The Learning Approach (Behaviourism). Watson (1878-1958) "Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up and.

The Learning ApproachThe Learning Approach

(Behaviourism)(Behaviourism)

Watson (1878-1958)

"Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select-- doctor, lawyer, merchant-chief, and yes, even beggarman and thief, regardless of histalents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors."(Watson, 1930)

•What claim is Watson making about human nature?

What is it all about?What is it all about?

All behaviour is learned from the environment

We are born as “blank slates” (tabula rasa) All we have at birth is the

capacity to learn

Focus of the approach: observable behaviour

Some definitions....

Stimulus : Any change in the environment that an organism registers.

Response : Any behaviour that the organism emits as a consequence of a stimulus.

Reflex: A consistent connection between a stimulus and a response.

Classical conditioningClassical conditioning

Learning by association

That’s a reflex

Dog hears the lab technician

What’s going on?

Bell: Neutral stimulus (NS)

Salivation: unconditioned Response (UCR)

Bell: Conditioned stimulus (CS)

Salivation: Conditioned response (CR)

Food: unconditioned stimulus (UCS)

Before conditioning

During conditioning

After conditioning

PairingBell: Neutral stimulus (NS)

Food: unconditioned stimulus (UCS)

Salivation: unconditioned Response (UCR)

How does it work?How does it work?

Work it out....Work it out....A child is afraid of spiders. One day he is in a lift

and notices a spider. Now he is afraid of lifts.

Neutral stimulus (NS)?Neutral stimulus (NS)? Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)?Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)?

Unconditioned response (UCR)?Unconditioned response (UCR)?

Conditioned stimulus (CS)?Conditioned stimulus (CS)?

Conditioned response(CR)?Conditioned response(CR)?

Operant conditioningOperant conditioning

Learning by consequencesLearning by consequences

Key Theorists Thorndike (1849-1936)

• Looked at behaviour in animals – noticed that they learnt from repeated actions

• Animals and humans learn to repeat actions that produce good effects and avoid actions that have bad outcomes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDujDOLre-8

Psyc

hlot

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org.

uk

Operant conditioning

Behaviour ConsequenceLikelihood

of repetition

“Behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences.” (B.F.Skinner)

Reinforcement

Punishment

Psyc

hlot

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org.

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Operant conditioning

Behaviour ConsequenceLikelihood

of repetition

“Behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences.” (B.F.Skinner)

Reinforcement

Punishment

Psyc

hlot

ron.

org.

uk

Operant conditioning

Behaviour ConsequenceLikelihood

of repetition

“Behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences.” (B.F.Skinner)

Reinforcement

Punishment

RatatouilleRatatouille

Ratatouille is hungry and perform various exploratory behaviours

By chance he presses the lever

A pellet of food appears!

I’ll do that again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6zS7v9nSpo&feature=related

Some definitions....

Reinforcement :

Anything which has the effect of increasing the likelihood of the behaviour being repeated

Positive reinforcement :

Anything which has the effect of increasing the likelihood of the behaviour being repeated by using consequences that are pleasant when they happen i.e. food for Ratatouille

Negative reinforcement :

Anything which has the effect of increasing the likelihood of the behaviour being repeated by using consequences that are pleasant when they stop - like being electrocuted continuoulsy!

Punishment : Anything which has the effect of decreasing the likelihood of the behaviour being repeated by using consequences that are unpleasant when happen i.e. an immediate shock!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imkbuKomPXI

Schedules of reinforcementSchedules of reinforcement• When and how often we reinforce a

behaviour can have a significant impact on the strength and rate of the response.

2 types of schedules• Continuous reinforcement: the desired behaviour is

reinforced every single time it occurs.• Partial reinforcement: the response is reinforced

only part of the time.

1. Fixed ratio schedules: the response is reinforced only after a specified number of responses.

2. Variable-ratio schedules occur when a response is reinforced after an unpredictable number of responses.

3. Fixed-interval schedules the first response is rewarded only after a specified amount of time has elapsed

4. Variable-interval schedules occur when a response is rewarded after an unpredictable amount of time has passed.

Which schedule of reinforcement produces the fastest learning?

Shaping• Selective reinforcement of successive closer

approximations to a target behaviour.

Social learningSocial learningLearning by andobservation imitation

Bandura (1977) believed that four criteria need too be met for

imitation to occur

1. Attention to the role model

2. Retention of the observed behaviour

3. Reproduction of the target behaviour

4. Motivation to imitate the observed behaviour

Who makes an effective role Who makes an effective role model?model?

Same gender Same age

Higher status

Admired or/and respected

Why do we imitate?

What???

Observe behaviour being reinforced in

other people

Vicarious reinforcements

Bandura (1961)

And now lets think!

• Which type of learning best explains the way you learn?

Which of your behaviours have been learned through association?

Which role models do you imitate?

Strengths of the Learning approach

Advantages

• Focus on observable and measureable behaviour

• Research methods are scientific, easy to replicate and test

• Helped identify Ψ as a scientific discipline

Disadvantages

• Fails to explain why people are sometimes frightened of things of which they have no experience

• Doesn’t take innate factors into account• No role for free will …everything is stimulus

response• Doesn’t take into account cognitive abilities –

the eureka moment

Top five things you have learned today.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

If you are unsure about any of these concepts – check out U Tube

A nice little summary of Behaviourism

http://www.youtube.com/watch?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU0zEGWp56Yv=RU0zEGWp56Y