Psych - Cognitive Learning

Unit 3 notes

Learning

A relatively permanent change in an individual's behavior or knowledge due to experience.

We learn by ____

association

Associative Learning

learning that certain events occur together such as stimuli and responses or behaviors and consequences.

How learning is formed

through positive and negative stimuli

How we learn

association

instincts and reflexes

if we did not learn our behaviors would be from

connect them for associative learning

our minds automatically do this with events that happen in sequence

Children being potty trained

An example of a basic form of learning

Aristotle

Who proposed the idea of associative learning 2000 years ago

Blank Slate

Every behavior is learned, we are born as a blank slate with no knowledge.

Locke

who proposed the blank slate theory

Example of associative learning

Learning to call 911 when you see danger

Learned response from associative learning

Connecting two stimulus

Behavior is strengthened

When the behavior gets desired consequence

Behavior is weakened

When behavior does NOT get desired consequence

Habituation

Learning to not respond to a repeated stimulus

Example of habituation

The monthly test of a tornado siren does not need a response

Mere exposure effect

tendency for people to learn a preference for familiar stimuli

example of mere exposure effect

preferring a brand over another

classical conditioning is

simple learning

operant conditioning is

complex learning

classical conditioning

a type of learning in which an organism comes to associate stimuli

Ivan Pavlov

who studied classical conditioning with his dog

The bell

What neutral stimulus became a conditioned stimulus in Pavlovs dog

conditioned response

Dog drools when hearing a bell

Unconditioned Response (UCR)

the unlearned naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus (instinct/nature)

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)

The stimulus that triggers a naturally occurring unconditioned response (does not need conditioning to cause this response)

Conditioned Response (CR)

The learned response to a previously neutral, now conditioned stimulus

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

An originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus that causes a natural response, triggers a conditioned response. (The bell)

Associative learning in classical conditioning

Learning to associate one stimulus with another

An example of Associative learning in classical conditioning

Lightning is the first stimulus, thunder is the second. After repetition, a child afraid of thunder may start to show fear when seeing lighting.

Associative learning in operant conditioning

Learning to associate a response with a consequence

Example of Associative learning in operant conditioning

A child learning that if they push their sibling, they would be put in the naughty chair

John B Watson

He believed that children could be conditioned into whatever he wanted them to be by conditioning traits. (Classical conditioning)

Acquisition in classical conditioning

The phase of associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus so the neutral stimulus creates a conditioned response

Acquisition in operant conditioning

The process of strengthening a reinforced response.

The predator

What is the UCS in this scenario? To a deer in the forest, the snapping of a twig may signal a predator

The twig

What is the CS in this scenario? To a deer in the forest, the snapping of a twig may signal a predator

Extinction

The CR no longer occurring after the CS no longer signals the UCS.

Spontaneous Recovery

The random reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response, after a period of time where there was no response.

Stimulus discrimination

The learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and other stimuli that do not condition between an unconditioned stimulus.

Example of stimulus discrimination

A bell signaling there are 5 minutes until class does not elicit the same response from students as a bell that indicates they are tardy.

Operant Conditioning

Type of learning in which a behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcement or diminished if followed by a punishment.

Operant behavior

Voluntary actions an organism performs that influence their environment, with the likelihood of these behaviors increasing or decreasing based on the consequences (reinforcements/punishments) that follow.

Classical conditioning

Triggers a conditioned response that the organism naturally acquires and doesn’t think about doing.

Operant behavior

How an individual chooses to act to control the effects from the environment. For example, the dog chose to sit to get a treat.

B.F. Skinner

Modern behaviorism’s most influential and controversial figure and is known for his work with operant conditioning.

Law of Effect

States that behaviors followed by favorable consequences will become more likely and behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences will become less likely.

Edward Thorndike

Came up with the law of effect

Reinforcement

Any event that increases the frequency of a response.

Reinforcer

The stimulus presented (positive) or taken away (negative) in order to strengthen a response.

Example of a positive reinforcer

A kind word

Example of a negative reinforcer

Thee blinking light on your dashboard that turns off once you put the seatbelt on.

Continuous reinforcement

Reinforcing the response every time it occurs

Partial (intermittent) reinforcement

reinforcing the response only part of the time

interval schedule

rewards subjects after a certain amount of time

ratio schedule

rewards subjects after a certain number of responses

Fixed interval schedule (FI)

set amount of time

ex. the lever only gave food after a 60 second wait time

variable interval schedule (VI)

unknown amount of time increment between rewards

ex. pop quiz

fixed ratio schedule (FR)

set amount of responses before reward

ex. giving food after rat pushes lever 5 times

variable ratio schedule (VR)

random amount of responses before reward

ex. lottery tickets

primary reinforcement

something that is naturally reinforcing

ex. food, warmth, water

secondary reinforcement

something that you have learned is a reward because it has been associated with a primary reinforcement

ex. money

Token economy theory

positive reinforcement system based on operant conditioning where individuals are rewarded with tokens that act as a secondary reinforcer, and can be redeemed for a reward.

ex. star chart, bomber bucks

Premack principal theory

theory that a more preferred activity can be used to reinforce a less preferred activity

ex. chart used to reinforce teeth brushing

Punishment

an event that decreases the behavior that it follows

negative punishment

when something desirable is taken away after a behavior

positive punishment

introducing an unfavorable outcome to decrease a behavior

ex. speeding ticket

cognitive map

mental representation of the layout of one’s environment

latent learning

learning that becomes apparent only when there is an incentive to demonstrate it

Over justification effect

over rewarding or rewarding something that is already enjoyed can backfire

observational learning

learning by observing someone performing a behavior and experiencing the reinforcement and punishments after

Cognitive learning

A “flash of insight” where we change our mental process instead of continuing the behaviors that weren’t working

Researcher Kohler

believed that chimps were able to solve complex problems by combining simpler behaviors they have previously learned

Albert bandura

Conducted the Bobo doll experiment, believed that learning wasn't always the result of operant or classical conditioning, and could be from observation of behavior

Bobo doll experiment

children learned how to treat a doll through observing an adult, and mimicking their behavior