Learning

Learning - “A relatively permanent change in an organism’s behavior due to experience”

Nature vs. Nurture Argument “Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own special world to bring them up in, and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to be any type of specialist I might select - doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant- chief, and yes, beggar-man and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors.” »John Broadus Watson, 1928

Types of Learning Associative Learning –Linking two events together Natural Learning styles – natural learning abilities

Associative Learning

As you listen, write down how this makes you feel.

What do you think this story is about? Imagine this is a movie poster:

What do you think this story is about? Imagine this is a movie poster:

Types of Learning Conditioning –the process of learning associations.

Types of Learning – Associative (Nurture) –Classical Conditioning associate two stimuli and anticipate events – Ivan Pavlov –Operant Conditioning associate our behavior and its consequences and act according to our best interest – B.F. Skinner –Observational Learning Watching what’s happening around you – Albert Bandura

Associative Learning 1 - Classical Conditioning associating two stimuli and thus anticipating events Ivan Pavlov ( )

Classical Conditioning We learn to associate two stimuli

Classical Conditioning UCS –unconditioned stimulus UCR –unconditioned response CS –conditioned stimulus CR –conditioned response

How do we know this is true? Pavlov’s dog experiment noticed that when he put food (UCS) in the dog’s mouth, the dog would salivate (UCR). he added a neutral stimulus. -Bell rings, then meat powder is delivered which became the (CS) and produced a (CR) –This is called Acquisition. Bell = salivation, no food needed

Classical Conditioning - examples

Classical Conditioning Extinction –diminishing a conditioning when a response is no longer reinforced Spontaneous Recovery –After a rest period, an extinguished CR (salivation) spontaneously recovers, but if the CS (tone) persists alone, the CR becomes extinct again.

Classical Conditioning Discrimination – is the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and other stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus. Generalization –once a response has been conditioned, similar stimuli elicit similar responses

1.Former crack cocaine users should avoid cues (people, places) associated with previous drug use. 2.Through classical conditioning, a drug (plus its taste) that affects the immune response may cause the taste of the drug to invoke the immune response. Applications of Classical Conditioning

Watson – developed advertising campaigns for a number of organizations, including Maxwell House, making the “coffee break” an American custom. Conducted the infamous “Little Albert” experiment. Applications of Classical Conditioning John B. Watson

Classical conditioning and Ads How are you conditioned to Respond to the following?

Men? Women? What do you see? Why is this offensive to women? Why is this exciting to men?

Classical conditioning and Ads

Associative Learning 2 - Operant Conditioning  We learn to associate a response and its consequences.  The consequences take the form of reinforcers and punishments  B.F. Skinner

Operant Conditioning Thorndike’s Law of Effect –Underlies all of operant conditioning –“Behavior that is rewarded will be repeated” –Rewards are called Reinforces

How do we know this is true? Thorndike’s Law of Effect Experiment  Cats put into puzzle boxes  Slightly Hungry  Food outside  Time to escape decreased over attempts  Behaviors that worked to escape were repeated  Other behaviors decreased

Operant Conditioning Skinner Box (Operant Chamber) –Using Thorndike's law of effect as a starting point, B.F. Skinner developed a box to study operant conditioning.

Operant Conditioning Primary Reinforcers –satisfy biological needs Secondary Reinforcers –paired with primary through classical conditioning

Operant Conditioning - Reinforcement Schedules Continuous Reinforcement –Reinforces the desired response each time it occurs. Very little, if any, resistance to extinction.

Operant Conditioning -Reinforcement Schedules Partial Reinforcement – Reinforces a response only part of the time. –Though this results in slower acquisition in the beginning, it shows greater resistance to extinction later on. How is Dirk taking last second shots partial reinforcement?

Operant Conditioning - Interval Schedules (TIME) Variable-interval schedule –Reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals, which produces slow, steady responses. –e.g., pop quiz.

Operant Conditioning - Interval Schedules (TIME) Fixed-interval schedule: –Reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed. –Ex. working an hourly-pay job

Ratio Schedules Fixed-ratio schedule: –Reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses. –e.g., frequent shopper cards

Ratio Schedules Variable-ratio schedule –Reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses. This is hard to extinguish because of the unpredictability. –ex. Gambling,

Schedules of Reinforcement Extinction is more rapid with fixed ratio The most effective conditioning reinforcement schedule is variable.

Operant Conditioning Shaping –Rewarding successively closer approximations of a desired behavior –Useful for teaching new behavior

Operant Conditioning – Reinforcers (Rewards) Positive Reinforcement –adds good things to increase behavior Examples: Praise

Operant Conditioning – Reinforcers (Rewards) Negative Reinforcement –takes away bad things to increase behavior Ex. Pain pill, eating

Operant Conditioning - Punishments Positive Punishment –adds bad things to decrease behavior –Examples: spanking

Operant Conditioning - Punishments Negative Punishment –takes good things away to decrease behavior –Ex. time-out from privileges

Operant Conditioning How should we deal with naughty children?

Associative Learning 3 - Observational Learning Learning from the environment without direct reinforcement

Observational Learning Types: 1.Disinhibition – when seeing other’s not being punished, the observer finds it easier to engage in that activity - i.e. eliminating fear of snakes as a positive example).

Observational Learning Types: 2. Modeling – observing and reproducing closely –Other’s behavior increase the chance of ours.

How do we know this is true? Children exposed to either aggressive, non- aggressive, or no adult model Children are made to feel frustrated Children then taken to room with Bobo doll and their behavior observed Children exposed to aggressive model much more aggressive than other children. Bandura’s famous Bobo Doll Study

Observational Learning We can learn from other’s experiences and examples.

Whew!! Now you Are a “Learning” Genius