Download Stephen F. Davis

4th Edition
Psychology
Stephen F. Davis
Emporia State University
Joseph J. Palladino
University of Southern Indiana
PowerPoint Presentation by H. Lynn Bradman
Metropolitan Community College-Omaha
Copyright 2004 Prentice Hall
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Chapter 5
4th Edition
Learning
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What is Learning?
• Learning occurs when experience
produces a relatively permanent change in
behavior.
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Classical Conditioning
• Classical conditioning involves pairing an
unconditioned stimulus (UCS), which
automatically elicits an unconditioned response
(UCR), with a conditioned stimulus (CS), which
is neutral at the start of conditioning.
• Several pairings during an acquisition phase
lead to a situation in which the CS presented by
itself elicits a conditioned response (CR).
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Classical Conditioning
• Several pairings during an acquisition phase
lead to a situation in which the CS presented by
itself elicits a conditioned response (CR).
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Classical Conditioning
• When the UCS is intense and presented more
frequently, stronger classical conditioning is
produced.
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Classical Conditioning
• The classically conditioned response is
eliminated or extinguished when the UCS is
removed or not presented; this process is called
extinction.
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Classical Conditioning
• Spontaneous recovery of the CR occurs when
time is allowed to pass between extinction
sessions.
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Classical Conditioning
• Generalization occurs when CRs are
elicited by stimuli that are similar to the
CS.
• Discrimination is the opposing process; it
involves responding only to the
appropriate CS.
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Classical Conditioning
• John Watson and Rosalie Rayner
demonstrated that emotions can be
learned by classically conditioning
9-month-old Little Albert to fear a white rat.
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Classical Conditioning
• This child exhibited a phobia, which is a fear for
certain activities, objects, or situations.
• The research conducted by Watson and Rayner
would not be considered ethical by present-day
standards.
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Classical Conditioning
• Learned motives and foamed goals (or
learned incentives) are acquired through
classical conditioning.
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Classical Conditioning
• Our understanding of classical conditioning has
been subject to revision since Pavlov introduced
the basic processes.
• For example, although the association of CS
with UCS is important in establishing
conditioning, the real key is the degree to which
the CS predicts occurrence of the UCS.
• Previous trials of a CS-UCS pairing can serve to
block the effectiveness of a second CS.
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Classical Conditioning
• Previous trials of a CS-UCS pairing can serve to
block the effectiveness of a second CS.
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Classical Conditioning
• For many species, the
pairing of a novel
taste with the
experience of illness
results in learning an
aversion to that taste.
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Classical Conditioning
• Taste-aversion learning occurs readily in
humans; birds, however, more readily
associate a color with illness.
• Preparedness is evident when some
species are more likely to form certain
associations than others.
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Operant Conditioning
• Operant conditioning occurs when an organism
performs a target response that is followed by a
reinforcer, which increases the probability that
the behavior (target response) will occur again.
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Operant Conditioning
• All reinforcers increase the frequency of
the response they follow.
• Positive reinforcers are presented after the
target response has been made; negative
reinforcers are withdrawn or taken away
after the target response has been made.
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Operant Conditioning
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Operant Conditioning
• Primary reinforcers (for example, food)
satisfy basic biological needs; secondary
(conditioned) reinforcers (for example,
money) acquire their power to reinforce
behavior by being associated with primary
reinforcers.
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Operant Conditioning
• Complex responses may be acquired
gradually through the process of shaping
(successive approximations).
• Psychologists can keep track of the rate of
responding by using a cumulative record,
which keeps track of all target responses
made by an organism across time.
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Operant Conditioning
• Once a behavior has been acquired, it
may be reinforced according to a particular
schedule of reinforcement.
• When a ratio schedule is in effect, the
number of responses is important.
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Operant Conditioning
• Fixed-ratio (FR)
schedules require that a
set number of responses
be made before a
reinforcer is delivered.
• Variable-ratio (VR)
schedules require that the
participant perform
differing numbers of
responses to obtain a
reinforcer.
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Operant Conditioning
• With an Interval schedule, a certain
amount of time must pass before a
response is reinforced.
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Operant Conditioning
• With a fixed-interval (FI)
schedule, the time
interval is constant.
• The time interval changes
after each reinforcer is
delivered when a
variable-interval (VI)
schedule is used.
• Ratio schedules generally
produce higher rates of
responding than interval
schedules.
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Operant Conditioning
• Operant responses that are not reinforced each time
during training take much longer to extinguish than ones
that have received continuous reinforcement.
• This phenomenon is known as the partial (intermittent)
reinforcement effect.
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Operant Conditioning
• A discriminative stimulus signals that
responses will be reinforced.
• Behavior is said to be under stimulus
control when responding occurs only when
the discriminative stimulus is present.
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Operant Conditioning
• The opposite of
reinforcement,
punishment, involves
presentation or
withdrawal of stimuli
called punishers,
which results in a
suppression of the
target behavior.
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Cognitive and Social Perspectives
On Learning
• Insight learning involves restructuring our
perceptual stimuli to achieve the solution
to a problem.
• Such perceptual restructuring and
solutions typically occur rapidly.
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Cognitive and Social Perspectives
On Learning
• Latent learning occurs
when learning has
taken place but is not
demonstrated until a
later time.
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Cognitive and Social Perspectives
On Learning
• Observational learning takes place when
we observe and identify with the behaviors
of others.
• Advertisements and television
commercials appeal to this process.
• Televised violence may result in
observational learning and lead to an
increase in violent behaviors.
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