Section  1:  Learning  

Meghan  Fraley,  PhD  

Theories  and  Principles  of  Learning  and  Behavior  

Theories  of  Learning  

Learning  Classical  

Condi6oning  

Operant  Condi6oning  

Social  Learning  Theory  

Learning  Theorists  

P  • Pavlov:  Classical  Condi6oning;  Saliva6ng  Dogs  (1901;  1927)  

W  • Watson:  Behaviorism  founder,  LiKle  Albert  (1913;  1920s)  

T  • Thorndike:  Law  of  Effect;  Cats  Puzzle  Box  (1898)  

S  • Skinner:  Operant  Condi6oning;  Pigeons  (1938;  1953)  

Pavlov,  Classical  Condi7oning;  Thorndike  &  Skinner,  Operant  Condi7oning  

The  Behaviorists  Pavlov,  Watson,  Thorndike,  Skinner  

Who’s  Who?    Experiments  of  Pavlov,  Watson,  Skinner,  &  Thorndike  

CLASSICAL  CONDITIONING  

We  learn  new  things  when  they  are  connected  or  paired.  

•  Respondent  condi6oning  (i.e.  involuntary)  

•  Pavlov  and  Watson  

•  Reflexes:  s6mulus-­‐response  links  

•  Uncondi6oned  reflex:  Uncondi6oned  s6mulus  evokes  uncondi6oned  response  (US    UR);  inborn  

•  Condi6oned  reflex:  Condi6oned  s6mulus  and  a  condi6oned  response  (CS  CR);  learned  

Altoid?  

Pavlov:  ReDlexes  and  Dogs  

Pavlov’s  Dogs…  

Methods  of  Classical  Conditioning  1.  Delay  Condi6oning  (Standard  Pairing):  CS  precedes  US  and  overlaps  

2.  Trace  Condi6oning:  CS  precedes  Us  with  short  break  

3.  Temporal  Condi6oning:  Time  is  the  CS.  US  is  presented  at  a  6me  interval  

4.  Simultaneous  Condi6oning:  NS  and  US  completely  overlap  

5.  Backward  Condi6oning:  US  precedes  NS  

True  condi6oning  only  occurs  when  the  CS  is  presented  before  the  US  

Key  Concepts  of  Classical  Conditioning  1.   S7mulus  Generaliza7on  

2.   Higher  Order  Condi7oning  3.   Classical  Ex7nc7on  4.   Spontaneous  Recovery  5.   S7mulus  Discrimina7on  

6.   Pseudocondi7oning  7.   Habitua7on  

S R

A stimulus is presented in order to get a response:

Stimulus  Generalization  

Watson  and  LiKle  Albert:  LiKle  Albert  was  afraid  of  bunnies!  

Higher  Order  Conditioning  Deliberate  process  where  CS  are  paired  with  NS  up  to  three  levels.  

An  animal  might  first  learn  to  associate  a  bell  with  food  (first-­‐order  condi6oning),  but  then  learn  to  associate  a  light  with  the  bell  (second-­‐order  condi6oning).  Honeybees  show  second-­‐order  condi6oning  during  proboscis  extension  reflex  condi6oning.[1]  

Classical  Extinction  

Unlearning  a  condi6oned  response.  Repeatedly  presen6ng  condi6oned  s6mulus  with  uncondi6oned  s6mulus  

Spontaneous  Recovery  

Durin  ex6nc6on  trials,  ader  a  brief  rest  period,  the  condi6oned  response  oden  briefly  reappears.  

Stimulus  Discrimination  Learning  to  discriminate  between  two  similar  neutral  s6muli  when  only  one  is  paired  with  the  uncondi6oned  s6mulus  (US)  

Experimental  Neurosis:  Making  s6mulus  discrimina6on  too  difficult  may  cause  agita6on.  Later,  if  returned  to  original  mastered  discrimina6on,  dog  is  no  longer  able  to  discriminate.  

Pseudoconditioning  Accidental  learning  caused  by  inadvertant  pairing  or  heightened  arousal.  

Habituation  

Becoming  accustomed  to  an  uncondi6oned  s6mulus  (US).  It  no  longer  evokes  the  uncondi6oned  response  (UR).    

•  Only  related  to  uncondi'oned  s6muli/response  

OPERANT  CONDITIONING  We  learn  as  a  result  of  reward  and  punishment.  Operant  condi6oning  explains  Voluntary  behavior  

Thorndike’s  Law  of  Effect  

Reinforcement  and  Punishment  

Posi6ve  Reinforcement  =  Reward  

Nega6ve  Reinforcement  =  Relief  

Posi6ve  Punishment  =  Pain  

Nega6ve  Punishment  =  Loss  

 Posi7ve  =  Added  Nega7ve  =  Taken  Away  

Schedules  of  Reinforcement  

1.  Con6nuous  -­‐  Sa6a6on  -­‐  Thinning  

2.  IntermiKent  -­‐  Fixed  Interval  (FI)  

-­‐  Variable  Interval  (VI)  -­‐  Fixed  Ra6o  (FR)  

-­‐  Variable  Ra6o  (VR)  

Sa7a7on  

Thinning    Graduate!  

Continuous  Reinforcement  

Intermittent:  Fixed-­‐Ratio  

Intermittent:  Variable-­‐Ratio  

Combined  Fixed-­‐Ratio  Schedules  

Rates  and  Patterns  of  Responding  

Rates  during  Acquisi7on  Variable  and  Ra6o  greatest  operant  strength  VR,  FR,  VI,  FI  

Resistance  to  Ex7nc7on  Variable  and  Ra6on  most  resistant  to  ex6nc6on  VR,  FR,  VI,  FI  

PaWern  of  Responding  Fixed  schedules  result  in  pauses  ader  reinforcement  Fixed  graphs  appear  scalloped  

Reinforcement  Schedules  Graph  

Key  Concepts  of  Operant  Conditioning  

•  Operant  Ex6nc6on  (response  burst)  •  Supers66ous  Behavior  (accidental/non-­‐con6gent  reinforcement)  

•  Discrimina6on  Learning  (Discriminate  s6mulus  and  S  Delta)  

•  S6mulus  Generaliza6on  

•  Response  Generaliza6on    •  Promp6ng  (cueing  subject,  fading  =  reducing  promp6ng)  

•  Shaping  by  Successive  Approxima6ons  (  

•  Chaining  (stringing  behaviors  to  accomplish  goal)  

•  Premack  Principle  (Pairing  high  frequency  and  low  frequency)  

•  Behavioral  Contrast  (increasing  reinforced  behavior  of  previously  equally  reinforced)  

Operant  Extinction  

Ceasing  to  reinforce  behavior  that  has  previously  been  reinforced.  

Behavior  will  diminish/ex6nguish  

Response  Burst  &  Superstitious  Behavior  

Discrimination  Learning  In  each  of  these  cases  which  of  the  cards  on  the  desk  is  the  discrimina7ve  s7mulus  (SD)  and  which  is  the  s7mulus  delta  (SΔ)?  

Stimulus  and  Response  Generalization    

Prompting  

Cueing  subject,  Fading  =  reducing  promp6ng  

Shaping  by  Successive  Approximations  

Chaining  

Stringing  behaviors  to  accomplish  goal  

Premack  Principle  

Premack's  principle,  or  the  rela7vity  theory  of  reinforcement,  states  that  more  probable  behaviors  will  reinforce  less  probable  behaviors.  

Behavioral  Contrast  Behavioral  contrast  refers  to  a  change  in  the  strength  of  one  response  that  occurs  when  the  rate  of  reward  of  a  second  response,  or  of  the  first  response  under  different  condi6ons,  is  changed.    

Social  Learning  Theory  

Reciprocal  Determinism:  Interac6ve  triad  of  person/behavior/environment  regulate  behavior.  Bandura  posited  that  observa6onal  learning  requires  four  steps:  1.  AKen6on  2.  Reten6on  3.  Produc6on  4.  Mo6va6on  

Social  Learning  Theory:  Factors  InDluencing  Strength  Research  indicates  that  the  following  factors  influence  the  strength  of  learning  from  models:  

1.  How  much  power  the  model  seems  to  have  

2.  How  capable  the  model  seems  to  be  

3.  How  nurturing  (caring)  the  model  seems  to  be  

4.  How  similar  the  learner  perceives  self  and  model    

5.  How  many  models  the  learner  observes  

Social  Learning  Theory:  Interrelated  IdentiDication  Processes  

Four  interrelated  processes  establish  and  strengthen  iden6fica6on  with  the  model:  

1.  Children  want  to  be  like  the  model  2.  Children  believe  they  are  like  the  model  

3.  Children  experience  emo6ons  like  those  the  model  is  feeling.  

4.  Children  act  like  the  model.    

Learning  Theory  Overview  

1.  Classical  Condi6oning  

-­‐Pavlov,  Reflexes  

2.  Operant  Condi6oning  

-­‐Reinforcement/Punishment  

3.  Social  Learning  Theory