1. Unit 5: Learning (Behaviorism)
WHS AP Psychology
Unit 5: Learning (Behaviorism)
Essential Task 5-6: Apply learning principles to explain phobias, taste aversion, superstitious behavior, learned  helplessness, and biofeedback.
Logo Green is R=8 G=138 B= Blue is R= 0 G=110 B=184
Border Grey is R=74 G=69 B=64

2. Social Cognitive Learning Theory
Learning The process by which experience or practice results in a relatively permanent change in behavior or potential behavior
We are here
Classical
Conditioning
The type of learning in which a response naturally elicited by one stimulus becomes to be elicited by a different formally neutral stimulus
Operant
Conditioning
The type of learning in which behaviors are emitted to earn rewards or avoid punishments
Social Cognitive Learning Theory
The type of learning in which behaviors are learned by observing a model
Pavlov and Watson
B.F. Skinner
Albert Bandura
UCS, UCR, CS, CR
Reinforcement and Punishment
Modeling and Vicarious Learning

3. Essential Task 5-: Phobias Taste aversion
Outline
Phobias
Taste aversion
Influences of Biological Predisposition
Superstitious behavior
Learned  helplessness
Biofeedback.

4. Examples of Classical Conditioning
Phobias
After the attacks, cats become a warning stimulus for pain causing fear when the child sees cats.
After this botched photo, 6 ft bunny becomes warning stimulus for someone trying to capture you.

5. Systematic Desensitization
This therapy aims to remove the fear response of a phobia, and substitute a relaxation response to the conditional stimulus gradually using counter conditioning.
This is done by forming a hierarchy of fear, involving the conditioned stimulus (e.g. a spider), that are ranked from least fearful to most fearful.  The patient works their way up starting at the least unpleasant and practicing their relaxation technique as they go.  When they feel comfortable with this (they are no longer afraid) they move on to the next stage in the hierarchy.

6. Examples of Classical Conditioning
Taste Aversion
After throwing up a food, it becomes a warning stimulus for getting sick.

7. Biological Predispositions
Pavlov and Watson believed that laws of learning were similar for all animals. Therefore, a pigeon and a person do not differ in their learning.
However, behaviorists later suggested that learning is constrained by an animal’s biology.
Each species’ predispositions prepare it to learn the associations that enhance its survival.
OBJECTIVE 7| Describe some of the ways that biological predisposition can affect learning by classical conditioning.

8. Biological Predisposition
Biological constraints predispose organisms to learn associations that are naturally adaptive.
Breland and Breland (1961) showed that animals drift towards their biologically predisposed instinctive behaviors.
OBJECTIVE 17| Explain how biological predisposition place limits on what can be achieved through operant conditioning.
Photo: Bob Bailey
Marian Breland Bailey

9. Biological Predispositions
Garcia showed that the duration between the CS and the US may be long (hours), but yet result in conditioning. A biologically adaptive CS (taste) led to conditioning and not to others (light or sound).
Taste Aversion
Courtesy of John Garcia
John Garcia

10. Examples of operant conditioning
Superstitious Behavior
You do things you know have no real impact on reality because that one time you did it, the team won.

11. Learned Helplessness
Learned helplessness is a mental state that arises in an organism that believes punishment is inescapable.
The organism stops trying even when success can be obtained.

12. Seligman and Maier
an animal is repeatedly exposed to an aversive stimulus which it cannot escape. Eventually, the animal stops trying to avoid the stimulus and behaves as if it is helpless to change the situation. When opportunities to escape become available, learned helplessness means the animal does not take any action.

13. Even when they can be successful, they won’ try.

14. Behavioral Change Using Biofeedback
Biofeedback is an operant technique that teaches people to gain voluntary control over bodily processes like heart rate and blood pressure
When used to control brain activity it is called neurofeedback