Chapter 7: Learning & Classical & Operant Conditioning

Clemson, PSYC 2010, Section 7, Mary Taylor, Chapter 7

Classical Conditioning (automatic)

Pavlov, Unconditioned stimulus, Unconditioned response, Conditioned stimulus, Conditioned response, Watson

Pavlov

Father of Classical Conditioning, he was studying how dogs saliva broke down food and noticed how the dogs started salivating when no food was present.

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)

Naturally causes and Unconditioned Response (UCR), EX: In Pavlov’s experiment, food was an _____________ ________.

Unconditioned Response (UCR)

Occurs automatically, EX: In Pavlov’s experiment, salivation was an _____________ ________. It occurred naturally to the presentation of food.

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

Neutral before conditioning, after conditioning it elicits a Conditioned Response (CR), EX: Pavlov rang a bell each time food was presented to the dog

Conditioned Response (CR)

Occurs when the CS is presented, this is not a natural connection; it was learned, EX: the dog salivated when only the bell is presented

Watson

Classically Conditioned a child into a fear of white rats by pairing a loud sound, the child’s fear, with the presentation of a white rat. The loud sound was a UCS > fear was a UCR

Classical Conditioning Diagram

A) UCS → UCR (A shows before conditioning)

B) UCS → UCR (B shows during conditioning

↕ ↳ Natural Connection

CS (CS is neutral before conditioning)

C) CS → CR (C shows after conditioning)

↳ Learned Connection

Stimulus Generalization

When the participants CR generalizes to stimuli that are similar but not identical to the original CS

Stimulus Discrimination

Failure to respond to a stimulus that is too different from the original CS to evoke a response

Extinction

Gradual disappearance of the CR when the CS is presented repeatedly without ever pairing it with the CS

Extinction in Operant Conditioning

Withholding a consequence that has reinforced a behavior until it decreases and disappears

Extinction Burst

An increase in a behavior you think you are decreasing

Spontaneous Recovery

Sudden reappearance of the CR when you think you’ve extinguished it

Systemic Desensitization

You pair a feared object with a pleasant experience to decrease fear

Operant Conditioning

Requires the subject to make a voluntary action followed by a consequence called a reinforcer or punishment

Reinforcer

Increases behavior. Positive: a reward. you increase this behavior to ATTAIN this. Negative: you increase behavior to AVOID this.

Primary Reinforcer

Innate stimulus that satisfies biological need

Conditioned Reinforcer (Secondary)

Stimulus gains power through association with primary reinforcer

Punishment

Always DECREASES behavior, has negative “side effects”

Reinforcement Schedules

Continuous and Partial

Continuous

Every time a response is made the participant gets a reinforcement

Partial

4 types: Fixed ratio, variable ratio, fixed interval, and variable interval

Fixed Ratio

After every specified # of responses

Variable Ratio

After unpredictable # of responses

Fixed Interval

After specified time elapsed

Variable Interval

Unpredictable time intervals

Thorndike’s Law of Effect

Central in Operant Conditioning, a behavior followed by a reward is likely to reoccur

Bandura’s work in Operant Conditioning

Children (and adults) learn by looking at rewards given to others

Shaping in Operant Conditioning

Rewarding approximations of the desired behavior