Learning is achieved through experience

Learning is a relatively permanently change in behavior as a result of experience

Principles;1. Learning is a change in mental state2. Seen only through observation3. Involves a change in behavior4. Results from experience reinforced from

repetition5. Relatively permanent6. Can be applied to different situations

A Stimulus elicits a response ex. Bell rings Students leave class

Ivan Pavlov Russian Biologist Dogs salivate a t the sight of food…. Can we get dogs to salivate in

anticipation of food? Can we get dogs to respond to a

neutral stimulus?

Classical ConditioningNeutral stimulus- (bell)Unconditioned stimulus- stimulus that causes automatic response (salivation to food)Unconditioned response -response to a condition that was previously neutral meaningless (Salivating when hear bell)After conditioning -LearnedConditioned stimulus- learned stimulus (bell means food)Conditional response- learned response (salivation to bell)

UCS UCR

NS UCS UCR

CS CR

An unconditioned stimulus elicits an unconditioned response

A neutral stimulus paired with an unconditioned stimulus elicits an unconditioned response

A conditioned stimulus elicits a conditioned response

Screams, loud sounds gunshots, a learned condition (conditioned stimulus) means a conditioned response (fight or flight)

Animals learn to avoid danger or deal with it Your turn Learning My Hand up- unconditioned stimulus Condition response- taught to quiet down and can leave class Learned Conditioned stimulus- hand up New conditional response= Why did you respond the way you did?

Extinction= Conditioned stimulus is disconnected from the conditioned response.

Conditioned stimulus no longer causes a conditioned response (problem with teachers)

Spontaneous Recovery- Conditioned Behavior returns when Conditions are reintroduced

Overcome fears Flooding (extinction) – exposure to a

harmless stimulus until fear is gone Ex: Heights, snakes Systematic Desensitization- taught relaxing

techniques in presence of stimulus Counter conditioning- pleasant stimulus is

paired with fearful stimulus

Learn from the consequences of their actions Major researcher B.F. Skinner Behavior Reinforcement- Stimulus (reward)

increases chances that a specific behavior will occur

Do things with desirable outcomes and avoid behaviors that have negative consequences.

Human Goal- Maximize pleasure, minimize pain

The term reinforce means to strengthen, or increase the probability of a specific response. ex, if you want your dog to sit on command, you may give him

a treat every time he sits for you. The dog will eventually come to understand that sitting when told to will result in a treat.

The treat, which increases the response, sitting.  We all apply reinforcers everyday, most of the time without

even realizing we are doing it. You may tell your child "good job" after he or she cleans their room; you tell your partner how good he or she look when they dress up; or maybe you got a raise at work after doing a great job on a project. All of these things increase the probability that the same response will be repeated.

Types of reinforcement:

Received something he or she wants following the behavior

For example, adding a treat will increase the response of sitting;

adding praise will increase the chances of your child cleaning his or her room.

The most common types of positive reinforcement is praise and rewards.

Uncomfortable stimulus – we act to make discomfort disappear 

Imagine a teenager who is nagged by his mother to take out the garbage week after week.  After complaining to his friends about the nagging, he finally one day performs the task and to his amazement, the nagging stops.  The elimination of this negative stimulus is reinforcing and will likely increase the chances that he will take out the garbage next week.

Punishment refers to adding something aversive in order to decrease a behavior.

Unwanted events The most common example of this is

disciplining (e.g. spanking) a child for misbehaving. The reason we do this is because the child begins to associate being punished with the negative behavior. (detentions)

The punishment is not liked and therefore to avoid it, he or she will stop behaving in that manner

Problems Doesn’t teach acceptable behavior Only work if guaranteed May leave situation Created anger or hostility People learn to imitate ways to solve problems

Behavior Result Behavior Change

Positive Reinforcement Studying

Enjoyment of Material (positive

reinforcer)

Student studies more

(increase)

Negative Reinforcement Studying

Fear of doing poorly on test

(negative reinforcer)

Student studies more

(increase)Won’t do it

again

Punishment Studying Parent forces you to study

Student studies moreWon’t do it

again

Tend to only work if reinforced Schedules of Reinforcement- how often

reinforcement occurs Law of Diminishing Returns- rewards

are not worth the effort Extinction – when repeated

performance is not rewarded

Research has found positive reinforcement is the most powerful of any of these. Adding a positive to increase a response not only works better, but allows both parties to focus on the positive aspects of the situation.

Punishment, when applied immediately following the negative behavior can be effective, but results in extinction when it is not applied consistently.

Punishment does not teach acceptable behavior It only works if it is guaranteed People would rather leave the situation rather

than change the behavior Punishment leads to anger and hostility Some people may not know what they are

being punished for Punishment Imitated as a way to solve

problems Benefits of punishment, the only way to get

attention

Latent learning- Learning Remains hidden until it is needed or reinforced

Observation learning- acquire knowledge and skills by observing and imitating others Children are more likely to imitate what

their parents do than what they say. Ex: violence on the TV, child imitating

parents