Chapter 6: Learning Music:

“Live and Learn” by the Cardigans

“Learn to Fly”by the Foo Fighters

Learning: Agenda

• 1. Classical Conditioning– a) Pavlov’s experiments– b) Terminology– c) Acquisition/ Generalization/ Extinction– d) Application: Little Albert

• 2. Operant Conditioning– a) Distinction with CC– b) Skinner -Shaping– c) Reinforcement d) Punishment– e) Application: Gaining Self-Control**

• 3. Observational Learning– a) Bandura’s Bobo-Doll Experiments– b) Application: Media Violence

• 4. Movie: Snake Phobia (12 min.)

1. Classical Conditioning Introduction with beer commercials:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jv-8MoDYp8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irIkOdIZVvo

a) Pavlov’s Experiments: Found that dogs could salivate to non-food stimuli!

b) Terminology: Unconditioned Stimulus: UCS

• Always causes reflexive response– Unconditioned Responses: UCR

• Innate, unlearned response to UCS– Conditioned Stimulus: CS

• Previously neutral stimulus that now elicits a response – Conditioned Response: CR

• Learned response to neutral stimulus

1. Classical Conditioning (cont’d)

Tip: Conditioned=Learned; Unconditioned=Unlearned c) Acquisition:

When should the CS (e.g. tone) be paired with the UCS (e.g. food) for conditioning to occur?

Generalization: Tendency to respond with CR to stimuli similar to the

original CS (e.g. different tones) Extinction:

Occurs with the presentation of the CS alone (e.g. tone and no food) Note on: Spontaneous recovery

Note on the treatment of phobias

1. c) Extinction of Salivation & Fears!

1. d) Application: Little Albert:

Watson’s famous case (1920) with 11-month healthy boy

Experimental procedure

Conditioned fear of white furry objects

Two-process theory of phobic reactions: • 1) Classical conditioning of fear

• 2) Operant conditioning of avoidance: Avoidance is reinforced and phobia is maintained

• See p. 246, Mowrer’s two- process theory

• Mowrer

• p. 246

2. Operant Conditioning– a) Distinction with CC:

• Controlling stimuli comes after the response

– b) Skinner:• “Law of effect”: Rewarded behavior is more likely to re-occur

• Shaping: for more complex behaviors

– c) Reinforcement:• Always strengthens behavior

• Positive: primary vs. secondary (e.g. food vs praise)

2. Operant Conditioning (cont’d)

• Negative Reinforcement:– responses that terminate a negative, or aversive situation are

reinforced• e.g. giving a candy (response) to a crying child (negative stimulus)

• Schedules of reinforcement: (p. 244)– Note: partial reinforcement produces greater persistence in

behavior than continuous reinforcement

2. c) Pos. vs. Neg. Reinforcement (p. 245)

2. Operant Conditioning (cont’d)• d) Punishment:

– Negative consequences following a response– Decreases the frequency of a behavior– Could include:

• Removing a privilege /“Time out”• Undesired activity• Physical aggression

– Drawbacks:• Punished behavior is not forgotten, it is suppressed• Physical punishment increases aggression through modeling

– Can also create fear that will generalize

– Does not tell you “what to do”!– Best if used swiftly, and accompanied with positive reinforcement

for appropriate behaviors (p. 248)

Fi2. d) Neg. Reinforcement vs. Punishment, p. 247

2. Operant Conditioning (cont’d)

• e) Application: Gaining Self-Control!– 1) Identify target behavior

• In behavioural terms, what you wish to decrease or increase

– 2) Monitor your current habits• Keep a daily log which will serve as baseline

– 3) Look at antecedents and consequences (functional analysis)

– 4) Begin your program!• Set appropriate goals• a) To increase behavior:

– find good reinforcers (p. 260)– Seek situations that promote desired behavior

2. e) Self-Control Program (cont’d)

• 4) Begin your program (cont’d)– b) To decrease behavior:

• Avoid situations that elicit unwanted behavior

• Find substitute for the consequences of unwanted behavior

• Reward yourself for not engaging in unwanted behavior

• 5) Monitor your behavior on a daily basis (chart your progress)

• 6) Enlist social support

• 7) Go from continuous to partial reinforcement

3. Observational Learning• Both CC and OC can take place vicariously, through

observational learning.• a) Bandura’s Bobo-Doll Experiments (1961-1963)

• Study: 3-5 yr. old children in 4 experimental conditions:– 1) Live, aggressive model

– 2) Filmed, aggressive model

– 3) Cartoons with aggressive acts

– 4) No exposure to aggression (control condition)

• Results: Groups 1, 2 & 3 showed significantly greater no. of aggressive acts (i.e. hits against bobo doll) than the control condition

3. Observational Learning:

• Conclusions:– Learning can occur through observation and imitation (i.e. without

conditioning or direct reinforcement)

• b) Applications:– Media violence:

• fMRI studies:– Exposure to violent movies linked to brain area involved in the inhibition of

aggressive impulses (lowered activation)

• Violent video games:– Reduces sensitivity to violence and suffering of victims– Players more hostile, less forgiving and believe violence is “normal”– Can increase likelihood of aggression

– Conversely, prosocial models can have positive effects• Prosocial video games:

– Players get into fewer fights at school and found to be more helpful

4. Movie: Snake Phobia

• Can people with a specific phobia learn to quickly overcome their fears? You will see an actual demonstration of exposure therapy that helps a snake phobic overcome her severe phobic reaction in just three hours. (12 min.)