Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Chapter 6 Learning This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: Any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; Preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images Any rental, lease or lending of the program. ISBN:
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Learning Learning – A process through which experience produces lasting change in behavior or mental processes. Past experience guides future behavior.
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Behavioral learning – Forms of learning that can be described in terms of stimuli and responses (e.g. classical and operant conditioning) Learning
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 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 Classical Conditioning Explain?
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 The Essentials of Classical Conditioning 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
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 The Essentials of Classical Conditioning Unconditioned response (UCR) Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) Conditioned response (CR) Conditioned stimulus (CS)
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 The Essentials of Classical Conditioning Unconditioned response (UCR) Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) Conditioned response (CR) Conditioned stimulus (CS) The stimulus that elicits an unconditioned response
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 The Essentials of Classical Conditioning Unconditioned response (UCR) Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) Conditioned response (CR) Conditioned stimulus (CS) The response elicited by an unconditioned stimulus without prior learning
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 The Essentials of Classical Conditioning Unconditioned response (UCR) Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) Conditioned response (CR) Conditioned stimulus (CS) A previously neutral stimulus that comes to elicit the conditioned response
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 The Essentials of Classical Conditioning Unconditioned response (UCR) Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) Conditioned response (CR) Conditioned stimulus (CS) A response elicited by a previously neutral stimulus that has become associated with the unconditioned stimulus
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Classical Conditioning Prior to conditioning Conditioning After conditioning Neutral stimulus (tone) (Orientation to sound but no response) Unconditioned stimulus (food powder in mouth) Unconditioned response (salivation) Neutral stimulus CS (tone) Unconditioned stimulus (food powder) + Conditioned response (salivation) Conditioned stimulus (tone) Conditioned response (salivation)
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Classical 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
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Acquisition, Extinction, and Spontaneous Recovery (1) Acquisition (CS + UCS) (3) Spontaneous Recovery (CS alone) Rest period (2) Extinction (CS alone) (Time) Trials Strength of the CR (Weak) (Strong)
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Classical Conditioning: Generalization and Discrimination Stimulus generalization involves giving a conditioned response to stimuli that are similar to the CS Stimulus discrimination involves responding to one stimulus but not to stimuli that are similar
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Applications 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
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 How Do We Learn New Behaviors by Operant Conditioning? In operant conditioning, the consequences of behavior, such as rewards and punishments, influence the chance that our behavior will occur again
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 How Do We Learn New Behaviors by Operant Conditioning? Trial-and-error learning – Learner gradually discovers the correct response by attempting many behaviors and noting which ones produce the desired consequences Edward Thorndike: Law of Effect Behaviors change based on the Consequences that follow.
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Skinner’s Radical Behaviorism B.F. Skinner believed that the most powerful influences on behavior are its consequences
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 The 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
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 The Problem of Punishment Punishment – An aversive stimulus which diminishes the strength of the response it follows How does this differ from negative reinforcement?
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 The 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?
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Alternatives to Punishment Extinction Reinforcing preferred activities Premack principle Prompting and shaping
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Operant and Classical Conditioning Compared 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
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 How Does Cognitive Psychology 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
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 How Does Cognitive Psychology Explain Learning? Insight learning – Problem solving occurs by means of a sudden reorganization of perceptions Cognitive maps – A mental representation of physical space
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Observational Learning: Bandura’s Challenge to Behaviorism Observational learning – Form of cognitive learning in which new responses are acquired after watching others’ behavior and the consequences of their behavior
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 End of Chapter 6