Download Learning Day 2

1878-1958
key name
founder
of Behaviorism
conducted the famous &
controversial “Little Albert”
experiment

Little Albert Video
NS (neutral stimulus):
furry things
UCS (unconditioned stimulus)loud noise
UCR (unconditioned response)startled
CS (conditioned stimulus)furry things
CR (conditioned response) startled
Born in 1917
key name
 Discovered
idea of Taste
Aversion
 Taste aversion later became
known as the “Garcia Effect
 Set
up experiment with rats. Exposed
them to sights, sounds, and tastes (CS)
and later also gave them radiation or
drugs that led to nausea and vomiting
(UCR).
 Even
if sickened hours later, rats
avoided the particular flavor of water but
did NOT develop aversions to the sights
or sounds.
1.) Violated behaviorists principle that any stimulus could
serve as a CS.
2.) Shows that nature prepares the members of each
species to learn those things crucial to their survival.
3.) Are exceptions to classical conditioning rules: UCS
does not always have to follow CS immediately.
Unit 6: Learning
Day 2
Topic:
Operant Conditioning
1874-1949
key name
the “Law of
Effect” – rewarded behavior
is likely to recur.
 conducted puzzle box
experiments on cats
 Proposed
puzzle box

A type of learning in which behavior is
strengthened if followed by reinforcement
or diminished if followed by punishment.

Behavior affected is
usually INVOLUNTARY

Behavior affected is
usually VOLUNTARY
• Key events are
PRESENTED to the
learner
• Events CAUSE the
behavior
• Key events are
PRODUCED by the
learner
• Events CONTROL the
behavior
• The learner does not
have a choice
• The learner has a
choice
1904-1990
key name
B.F. = (Burrhus Frederic )
 Most
significant name in behaviorism
(behavior is controlled by reinforcement, not your
unconscious)
 Research
on operant conditioning
 Creator of the operant chamber (Skinner
Box)
 Author
of Walden II

Any event that STRENGTHENS the behavior it
follows.
Two Types of Reinforcement:
Positive and Negative
Schedules of Reinforcement
(pigeon pecking behavior)
Training a puppy to roll over

All Reinforcement
INCREASES THE
LIKELIHOOD that a
particular behavior will occur.

Positive Reinforcement:
encourages a certain
behavior by offering a
positive stimulus (reward).
I _______
Negative Reinforcement
(and so do you!)
 Negative
Reinforcement also
ENCOURAGES a particular behavior by
removing an aversive (negative)
stimulus.
 Punishment: DISCOURAGES a
particular behavior by usually adding an
aversive stimulus.

Prisoners being released early for good behavior.
(encouraged to be good so negative environment is
removed).

You cannot drive your car UNTIL you get better
grades. (encouraged to study harder so negative of
not having your car is removed).

The seatbelt alarm in a car buzzes until you put on
the seatbelt. (encouraged to put on seatbelt so that
annoying sound is removed)

You are grounded because you lied.

A child is spanked for cussing.

A teacher forces a student to stand
in the corner because he interrupted
him.
Primary
Conditioned
Innately satisfying
UNLEARNED
Satisfying because they are
associated with a primary reinforcer
LEARNED
food
???
water
???
sex
???
Affiliation (family and friends)
???
Removal of pain
???

Continuous Reinforcement: reinforcing the desired
behavior everytime it occurs.
◦ Learning happens very quickly.
◦ Extinction happens very quickly if
reinforcement is stopped.

Partial (Intermittent) Reinforcement: reinforcing a
desired behavior only part of the time.
◦ Learning takes longer (slower acquisition)
◦ TAKES LONGER for extinction to occur.
Schedules of Reinforcement
Fixed-ratio
Reinforcement always occurs after a fixed number of
operant responses
A factory worker may be paid $1 for every 3 T-shirts
they make.
= $1
Schedules of Reinforcement
Variable-ratio
Reinforcement usually occurs after a certain number
of operant responses
A gambler might win the jackpot after just one pull of
the slot machine, or after 52 pulls, or after 2,397
pulls.
Schedules of Reinforcement
Fixed-interval
Reinforcement always occurs after a fixed amount of
time has passed
A factory worker may be paid $1 for every 3 hours
they work.
= $1
Schedules of Reinforcement
Variable-interval
Reinforcement usually occurs after a certain amount
of time has passed
A person on parole may be given a random drug
test. He/she has no idea when they will be asked for
a urine specimen. It could be next week, or a month
from now, or several months from now.
The next drug test will be:
?????????

In rats, if you delay reinforcement, virtually no
learning will occur.

Although humans do recognize delayed
reinforcement, immediate gratification sometimes
move us into risky behavior. EX: smoking,
drinking, unprotected sex.
Skinner tried unsuccessfully
to market and sell the
operant chamber to parents
under the names “Heir
conditioner,” “Air crib” and
“Baby tender”
Law of Effect
Thorndike’s principle that behaviors
followed by favorable consequences
become more likely and behaviors
followed by unfavorable consequences
become less likely
•Operant Behavior
complex or voluntary behaviors
push button, perform complex
task
operates (acts) on environment
produces consequences
•Respondent Behavior
occurs as an automatic response to
stimulus
behavior learned through classical
conditioning

Shaping refers to an
operant conditioning
technique in which
reinforcers guide behavior
closer and closer towards
a desired goal.
◦ Uses successive
approximations.
Shaping pigeon turning behavior
Shaping a dog's behavior
How would you have
trained this cat to
become potty
trained?
(Meet the Parents Clip – Psych in Film)

A procedure in Operant Conditioning in which
reinforcers guide behavior closer and closer
towards a goal.
Behaviorist: Only cares about behavior – what a person
does – what can be observed or proven
Learning is mechanical – you behave the
way you do because of external stimuli – no
internal processes are required (learning by
thinking about something or watching it)
Cognitivist: Care about what a person knows (instead of
does). Learning serves a purpose. You can
learn by watching or thinking about
something.
Cognitive map: a mental representation of one’s
environment that is developed without the
aid of reinforcement.
Latent learning: learning that occurs (like cognitive map)
that is not apparent (hidden) until there is
an incentive to justify it.
◦
Ex: rats that were not reinforced while in a
maze could navigate it just as fast when there
was a reward put at the end. If there was no
food at the end, they just roamed through the
maze (they were in no rush to get to the end).
Unit 5: Learning
Topic:
Social Theories of Learning
b. 1925
key name
 Researched
social theories of
learning (a.k.a. observational learning or
modeling)
 Conducted
the famous “Bobo
the clown” experiment
 Experiment
that showed
children could easily learn
aggression through
observational learning
modeling.
 Frustrated children go to beat
on clown after seeing adult
model do the same.
 After a variety of experiments,
many consider Bandura to be
the father of social learning
theory.


Observational
learning describes
process of learning by
observing others.
Modeling is an
example of
observational learning
by which we imitate a
specific behavior.
1887-1967
key name
 Insight
learning. Argued
that animals do not simply
learn through trial and error
but from sudden
understanding
(a.k.a. the “aha!” moment)
Kohler’s Experiment
1.
failure
the chimp jumps fruitlessly at bananas that have been hung out of
reach
2. pause
after a period of unsuccessful jumping, the chimp apparently
becomes angry or frustrated, walks away in seeming disgust,
pauses
3. look at the potential tools
the chimp looks at the food in what might be a more reflective way,
then at the toys in the enclosure, then back at the food, and then at the
toys again.
4. the attempt
the animal begins to use the toys to get at the food