protagonist in a film might drink a brand name soft
drink during a scene; there may or may not be any mention of the product, which is typically
unimportant to the story line.
– Do such ads utilize Pavlovian principles?
– Are they likely to be more or less effective than traditional ads?
– Do they raise any special ethical questions?
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Dave Barry (1992), the humorist, poked fun at the ads for Timex watches
– People who have survived terrible accidents endorse the watches
– Message from these ads is that if you wear a Timex watch, something bad will happen to you
– Finds himself edging away from Timex display cases for fear that a great white shark may
come around the corner
– His spoof makes a good point: Ads can backfire if the product is paired with stimuli that have
unintended negative effects, such as eliciting fear.
– Consider O. J. Simpson, who had been a frequent figure in television commercials, lost much
of his appeal to advertisers after his arrest for murder.
Drug Addiction
• Many of you have likely tried or thought about
trying psychoactive drugs
• What are the mechanisms involved with drug
addiction?
• Are they the same for all drugs?
• Is Marijuana addictive?
• Should it be legal?
• Are they similar with other kinds of addictions?
Next Class
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Exam will be online Thurs-Fri
Chapter 5
Next lecture Monday, 10/12, Chapter 5
Practice Quizzes