psych chapter 6 review

acquisition (acquire)

learning association between conditioned and unconditioned stimuli (acquiring the CR)

• stronger if CS slightly precedes US in time → it’s predictive

  • metronome just before food (but not too much)

• cognitive explanation → the animal learns that the CS predicts the US

• adaptive function → predictive quality prepares animal to respond

extinction

CR gradually disappears after repeatedly NOT pairing CS and US

• also forms of learning (learn that CS is not associated this US)

spontaneous recovery

when an extinguished response reemerges to the CS

• sometime after extinction

generalization

when stimuli that are similar (not identical) to the CS also elicit the CR

discrimination

differentiating between two similar stimuli such that only one (the actual CS) elicits the CR

behaviorist view

change in behavior resulting from experience

• environment and its effects only determinants of learning

• does not consider internal mental states

• via rewards and punishment

classical conditioning in humans

• explanation of fears

• therapy

• taste aversion

• advertising

modern view

change in behavior or mental states resulting from any experience

• includes changes in internal mental states

• including experiences like observation

• considers the adaptive function of learning

3 ways of learning

1. non-associative

2. associative

3. watching others

fear responses

• fear responses (phobias) may be learned via CC.

• case study: little albert

• counterconditioning

learning = changes in brain

• “cells that fire together, wire together.”

• strengthening of synaptic connections

• called long-term potentiation (strengthening) (LTP)

• underlies learning and memory

non-associative learning

learning about one stimulus in the external world

1. habituation

2. sensitization

habituation (non-associative)

decrease in behavioral response to a repeated or lengthy stimulus

• perhaps because stimulus not harmful/rewarding

sensitization (non-associative)

increase in behavioral response to a repeated or lengthy stimulus

• perhaps because stimulus potentially harmful/rewarding

associative learning

learning about relationship between two pieces of information

1. classical conditional (two stimuli go together)

• involuntary, automatic responses or emotion

2. operant conditioning (certain behavior leads to certain consequence)

• voluntary behavior

counterconditioning

classical conditioning technique that pairs CS (feared object) with pleasantness

classical conditioning

a type of learned response in which a neutral stimulus elicits a response when it’s associated with a stimulus that already produces that response

• Ivan Pavlov

  • interested in salivation reflex

    • automatic, unlearned response to food

  • noticed dogs salivating before tasting food

    • at sight of bowl

    • a learned response

evolutionary influences

• certain neutral stimuli are more likely to become conditioned stimuli

• taste aversions (a special kind of classical conditioning)

  • CS = smells and tastes (not light or sounds)

    • why? evolutionary standpoint→ tastes and smells indicate toxin/poison

  • even if that smell or taste has nothing to do with getting sick

  • differences from classical conditioning

    • generally occurs after one pairing

    • CS (taste) can occur long before US (virus)

    • very difficult to extinguish

• predisposition to fear particular objects

  • animals more likely to develop fear responses to dangerous objects

steps of classical conditioning

• start with stimulus that naturally elicits response

  • unconditioned stimulus (US) → unconditioned response (UR)

  • food (US) → salivation (UR)

• repeatedly pair a neutral stimulus with the US

  • metronome always paired with food

  • animal learns to associate the two stimuli

• presenting that stimulus alone results in similar response

  • conditioned stimulus (CS) → conditioned response (CR)

  • metronome (CS) → salivation (CR)

unconditioned stimulus (US)

stimulus that naturally elicits a response (w/o learning)

unconditioned response (UR)

natural, unlearned responses

• involuntary, automatic responses or emotion

conditioned stimulus (CS)

stimulus that elicits a response only after learning/conditioning (paired w/ US)

• previously was a neutral stimulus

conditioned response (CR)

learned response to CS

• similar to UR

operant conditioning

learning process where consequences of action determine likelihood of behavior occurring in future

• classical conditioning relatively passive

  • doesn’t depend on consequences

• many behaviors result from learning about their consequences

Thorndike’s law of effect

behaviors with “satisfying” outcomes likely to occur again; behaviors with “dissatisfying” outcomes less likely to occur again

• terms replaced with “reinforcing and “punishing”

• ex: puzzle box

reinforcer (operant conditioning)

stimulus experienced after behavior that increases likelihood of that behavior being repeated

• B.F. Skinner box

  • rat learns that pressing lever results food

  • behavior = lever press

  • reinforcer = food

shaping

reinforcing behaviors that are increasingly similar to the desired behavior (successive approximations)

• underlines learning of complex skills in animals and humans

successive approximations

behaviors that are closer and closer to desired outcome

reinforcement

increases likelihood of behavior

punishment

decreases likelihood of behavior

positive

adding a stimulus (+)

negative

removing a stimulus (-)

positive reinforcement (reward)

the addition of a stimulus to increase likelihood of a behavior

ex: giving food after pressing lever, lever pressing increases

negative reinforcement (not punishment)

the removal of a stimulus to increase likelihood of a behavior

ex: removing painful shock after pressing lever, lever pressing increases

positive punishment

the addition of a stimulus to decrease likelihood of a behavior

ex: receiving painful shock after pressing lever, lever pressing decreases

negative punishment

the removal of a stimulus to decrease likelihood of a behavior

ex: removing food after pressing lever, lever pressing decreases

reinforcement schedules

• continuous vs. partial reinforcement

  • continuous → reinforce every time

    • better for quick learning

  • partial → occasionally reinforce

    • better for longer-lasting learning

• four common schedules of partial reinforcement

  • vary in terms of

1. predictable vs. changing

2. amount of time vs. number of responses

fixed

predictable

variable

changes

interval

passage of time

ratio

number of responses

fixed interval schedule (FI)

reinforcing behavior after a specific amount of time since last reinforcement

ex: giving food after pressing lever once 10 minutes have passed

variable interval schedule (VI)

reinforcing behavior after a unpredictable amount of time since last reinforcement

ex: giving food after pressing lever once 2-10 minutes have passed