1. LEARNING
Chapter 6

2. LEARNING
A systematic, relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs through experience.
2 types:
1. Associative learning: occurs when we make a connection between two events.
Classical and Operant Conditioning
Conditioning: the process of learning associations.
2. Observational learning: occurs when a person observes and imitates another’s behavior.

3. TYPES OF LEARNING Classical Conditioning Operant Conditioning
Observational Learning
Latent Learning
Insight Learning

4. CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
Learning process in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus and acquires the capacity to elicit a similar response.
Passive process; reflexive; it happens automatically; the learner does NOT have to think
Involuntary behavior
Keywords: stimulus, response
Important people:
Pavlov
Watson
Garcia
Ader & Cohen

5. GUIDE TO CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)- something that elicits a natural, reflexive response.
Unconditioned Response (UCR)- an automatically elicited response to the UCS.
Neutral stimulus- something that does not elicit any response.
Conditioned stimulus (CS)- formerly the neutral stimulus; elicits the same response as the UCS.
Conditioned response (CR)- formerly the UCR; sometimes a milder version of the UCR.

6. CLASSICAL CONDITIONING EQUATION
UCS a UCR NS + UCS a UCR NS = CS and UCR = CR CS a CR

7. IVAN PAVLOV Russian physiologist Studied digestion in dogs
Noticed that dogs would salivate before they were given food (triggered by sights & sounds)
Suggests that dogs must have learned to salivate
Uncovered classical conditioning
In classical conditioning, organisms learn to associate two-unrelated stimuli; that then produce the same response.

8. GUIDE TO PAVLOV’S DOGS Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)- FOOD
Unconditioned Response (UCR)- DROOLING
Neutral stimulus- BELL
Conditioned stimulus (CS)- BELL
Conditioned response (CR)- DROOLING

9. CONTIGUITY & CONTINGENCY
Contiguity: means that the CS and UCS should be presented very close together in time (a fraction of a second apart)
Contingency: means that the CS must serve as a reliable indicator that the UCS is on its way.

10. ACQUISITION
The initial learning of the association between the UCS and the CS (previously neutral stimulus) when these two stimuli are paired.
In most cases, for conditioning to occur, the neutral stimulus needs to come before the UCS.
The time in between the two stimuli should be about half a second.
After a while, the body begins to associate the neutral stimulus with the UCS.

11. GENERALIZATION & DISCRIMINATION
The tendency of a new stimulus, that is similar to the original CS, to elicit a response that is similar to the CR.
Something so similar to the CS that you get the CR.
Example:
Turkey salad vs. chicken salad
The process of learning to respond to certain stimuli and not others.
Something so different to the CS that you don’t get the CR.
Example:
Bell for class vs. bell for announcements

12. EXTINCTION The weakening of the CR when the UCS is absent.
Acquisition does not last forever. When the CS is presented without the UCS the association is broken.
When the CS is no longer associated with the UCS, then the CS stops producing the CR.

13. SPONTANEOUS RECOVERY & RENEWAL EFFECT
Spontaneous Recovery: The process by which a CR can recur after a time delay, without further conditioning.
After extinction, sometimes the CR still randomly appears after the CS is presented.
Renewal: The recovery of the CR when the organism is placed in a novel (original or new) context.
ABA, ABC, AAB

14. JOHN B. WATSON American Psychologist Father of behaviorism
Assistant Rosalie Rayner
Little Albert Experiment (1920)-used classical conditioning to teach little Albert to fear a white rat
In 2009, researchers identified Little Albert as Douglas Merritte. He died at the age of 6 of hydrocephalus.

15. GUIDE TO LITTLE ALBERT Unconditional Stimulus (UCS)- LOUD NOISE
Unconditional Response (UCR)- CRYING
Neutral stimulus- WHITE RAT
Conditioned stimulus (CS)- WHITE RAT
Conditioned response (CR)- CRYING

16. COUNTERCONDITIONING & AVERSIVE CONDITIONING
Counter Conditioning: A classical conditioning procedure for changing the relationship between a CS and its CR.
Aversive Conditioning: Consists of repeated pairings of a stimulus with a very unpleasant stimulus to elicit a negative response.
Can be used as a form of treatment

17. TASTE AVERSION Studied by John Garcia and Robert Koelling
Taste Aversion: A special kind of classical conditioning involving the learned association between a particular taste and nausea.
Also known as the Garcia Effect & Sauce-Bearnaise Syndrome
The association only needs to occur once
When it comes to food being linked to sickness, the conditioning is incredibly strong
Even when the food and sickness are hours apart
Even when the sickness has nothing to do with the food
Evolutionary adaptation

18. IMMUNOSUPPRESSION Studied by Robert Ader and Nicholas Cohen (1975)
While studying taste aversion in mice, they discovered that the immune system could be conditioned.
Mice prone to lupus are given a saccharin solution while injected with an immune-suppressing drug to treat lupus. After acquisition, the taste alone reduced lupus symptoms almost as much as the drug.