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Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
Chapter 6Chapter 6
LearningLearning
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• ISBN: 0-131-73180-7
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LearningLearning
Learning – A process through which experience produces lasting change in behavior or mental processes
Habituation – Learning not to respond to repeated presentation of a stimulus
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Behavioral learning – Forms of learning that can be described in terms of stimuli and responses (e.g. classical and operant conditioning)
LearningLearning
Mere exposure effect – Learned preference for stimuli to which we have been previously exposed
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Classical conditioning is a basic form of learning in which
a stimulus that produces an innate reflex becomes
associated with a previously neutral stimulus, which then acquires the power to elicit
essentially the same response
What Sort of Learning Does What Sort of Learning Does Classical Conditioning Explain?Classical Conditioning Explain?
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The Essentials of Classical The Essentials of Classical ConditioningConditioning
Neutral stimulus – Any stimulus that produces no conditioned response prior to learning
Acquisition – Initial learning stage in classical conditioning; conditioned response becomes elicited by the conditioned stimulus
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Classical ConditioningClassical Conditioning
•This is passive learning (automatic…learner does NOT have to think).
•First thing you need is a unconditional relationship.
•Unconditional Stimulus (UCS)- something that elicits a natural, reflexive response.
•Unconditional Response (UCR)- response to the UCS.
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The Essentials of Classical The Essentials of Classical ConditioningConditioning
Unconditioned Unconditioned response (UCR)response (UCR)
Unconditioned Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)stimulus (UCS)
Conditioned Conditioned response (CR)response (CR)
Conditioned Conditioned stimulus (CS)stimulus (CS)
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The Essentials of Classical The Essentials of Classical ConditioningConditioning
Unconditioned response (UCR)
Unconditioned Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)stimulus (UCS)
Conditioned response (CR)
Conditioned stimulus (CS)
The stimulus that elicits an unconditioned response
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The Essentials of Classical The Essentials of Classical ConditioningConditioning
Unconditioned Unconditioned response (UCR)response (UCR)
Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)
Conditioned response (CR)
Conditioned stimulus (CS)
The response elicited by an unconditioned stimulus without prior learning
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The Essentials of Classical The Essentials of Classical ConditioningConditioning
Unconditioned response (UCR)
Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)
Conditioned response (CR)
Conditioned Conditioned stimulus (CS)stimulus (CS)
A previously neutral stimulus that comes to elicit the conditioned response
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The Essentials of Classical The Essentials of Classical ConditioningConditioning
Unconditioned response (UCR)
Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)
Conditioned Conditioned response (CR)response (CR)
Conditioned stimulus (CS)
A response elicited by a previously neutral stimulus that has become associated with the unconditioned stimulus
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Classical ConditioningClassical ConditioningPrior to conditioning
Conditioning
After conditioning
Neutral stimulus(tone)
(Orientation to soundbut no response)
Unconditioned stimulus(food powder in mouth)
Unconditioned response(salivation)
Neutral stimulusCS (tone)
Unconditioned stimulus(food powder)
+Conditioned response
(salivation)
Conditioned stimulus(tone)
Conditioned response(salivation)
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Classical ConditioningClassical Conditioning
Extinction – Weakening of a conditioned association in the absence of an unconditioned stimulus or reinforcer
Spontaneous recovery –Reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response after a time delay
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Acquisition, Extinction, and Acquisition, Extinction, and Spontaneous RecoverySpontaneous Recovery
(1)Acquisition(CS + UCS)
(3)Spontaneous Recovery(CS alone)
Res
t per
iod(2)
Extinction(CS alone)
(Time)
Trials
Str
engt
h of
the
CR
(Wea
k)(S
tron
g)
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Classical Conditioning:Classical Conditioning:Generalization and DiscriminationGeneralization and Discrimination
Stimulus generalization involves giving a conditioned response to stimuli that are similar to the CS
Stimulus discrimination involves responding to one stimulus butnot to stimuli that are similar
Confusing stimuli may cause experimental neurosis
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Applications of Classical ConditioningApplications of Classical Conditioning
Taste-aversion learning – Biological tendency in which an organism learns to avoid food with a certain taste after a single experience, if eating it is followed by illness
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Classical Conditioning and Classical Conditioning and HumansHumans
•John Watson brought Classical Conditioning to psychology with his Baby Albert experiment.
This type of Classical Conditioning is also known as Aversive Conditioning.
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A Challenge to PavlovA Challenge to Pavlov
Why are some stimuli-consequence combinations readily learned while other combinations are highly resistant to learning?
What any organism can or cannot learn in a given setting is due in part to its evolutionary history
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How Do We LearnHow Do We LearnNew Behaviors byNew Behaviors by
Operant Conditioning?Operant Conditioning?
In operant conditioning, the consequences of behavior,
such as rewards and punishments, influence the
chance that our behavior will occur again
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How Do We LearnHow Do We LearnNew Behaviors byNew Behaviors by
Operant Conditioning?Operant Conditioning?
Trial-and-error learning – Learner gradually discovers the correct response by attempting many behaviors and noting which ones produce the desired consequences
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Operant Operant ConditioningConditioning
The Learner is NOT passive.
Learning based on consequence!!!
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The Law of EffectThe Law of Effect
•Edward Thorndike•Locked cats in a cage•Behavior changes because of its consequences.•Rewards strengthen behavior.•If consequences are unpleasant, the Stimulus-Reward connection will weaken.•Called the whole process instrumental learning.
Click picture to see a better explanation of the Law of Effect.
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B.F. SkinnerB.F. Skinner
•The Mac Daddy of Operant Conditioning.
•Nurture guy through and through.
•Used a Skinner Box (Operant Conditioning Chamber) to prove his concepts.
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The Power of ReinforcementThe Power of Reinforcement
Positive reinforcers –Stimulus presented after a response that increases the probability of that response happening again
Negative reinforcers – Removal of an unpleasant stimulus, contingent on a particular behavior
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The Power of ReinforcementThe Power of Reinforcement
Primary reinforcers – Reinforcers, such as food and sex, that have an innate basis because of their biological value to an organism
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The Power of ReinforcementThe Power of Reinforcement
Secondary reinforcers – Stimuli, such as money or tokens, that acquire their reinforcing power by their learned association with primary reinforcers (also called conditioned reinforcers)
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Contingencies of ReinforcementContingencies of Reinforcement
Continuous reinforcement – Reinforcement schedule in which all correct responses are reinforced
Partial reinforcement – Reinforcement schedule in which some, but not all, correct responses are reinforced (also called intermittent reinforcement)
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How does this differ from extinction in classical conditioning?
Contingencies of ReinforcementContingencies of Reinforcement
Extinction – In operant conditioning, a process by which a response that has been learned is weakened by the absence or removal of reinforcement
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Schedules of ReinforcementSchedules of Reinforcement
Ratio schedules – Provide reward after a certain number of responses
Interval schedules – Provide reward after a certain time interval
Fixed Ratio (FR)Fixed Ratio (FR)
Fixed Interval (FI)Fixed Interval (FI)
Variable Ratio (VR)Variable Ratio (VR)
Variable Interval (VI)Variable Interval (VI)
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Schedules of ReinforcementSchedules of Reinforcement
Fixed Ratio (FR)Fixed Ratio (FR)
Fixed Interval (FI)
Variable Ratio (VR)
Variable Interval (VI)
Rewards appear after a certain set number of responses
e.g. factory workers getting paid after every 10 cases of product are completed
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Schedules of ReinforcementSchedules of Reinforcement
Fixed Ratio (FR)
Fixed Interval (FI)
Variable Ratio Variable Ratio (VR)(VR)
Variable Interval (VI)
Rewards appear after a certain number of responses, but that number varies from trial to trial
e.g. slot machine pay-offs
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Schedules of ReinforcementSchedules of Reinforcement
Fixed Ratio (FR)
Fixed Interval Fixed Interval (FI)(FI)
Variable Ratio (VR)
Variable Interval (VI)
Rewards appear after a certain fixed amount of time, regardless of number of responses
e.g. weekly or monthly paychecks
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Schedules of ReinforcementSchedules of Reinforcement
Fixed Ratio (FR)
Fixed Interval (FI)
Variable Ratio (VR)
Variable Interval Variable Interval (VI)(VI)
Rewards appear after a certain amount of time, but that amount varies from trial to trial
e.g. random visits from the boss who delivers praise
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The Problem of PunishmentThe Problem of Punishment
Punishment – An aversive stimulus which diminishes the strength of the response it follows
How does this differ from negative reinforcement?
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Punishment vs. Negative Punishment vs. Negative ReinforcementReinforcement
Loud Noise Press Lever
Press Lever
Loud Noise Removed
Loud Noise Applied
Response ConsequenceNegative Reinforcement
Punishment
No Noise
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The Problem of PunishmentThe Problem of Punishment
Positive punishment – The application of an aversive stimulus after a response
Omission training (negative punishment) –The removal of an appetitive stimulus after a response
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Four Kinds of ConsequencesFour Kinds of Consequences
Positive orappetitive
Negative or aversive
STIMULUS
-Remove
NegativeReinforcementAspirin curing headache causes more aspirin use
Omission Training
Paying a speeding ticket leads to less speeding
+Present
PositiveReinforcementBonus for working hard leads to more hard work
PunishmentSpanking leads to less
talking back from children
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The Use and Abuse of PunishmentThe Use and Abuse of Punishment
Power usually disappears when threat of punishment is removed
Punishment• Often triggers aggression• May inhibit learning new and better
responses• Is often applied unequally
When does punishment work?
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Alternatives to PunishmentAlternatives to Punishment
Extinction
Reinforcing preferred activitiesPremack principle
Prompting and shaping
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Operant and Classical Conditioning Operant and Classical Conditioning ComparedCompared
Classical conditioning involves the association of two stimuli (UCS + CS) before the response or behavior
Operant conditioning involves a reinforcing (reward) or punishing stimulus after a response or behavior
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How DoesHow DoesCognitive PsychologyCognitive Psychology
Explain Learning?Explain Learning?
According to cognitive psychology, some forms of
learning must be explained as changes in mental processes,
rather than as changes in behavior alone
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How DoesHow DoesCognitive PsychologyCognitive Psychology
Explain Learning?Explain Learning?
Insight learning – Problem solving occurs by means of a sudden reorganization of perceptions
Cognitive maps –A mental representation of physical space
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Insight LearningInsight Learning
Wolfgang Kohler and his Chimpanzees.
Some animals learn through the “ah ha” experience.
Click pic to see insight learning.
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Observational Learning: Bandura’s Observational Learning: Bandura’s Challenge to BehaviorismChallenge to Behaviorism
Observational learning – Form of cognitive learning in which new responses are acquired after watching others’ behavior and the consequences of their behavior
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Observational LearningObservational Learning
Albert Bandura and his BoBo Doll
We learn through modeling behavior from others.
Observational learning + Operant Conditioning = Social Learning Theory
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Brain Mechanisms and LearningBrain Mechanisms and Learning
Long-term potentiation – Biological process involving physical changes that strengthen the synapses in groups of nerve cells; believed to be the neural basis of learning
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End of Chapter 6End of Chapter 6