College Board - “Acorn Book”
Course Description7-9%
Unit VI. Learning1
VI. Learning
Instinct
Unit VI. Learning2
Learned Behavior
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Summary Outline
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• A. Classical Conditioning• B. Operant Conditioning• C. Cognitive Processes in Learning• D. Biological Factors• D. Social Learning
Unbeknownst to most students of psychology, Pavlov’s first experiment was to ring a bell and cause his dog to attack Freud’s cat.
A. Classical Conditioning
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Learning from Associations
Ivan Pavlov’s Experiments UCS UCR NS CS CR
Important Terms
Acquisition
Extinction
Spontaneous Recovery
Stimulus Generalization
Stimulus Discrimination
It is important to know
how to apply to both
Classical Conditioning and
Operant Conditioning
Classical Conditioning Applications
Higher Order Conditioning
John B. Watson (Little Albert)
Conditioned Emotional Response,
Phobias
Aversions
Reflexes – Instinct vs. Learned
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FloodingProfessor Gallagher and his controversial technique of simultaneously confronting the fear of heights, snakes, and the dark.
B. Operant Conditioning
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Learning from Consequences
Instrumental Learning – E. L. Thorndike and the Law of Effect
B. F. Skinner (Skinner Box – operant chamber)
Operant Conditioning
Appetitive stimulus Organism wants to achieve or receive
Aversive stimulus Organism wants to avoid or escape from
Positive ReinforcementAdding consequence increases likelihood of a behavior
Negative ReinforcementRemoving consequence increases likelihood of a
behavior
PunishmentAdding consequence decreases likelihood of a behavior
Operant Conditioning
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Generalization
Discrimination
Acquisition
Shaping
Extinction
Delayed Reinforcement
Operant Conditioning
Conditioned Reinforcement
Primary and Secondary Reinforcers
Schedules of Reinforcement
Fixed v. variable
Ratio v. interval
Aversive conditioning Escape and avoidance learning
Operant Conditioning
“Oh, not bad. The light comes on, I press the bar, they write me a check. How about you?”
Reinforcement
“Good dog.”
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C. Cognitive factors in Classical Conditioning
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The organism extracts information from the environment
classical conditioning involves more than the appearance of robot-like reflexive responses
organisms acquire conditioned responses when one event reliably predicts, or signals, the appearance of another
Example:Failure of redundant stimulus to become a CS
What determines whether and how a conditioned response is learned?
TimingForward conditioning (NS then UCS)Backward conditioning (UCS then NS)Interval between NS and UCS
PredictabilityAlways / Sometimes
Signal StrengthWeak shock / intense shock
AttentionWhen several stimuli are present, the one
the organism is paying attention to is more likely to become the CS
Biopreparednesscertain signals or events are especially likely
to form associations with other events“biologically prepared” or “genetically tuned”
to develop certain conditioned associations.Second-Order Conditioning
Fear of doctor associated with pain of shot but also white coat he’s wearing
Predictive value of CS – Rescorla
Assessment of the reliability of the stimulus to be a predictor
Cognitive interpretation of whether a stimulus is predictive rather than simple pairing of UCS - NS
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Cognitive factors in Operant ConditioningNon-contingent reinforcement
(Superstitious behavior)
Latent Learning, Cognitive Maps – Edward C. Tolman
Learned Helplessness – Martin Seligman
Insight Learning - Köhler
Cognitive Factors in Behavior Modification
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D. Biological Factors
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Learning vs. InstinctLearning vs. MaturationHabituation
Limits on Learning - Biological Factors in Conditioning
Instinctive Drift - Breland (instinctive tendencies interfering with conditioning -)
Conditioned Taste Aversion – Garcia (specific stimuli associated with nausea)
Preparedness and Phobias?
Social Learning
“This is a nice restaurant. Turn your cap around.
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E. Social Learning
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Observational learningKey Processes in observational learning
Attention, Retention, Reproduction, Motivation
Acquisition of a behavior may occur without the performance of the behavior
ModelingBandura (Bobo doll)
Quiz on Negative Reinforcement
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1. What is another word that means the same thing as negative reinforcement?
2. When negative reinforcement is supplied it usually results inA. Weakening a behavior that you want
weakenedB. Strengthening a behavior that you want
strengthened 3. Do people usually look forward to negative
reinforcement?A. Yes B. No
4. Will you regularly (consciously) use positive reinforcement in the future?A. Yes B. No
5. Will you regularly (consciously) use negative reinforcement in the future?A. Yes B. No
The majority tends to answers:
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1. Punishment (or some punitive meaning)2. Decreases3. No4. 92% said yes5. 68 said yes. Majority said that people
had to be punished to be motivated
Positive v NegativeConsequence matrix
Supply a Stimulus
Remove a Stimulus
AppetitiveStimulus
Aversive Stimulus
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Positive v NegativeReinforcement / Punishment Grid
Give something
the organism:
Take away something
the organism:
Likes
Dislikes
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Positive v NegativeReinforcement / Punishment Grid
Give something
the organism:
Take away something
the organism:
Likes Positive Reinforcemen
t
Dislikes
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Positive v NegativeReinforcement / Punishment Grid
Give something
the organism:
Take away something
the organism:
Likes Positive Reinforcemen
t
Dislikes Negative Reinforcement
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Positive v NegativeReinforcement / Punishment Grid
Give something
the organism:
Take away something
the organism:
Likes Positive Reinforcement
Dislikes Punishment Negative Reinforcemen
tUnit VI. Learning32
Positive v NegativeReinforcement / Punishment Grid
Give something the
organism:
Take away something
the organism:
Likes Positive Reinforcement Time-out
Dislikes Punishment Negative Reinforcemen
tUnit VI. Learning33
Positive v NegativeConsequence matrix
Supply a Stimulus
Remove a Stimulus
Appetitive
Stimulus
Positive Reinforceme
nt
“Time-out”
Aversive Stimulus
Punishment Negative Reinforceme
nt
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Punishment vs. ReinforcementLarzelere
Spanked children have an increased risk of aggression , depression, and low self-esteem.
Reinforcement = increased behaviorPunishment = decreased behavior
Punishment doesn’t guide one towards a desired behavior rather it teaches one how to avoid getting caught.