1. Cognition and Learning

2. How can you tell if someone is learning? Albert Einstein did not begin to speak until he was three years old. His parents feared he would never talk. Albert Einstein did not begin to speak until he was three years old. His parents feared he would never talk. As a child, Thomas Edison had trouble with grammar and spelling. His head was so large his parents thought he might be retarded. As a child, Thomas Edison had trouble with grammar and spelling. His head was so large his parents thought he might be retarded.

3. Phobias and Conditioning Phobias are irrational fears of specific objects, animals, or situations People acquire phobias through conditioning

4. Classical Conditioning A learning procedure in which subjects make associations between a natural stimulus and a neutral stimulus Ivan Pavlov Tuning fork/salivation

5. The Experiment A neutral stimulus can replace a natural stimulus if it’s presented just before that stimulus A neutral stimulus can replace a natural stimulus if it’s presented just before that stimulus Food = unconditioned stimulus (US) Food = unconditioned stimulus (US) Salivation = unconditioned response (UR) Salivation = unconditioned response (UR)

6. Other Terms Conditioned stimulus (CS) = tuning fork Salivation = conditioned response (CR) Conditioned responses are learned, not natural or reflexive

7. Classical Conditioning

11. Principles of Classical Conditioning Acquisition of a conditioned response occurs gradually Acquisition of a conditioned response occurs gradually Timing is very important Timing is very important The intensity of the US (unconditioned stimulus)- hunger The intensity of the US (unconditioned stimulus)- hunger

12. Generalization Occurs when a subject responds to a second stimulus similar to the original (CS) without any conditioning Add an oval alongside circle, dogs would also salivate at the oval alone.

13. Discrimination The ability to respond differently to different stimuli The ability to respond differently to different stimuli Generalization and discrimination are each a part of everyday life Generalization and discrimination are each a part of everyday life For example, when some people hear the sound of a dentist’s drill (CS), they become afraid (CR). After several uncomfortable sessions at the dentist, those people may generalize this feeling and become afraid when they hear any kind of drill. Later, those people may learn to discriminate between the sound of the dentist’s drill and that of a regular electric drill.

14. Extinction The gradual weakening and eventual disappearance of a conditioned response The gradual weakening and eventual disappearance of a conditioned response The response disappears but is not forgotten (spontaneous recovery) The response disappears but is not forgotten (spontaneous recovery) Response to a tone w/o food would eventually weaken/disappear. Response to a tone w/o food would eventually weaken/disappear. Called “Reconditioning” Called “Reconditioning”

15. Extinction and Spontaneous Recovery

16. John B. Watson The case of “Little Albert” Fear response Ethics

17. Classical Conditioning and Pleasant Response Advertising campaigns use classical conditioning Pairing a healthy, young, pretty model with a product John Watson

18. Classical Conditioning and Products that Pose Health Risks

19. Positive Emotions All types of emotions can be classically conditioned- Examples: A song on the radio Scent, fragrance, or perfume Passing a bakery

20. Applications: Drug Addiction Withdrawal/“cold turkey” Cues or triggers in the environment can reawaken their craving. Avoidance of cues

21. Taste Aversions John Garcia explained the role of classical conditioning in creating Taste Aversions- when a subject associates the taste of a certain food with symptoms caused by a toxic, spoiled, or poisonous substance tastetoxic poisonous Timing/single instance

22. Taste Aversion: An Application Aversions can have survival benefits How to protect sheep from coyotes without killing the coyotes Injected sheep carcasses with a poison that would sicken the coyotes, but not kill them.

23. Operant Conditioning

24. Groundwork for Operant Conditioning Edward Thorndike- puzzle boxes were arranged so that an animal would be required to perform a certain response (pulling a lever or pushing a button), while he measured the amount of time it took them to escape Thinking and reasoning

25. The Puzzle Box Thorndike used a hungry cat who needed to learn a particular response (stepping on a pedal) which would unlock a door with food behind it The “law of effect/instrumental learning”