neuro 10 - intro to learning prediction and control

Stimulus

Event that happens to you

Response

Something you do voluntarily

What is learning?

Process of acquiring new knowledge or persistent change in behaviour as a result of experience

Not all behaviour is learned

Some = innate/evolved; adaptive for dealing with fixed environment features

Example of innate behaviour

Stickleback fish responds to stimulus least close to a fish

Hard wired S-R links

Sign stimulus elicits response; mental link through evolution

Supernormal stimuli

More effective than naturally occurring sign stimuli

Mental representations

Mental state accompanying stimulus experience, e.g., round object triggers egg rolling response

Unlearned behaviour

Preprogrammed responses to constant environmental aspects increase survival

Learning throughout life

Persistent behaviour change due to experience, necessary to adapt to environment

Habituation

Reduction in stimulus response due to repeated exposure

Types of habituation

ST habituation = response doesn't recover after delay; LT habituation = response does recover

Classical conditioning

Predicting; learned CR = involuntary

Instrumental conditioning

Controlling events; response only predicts stimulus if animal responds

Omission training

Keylight CS predicts food but conditioned peck cancels it

Control of experience

Can control response production but not make animal do it

Override of conditioned response

Bird can override classically conditioned response with voluntary instrumental one to get food

Fixed action pattern

Stereotyped response due to sign stimulus

Preexisting link

Between stimulus and response becomes less effective with habituation

Adaptive behaviour

Behaviour that helps in dealing with fixed environment features

Experience adaptation

Most environments are not constant, so adaptation occurs throughout lifetimes