Chapter 8 - LearningI. Introduction

__________________ - is a relatively permanent change in an organism’s behavior due to experience.

- Learning is more flexible in comparison to the genetically-programmed, instinctive behaviors of animals. - We learn by association; our minds naturally connect events that occur in sequence.

_____________________________________________

- learning to associate one stimulus with another

(_______________________________________).

1

Chapter 8 - Learning_____________________________________________

- learning to associate a response with a consequence

(_______________________________________).

II. Classical Conditioning

Russian physiologist _________________________ clarified classical conditioning. His work provided a basis for later behaviorists.

- Pavlov observed dogs salivating at the mere sight of food & when it was placed in their mouth- He believed that dogs could be trained, or conditioned, to salivate when exposed to an external stimulus

_____________________ is the ______________ stage in classical conditioning in which an ____________________ between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus takes place.

- In most cases, for conditioning to occur, the ______________

stimulus (CS) needs to come _______________________ the

unconditioned stimulus.

When the US (food) does not follow the CS (tone), CR (salivation) begins to __________________ and eventually causes _____________________.

2

Chapter 8 - Learning- In other words, we ______________________________________________ between the two stimuli!

After a rest period, an extinguished CR (salivation) ________________________________________, but if the CS (tone) persists alone, the CR becomes extinct again.

- In other words, we ______________________________________________ between the two stimuli again!

____________________________ - tendency to respond to __________________________________ to the CS.

____________________________ - ability to _______________________________________ a conditioned stimulus and other stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus.

__________________________ showed that the duration between the CS and the US may be long (hours), but yet result in conditioning. A biologically adaptive CS (taste) led to conditioning and not to others (light or sound).

- Animals learn so that they can _______________ to their environment. Classical conditioning works best when it is similar to a ____________________________________ (we have an innate preparedness to associate certain stimuli).

__________________________ “Baby Albert” Experiment

3

_________-------

_________-------

Chapter 8 - Learning

_______________________________, a colleague of Watson’s, ______________________________________________ (systematic desensitization) children from their fears by ______________________________________ a rabbit (and other things) closer to them while eating.

III. Operant Conditioning

Edward Thorndike’s __________________________ (trial & error) stated that _________________________________ is likely to occur again.

________________________ hypothesized that rats could be trained to perform specific behaviors in order to receive a food _________________.

- He placed birds/rats into what is technically called an “________________________________” (“Skinner box”) in which the animal would press a bar to receive food.

- Skinner “ _______________” the animal to get closer to the bar before giving it food. For example, if the animal approached the bar, he might initially give it a pellet of food for getting close to the bar. Eventually, the animal learned that it had to press the bar in order to get any food.

- The food was a “______________________,” since it reinforced the animal’s behavior of stepping closer to and eventually pressing the bar.

4

_________-------

Chapter 8 - Learning

___________________ - the operant conditioning procedure in which _________________________________ behavior towards the desired target behavior through ______________________________________________ (getting the animal closer and closer to the behavior that you want them to carry out).

_______________________ - any event that ________________________ the behavior it follows.

5

Chapter 8 - Learning

6

Chapter 8 - Learning

- ____________________________________ - a

__________________reinforcing stimulus like food, drink, sleep or sex.

- _____________________________________________- a _________________ reinforcer that gets its

reinforcing power through ___________________________ with the primary reinforcer (money, stickers, etc.).

Often used in “token economy” therapies.

- _______________________________________ - occurs_______________________ after a behavior (Dr. Hand thanked me “for coming to school”).

- _____________________________________ - is ___________________in time for a certain behavior (Cobb County sends my paycheck at the end of the month).

- ________________________________________- reinforces the desired response _______________________ it occurs. Acquisition is _____________, but extinguishes _________________.

- ____________________________________________________________ - reinforces a response only __________________the time. This results in _______________ acquisition, but shows __________________________________ to extinction later on.

________________________ - an aversive event (unwanted consequence) that _______________________ the behavior it follows.

7

Chapter 8 - Learning

- Although there may be some justification for occasional punishment, it can lead to negative effects.

- Effective punishment needs:

1. To be swift & consistently applied2. To be limited in duration & intensity 3. To target the behavior not the character4. To lack mixed messages 5. To be more negative than positive

KEEP IN MIND…

Evidence of cognitive processes during operant learning comes from rats during a maze exploration in which they navigate the maze without an obvious reward.

- Tolman noted that rats seem to develop _____________________________, or mental representations, of the layout of the maze (environment).

- Such cognitive maps are based on ______________________________, which becomes apparent when an incentive is given (although we constantly are leaning).

- _________________________________________ - the desire to perform a behavior for its ____________________ (some people like to take certain classes because it interests them).

- _________________________________________ - the desire to perform a behavior due to promised ___________________ or threats of __________________________ (some people like to take certain classes because of the “quality point” or that it may “look good” on transcripts).

8

Chapter 8 - Learning- ________________________________ - animals and people will tend to do less desirable things to get to do

more desirable things (rewards are relative though).

IV. Observational/Social Learning

Higher animals, especially humans, learn through ____________________ and ______________________ others (__________________). In other words, we copy each other!

- Learning by observation begins early in life.

- ________________________________ “Bobo” doll study in 1961 indicated that individuals (children) learn through imitating others who receive rewards and punishments.

- Research shows that viewing media violence can lead to an increased expression of aggression.

9

Chapter 8 - Learning- His research demonstrated ___________________________ and _________________________ modeling of behavior.

10