Psychology: A Journey, Second Edition, Dennis Coon Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Conditioning and Learning.

Psychology: A Journey, Second Edition, Dennis CoonChapter 6

Chapter 6Conditioning and Learning


Learning: Some Key Terms

• Learning: Relatively permanent change in behavior due to experience– Does NOT include temporary changes due to

disease, injury, or maturation– Reinforcement: Any event that increases the

probability that a response will recur• Response: Any identifiable behavior

– Internal: Faster heartbeat– Observable: Eating, scratching


Major Types of Learning

• Classical Conditioning: Event-Event learning– Pavlov and his dogs; Watson and Little Albert

• Operant Conditioning: Behavior-Consequence learning– Thorndike; Skinner

• Observational Learning: watch and imitate– Bandura and BoBo doll experiment


Classical Conditioning and Ivan Pavlov

• Russian physiologist who initially was studying digestion• Used dogs to study salivation when dogs were

presented with meat powder• Also known as Pavlovian or Respondent Conditioning• Reflex: Automatic, nonlearned innate response e.g., an

eyeblink

Psychology: A Journey, Second Edition, Dennis CoonChapter 6Figure 6.2

FIGURE 6.2 An apparatus for Pavlovian conditioning. A tube carries saliva from the dog’s mouth to a lever that activates a recording device (far left). During conditioning, various stimuli can be paired with a dish of food placed in front of the dog. The device pictured here is more elaborate than the one Pavlov used in his early experiments.


Classical Conditioning Terminology

Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

• An event that consistently and automatically elicits an unconditioned response

Unconditioned Response (UR)

•An action that the unconditioned stimulus automatically elicits

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

•Initially a neutral stimulus. After repeated pairings with the unconditioned stimulus, the CS elicits the same response as the US.

Conditioned Response (CR)

•The response elicited by the conditioned stimulus due to the training.


FIGURE 6.3 The classical conditioning procedure.


Principles of Classical Conditioning

• Acquisition: Training period when a response is reinforced (the CS is followed closely by the US)

• Expectancy: Expectation about how events are interconnected

• Extinction: Weakening of a conditioned response through removal of reinforcement

• Spontaneous Recovery: Reappearance of a learned response following apparent extinction


FIGURE 6.4 Acquisition and extinction of a conditioned response.


Extinction & Spontaneous Recovery


An example of a conditioned emotional response (fear)


Classical Conditioning in Humans• Phobia: Intense, unrealistic, irrational fear of a specific

situation or object (e.g., arachnophobia; fear of spiders; see the movie!)

• Conditioned Emotional Response: Learned emotional reaction to a previously neutral stimulus

• Desensitization: Exposing phobic people gradually to feared stimuli while they stay calm and relaxed


Operant Conditioning (Instrumental Learning)

• Definition: Learning based on the consequences of responding; we associate responses with their consequences

• Law of Effect (Thorndike): The probability of a response is altered by the effect it has; responses that lead to desired effects are repeated; those that lead to undesired effects are not

• Operant Reinforcer: Any event that follows a response and increases its likelihood of recurring

• Conditioning Chamber (Skinner Box): Apparatus designed to study operant conditioning in animals

• Response-Contingent Reinforcement: Reinforcement given only when a particular response occurs


FIGURE 6.9 The Skinner box. This simple device, invented by B. F. Skinner, allows careful study of operant conditioning. When the rat presses the bar, a pellet of food or a drop of water is automatically released.


Timing of Reinforcement

• Operant reinforcement most effective when given immediately after a correct response

• Superstitious Behavior: Behavior that is repeated to produce reinforcement, even though it is not necessary

• Shaping: Molding responses gradually to a desired pattern by reinforcing successive approximations to the target response

• Successive Approximations: Ever-closer matches


FIGURE 6.10 Reinforcement and human behavior. The percentage of times that a severely disturbed child said “Please” when he wanted an object was increased dramatically by reinforcing him for making a polite request. Reinforcement produced similar improvements in saying “Thank you” and “You’re welcome,” and the boy applied these terms in new situations as well.


Operant Extinction

• Definition: When learned responses that are NOT reinforced gradually fade away


More Operant Conditioning Terms• Positive Reinforcement: When a response is followed by

a reward or other positive event and the effect is to increase the likelihood of it recurring (e.g., praising desired behavior)

• Punishment: Any event that follows a response and decreases the likelihood of it recurring (e.g., a spanking)


Types of Operant Reinforcers• Primary Reinforcer: Nonlearned and natural; satisfies

biological needs (e.g., food, water, sex)• Secondary Reinforcer: Learned reinforcer (e.g., money,

grades, approval)• Social Reinforcer: Learned desires for attention and

approval

• What did critics of Skinner say?– Free will vs. determinism


Modeling or Observational Learning (Albert Bandura)

• Model: Someone who serves as an example in observational learning

• Occurs by watching and imitating actions of another person or by noting consequences of a person’s actions– Occurs before direct practice is allowed


Steps to Successful Modeling

• Pay attention to model.• Remember what was done.• Be able to reproduce modeled behavior.• If a model is successful or his/her behavior is rewarded,

behavior more likely to be imitated.• Bandura created modeling theory with classic Bo-Bo Doll

(inflatable clown) experiments

• Skinner (shaping) vs. Bandura (modeling)


Self-Managed Behavioral Principles

• Choose a target behavior• Record a baseline• Establish goals• Choose reinforcers• Record your progress• Reward successes• Adjust your plan as you learn more about your behavior

Psychology: A Journey, Second Edition, Dennis Coon Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Conditioning and Learning.

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