LECTURE 7: Learning/Behaviorism

  Expect:

  But …..

  Def’n:   “a relatively permanent change in

immediate or potential behavior that results from experience

  Learning Models:   Classical Conditioning (Pavlov)   Operant Conditioning (Skinner)   Social Learning Theory (Bandura)

  Classical:

  Operant:

CLASSICAL   Before conditioning

U.S. U.R. (food) naturally causes (salivation)

[i.e., natural, reflex reaction]

  During Conditioning C.S.)

U.S. U.R. (food) (salivation)

Example 2

  1).   U.S. U.R. (fire) naturally causes (fear)

  2).   C.S. (siren)

  U.S. U.R. (fire) (fear)

Conditioning

  C.S. C.R. (siren) because of classical (fear) conditioning causes

  ACQUISITION PROCESSES   (see overhead)

  Other important Processes:   Extinction

  diminishing of a response (it is extinguished)

  Spontaneous Recovery   the reappearance, after a rest period, of an

extinguished response

  (see illustration)

  ASSOCIATION PRINCIPLES   advertising   politicians   radio – station’s call letters/hit song   team

  taste aversion –   examples- fried eggplant sandwich

  Rozin (1989)   1 -----2-----3-----4-----5----6----7----8-----9

dislike neutral like extremely extremely RESULTS:   82% 4 or less   58% disliked   76% disliked   71% disliked   only 34% would pass up this cookie   84% reject if waiter takes a bite   31% reject if acquaintance takes a bite   16% reject if a friend takes a bite

  OPERANT CONDITIONING Learn – a behavior has particular consequence thus, our behavior is influenced by the

consequences it engenders

  in classical –

  in operant -

History   Thorndike J.B. Watson

  “law of effect”   -behavior is influenced by its consequences

  Watson - childrearing manual   - advertising

  B.F. Skinner   operant conditioning   model of humans   “Walden Two”

  Walden Two - utopian community – novel   -lollipop

  ”   Los Horcones (Mexico)

  20 years, established by psychology student Juan Robinson

  town motto

  Twin Oaks (Virginia)

Other applications

  therapy – token economy   (VIDEO – LATER – HARRY/BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION)

  psychopathology e.g.   depression

MODEL OF PERSONS   Intuitive

  S R

  Skinner – “Black Box Theory

  S R

thoughts - feelings

- goals, etc.

  Behavior (response) is learned in reaction to a specific stimulus based on past consequences (reinforcement )

  Positive Reinforcer

Negative Reinforcer   Any stimulus whose removal

  e.g. shock in cage   rat learns to press a bar to remove an

aversive shock   shock is a negative reinforcer

(increases bar pressing

  Punishment

Schedules of Reinforcement

  continuous   ratio

  fixed –   variable –

  interval   fixed –   variable –.

  Effectiveness

  Dangers of mentalism   mechanistic model – no free will   explains everything – personality,

language…

Punishment – takes a bad rap (Skinner)

Learn equal low Behavior levels of beh.

)

  But….   Punishment has undesirable side

effects –

SOCIAL LEARNING APPROACH: intra-individual mediation

EXAMPLE: BOBO DOLL STUDIES   Phase I

  Observe adult aggress toward Bobo Doll   rewarded   punished   control (no consequences)

  Phase II   Left in room to wait   Dep measure: amount of aggression

RESULTS:   A > C > B   Phase III

  -performance vs. learning   phase II tests performance but phase III

tests learning. All kids learned aggression and will show it in the “right” circumstance.

TV VIOLENCE DEBATE   -kids aggression increases after watching

violence on TV   e.g., violent acts on kids’ TV   # violent acts per hour

  ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, PBS, TBS, USA, MTV, HBO   6 – 8 am 283   8 – 10 142   10 - 12 82   12 – 2 125   2 – 3 71   3 – 5 166   5 – 8 156   8 – 10 119   10 – 12 115   Pattern???

Video Games?