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Chapter 6:
Learning
Music:
“Superstitious”
Steve Wonder
“Live and Learn”
Cardigans
Learning: Agenda
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1. Classical Conditioning
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2. Operant Conditioning
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a) Distinction with CC
b) Skinner -Shaping
c) Reinforcement d) Punishment
e) Application: Gaining Self-Control**
3. Observational Learning
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a) Pavlov’s experiments
b) Terminology
c) Acquisition/ Generalization/ Extinction
d) Application: Little Albert
a) Bandura’s Bobo-Doll Experiments
b) Application: Media Violence
4. Movie: Snake Phobia (12 min.)
1. Classical Conditioning
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Introduction with beer commercials:
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Definition of Learning:
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Relatively permanent change in behaviour that results from
experience
a) Pavlov’s Experiments:
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irIkOdIZVvo
Found that dogs could salivate to non-food stimuli!
b) Terminology:
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Unconditioned Stimulus: UCS
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Unconditioned Responses: UCR
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Innate, unlearned response to UCS
Conditioned Stimulus: CS
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Always causes reflexive response
Previously neutral stimulus that now elicits a response
Conditioned Response: CR
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Learned response to neutral stimulus
1. Classical Conditioning (cont’d)
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Tip: Conditioned=Learned
Unconditioned=Unlearned
c) Acquisition:
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Generalization:
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When should the CS (e.g. tone) be paired with the UCS
(e.g. food) for conditioning to occur?
Tendency to respond with CR to stimuli similar to the
original CS (e.g. different tones)
Extinction:
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Occurs with the presentation of the CS alone (e.g. tone)
Note on the treatment of phobias, and spontaneous
recoveries of conditioned responses
1. d) Application:
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Little Albert:
Watson’s famous case (1920) with 11-month healthy boy
Experimental procedure
Conditioned fear of white furry objects
Brief footage
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Two-process theory of phobic reactions:
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1) Classical conditioning of fear
2) Operant conditioning of avoidance:
 Avoidance is reinforced and phobia is maintained
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See p. 257
p. 257
Maintenance of
Fear response
2. Operant Conditioning
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a) Distinction with CC:
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Controlling stimuli comes after the response
b) Skinner:
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“Law of effect”: Rewarded behavior is more likely to re-occur
Shaping: for more complex behaviors
 Brief clips with pigeons
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c) Reinforcement:
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Always strengthens behavior
Positive: primary vs. secondary (e.g. food vs praise)
2. Operant Conditioning
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Negative Reinforcement:
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responses that terminate a negative, or aversive situation
are reinforced
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e.g. giving a candy (response) to a crying child (negative
stimulus)
Schedules of reinforcement: (p.
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255)
Partial reinforcement produces greater persistence in
behavior than continuous reinforcement
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Explains gambling behaviour
2. c) Pos. vs. Neg. Reinforcement
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(p. 257)
2. Operant Conditioning
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d) Punishment:
 Negative consequences following undesired behaviour
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E.g. Removing a privilege /“Time out”
 Prescribing undesired activity
 Physical aggression
Drawbacks:
 Punished behavior is not forgotten, it is suppressed
 Physical punishment increases aggression through modeling
 Can also create fear that will generalize
Does not tell you “what to do”!
Punishment if used swiftly, works best when accompanied with explanation
and positive reinforcement for appropriate behaviors
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***Decreases the frequency of a behavior
d) Neg. Reinforcement vs.
Punishment
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p. 258
2. Operant Conditioning
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e) Application: Gaining Self-Control!
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1) Identify target behavior
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2) Monitor your current habits
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In behavioural terms, what you wish to decrease or increase
Keep a daily log which will serve as baseline
3) Look at antecedents and consequences (functional
analysis)
4) Begin your program!
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Set appropriate goals
a) To increase behavior:
 Find good reinforcers (p. 275)
 Seek situations that promote desired behavior
Self-Control…
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Reinforcers
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p. 275
2. e) Self-Control Program (cont’d)
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4) Begin your program (cont’d)
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b) To decrease behavior:
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Avoid situations that elicit unwanted behavior
Find substitute for the consequences of unwanted behavior
Reward yourself for not engaging in unwanted behavior
5) Monitor your behavior on a daily basis
(chart your progress)
6) Enlist social support
7) Go from continuous to partial
reinforcement
2) e. Summary:
Self-Control Program
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p. 273
Personal Application Section
3. Observational Learning
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Both CC and OC can take place vicariously,
through observational learning.
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a) Bandura’s Bobo-Doll Experiments (1961-1963)
Study: 3-5 yr. old children in 4 experimental conditions:
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1) Live, aggressive model
2) Filmed, aggressive model
3) Cartoons with aggressive acts
4) No exposure to aggression (control condition)
Results: Groups 1, 2 & 3 showed significantly greater
no. of aggressive acts (i.e. hits against bobo doll) than
the control condition
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Clip with Bandura
3. Observational Learning:
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Conclusions:
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Learning can occur through observation and imitation (i.e. without
conditioning or direct reinforcement)
b) Applications:
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Media violence:
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fMRI studies:
 Exposure to violent movies linked to brain area involved in the inhibition of
aggressive impulses (lowered activation)
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Violent video games:
 Reduces sensitivity to violence and suffering of victims
 Players more hostile, less forgiving and believe violence is “normal”
 Can increase likelihood of aggression
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Conversely, prosocial models can have positive effects
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Prosocial video games:
 Players get into fewer fights at school and found to be more helpful
4. Movie: Snake Phobia
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Can people with a specific phobia learn to
quickly overcome their fears? You will see
an actual demonstration of exposure
therapy that helps a snake phobic
overcome her severe phobic reaction in
just three hours. (12 min.)