2. The Problem of Transposition Behavioral Versus Cognitive Views of Learning Key Issue in Learning Theory: What is Learned? Behavioral View: An association is formed between a specific stimulus and a specific action. Cognitive View: A mental structure is formed that represents the various elements of a problem and how they relate to each other. We learn by discovering how things are related. To contrast these views, we’ll see how they explain learning in a type of discrimination task called “transposition”.

3. The Problem of Transposition Behavioral Versus Cognitive Views of Learning The Task If he pushes aside the box with the medium gray card, he receives food as a reward. A chimpanzee faces two boxes. One card is light grayand the other is medium gray. Each box has a card attached to the front. If he chooses the light gray card, he gets no food on that trial. X

4. The Problem of Transposition Behavioral Versus Cognitive Views of Learning The Task The positions of the cards, left or right, are switched randomly from trial to trial. The chimp can’t be correct all the time by always choosing the card on one side. Trial 1

5. The Problem of Transposition Behavioral Versus Cognitive Views of Learning The Task The positions of the cards, left or right, are switched randomly from trial to trial. The chimp can’t be correct all the time by always choosing the card on one side. Trial 2

6. The Problem of Transposition Behavioral Versus Cognitive Views of Learning The Task The positions of the cards, left or right, are switched randomly from trial to trial. The chimp can’t be correct all the time by always choosing the card on one side. Trial 3

7. The Problem of Transposition Behavioral Versus Cognitive Views of Learning The Task The positions of the cards, left or right, are switched randomly from trial to trial. The chimp can’t be correct all the time by always choosing the card on one side. Trial 4

8. The Problem of Transposition Behavioral Versus Cognitive Views of Learning The Task The chimp keeps getting trials until he makes a correct choice on every trial. In other words, he has learned to discriminate between medium gray and light gray. ? Question: In theoretical terms, what has the animal learned?

9. The Problem of Transposition Behavioral Versus Cognitive Views of Learning The Task Let’s review what behaviorists and cognitivists generally say about the learning process: Behavioral View: An association is formed between a specific stimulus and a specific action.

10. The Problem of Transposition Behavioral Versus Cognitive Views of Learning The Task Let’s review what behaviorists and cognitivists generally say about the learning process: Cognitive View: A mental structure is formed that represents the various elements of a problem and how they relate to each other. We learn by discovering how things are related.

11. The Problem of Transposition Behavioral Versus Cognitive Views of Learning The Task: Test Phase To assess these views a test phase is conducted in which another pair of cards is presented: The chimp gets a reward for choosing either medium gray or dark gray. Only a few trials are conducted to see if the animal has a preference based on what he learned in the training phase. Medium GrayDark Gray

12. The Problem of Transposition Behavioral Versus Cognitive Views of Learning The Task: Test Phase The behavioral and cognitive views make different predictions about which card the chimp will choose. What is the behavioral prediction and why? Medium GrayDark Gray Answer: Medium gray. The animal formed an association between that specific stimulus and the action of moving the box away.

13. The Problem of Transposition Behavioral Versus Cognitive Views of Learning The Task: Test Phase The cognitive view predicts dark gray. What is the reasoning? This may seem to go against common sense... Dark gray is a new stimulus. The animal never received a reward for choosing it before. Why should he choose it now? Medium GrayDark Gray

14. The Problem of Transposition Behavioral Versus Cognitive Views of Learning The Task: Test Phase Answer: During training the animal learned to choose the darker of the two stimuli, not one specific stimulus. Dark gray is now the darker of the two stimuli, so the animal will “transpose” or transfer the relationship he learned from the training phase to the test phase. Medium GrayDark Gray

15. The Problem of Transposition Behavioral Versus Cognitive Views of Learning The Task: Test Phase What’s your prediction? Are you a behaviorist or a cognitivist? Result: The chimp chooses dark gray. Medium GrayDark Gray Findings like this provided strong support for cognitive theory and posed a major challenge to behavior theory.