Lec 7 Skinner and Behaviorism part 4

What is the variable ratio learning schedule?

Behavior that is learned on this schedule is the most difficult to extinguish

How do animals learn to insist according to the variable ratio learning schedule?

Animals learn to insist on the behavior because the reward will come ultimately

What is implication?

create rules and stick with them

What is a self or personality according to Skinner?

A self or personality is at best a repertoire of behavior imparted by an organized set of contingencies

What is the second key point for personality according to Skinner/

A person is not an originating agent. He is a locus (place), a point at which genetic and environmental conditions come together in a joint effect

What is personality a result of according to skinner and behaviorism?

Personality is the result of an interaction between genetic predispositions and learning: habituation, classical conditioning, operant conditioning

What is cogito ergo sum (I think, therefore I am)

A statement by Rene Descartes meaning that the ability to think proves one’s existence

What is the key idea of Cognito Ergo Sum (I think, therefore I am)

I can doubt or think, then I must exist

What is an example of cogito ergo sum, I think therefore I am?

Even if everything around you is an illusion, the fact that you’re thinking about it means you must exist

What is the definition of Sum Ergo Cogito (I am therefore I think)?

A behaviorist reversal of Descartes' idea, suggesting that existence and actions come first, and thinking follows.

What is the key idea of sum Ergo Cogito ("I am, therefore I think")

We don’t think first and then act—our actions and environment shape our thoughts.

What is an example of Sum Ergo Cogito ("I am, therefore I think")

A baby doesn’t think about walking first—it tries, falls, learns, and thinking develops from the experience.

What is descarte’s view on rationalism?

Thinking is the source of behavior; reason controls actions.

What is the key idea of descartes’ view on rationalism?

The mind is separate from the body, and thought leads to behavior.

What is an example of descartes’ view on rationalism?

You decide to study for an exam because you rationally think it will help you pass.

What is the opposing view of behaviorism

where behaviorism argues that behavior shapes thought, not the other way around.

what is an example of behaviorism (opposing view)?

A child touches a hot stove → Gets burned → Learns not to touch it again without needing to think deeply about it.

What is cognition as a result of behavior?

Behaviorism believes thinking (cognition) doesn’t cause actions; instead, our actions and experiences shape our thoughts.

What is an example of cognition as a result of behavior?

A basketball player doesn’t think about every tiny move while playing—they learn from practice, and their mind adjusts after repeated behaviors.

What is covert behavior?

A hidden internal behavior like thinking that is not directly observable

What is an example of covert behavior?

Thinking "I am hungry" is a covert behavior because no one else can see it.

What is external contingencies?

Outside factors (rewards, punishments, experiences) that shape our behaviors, including thoughts.

What is the key idea of external contingencies?

Thoughts don’t come from the “mind” but are shaped by past experiences.

What is an example of external contingencies?

If you always eat when you feel hungry, your thought ("I will eat") is shaped by this past reinforcement.

What is thought as a covert behavior?

Thinking is not separate from behavior—it is just an internal form of behavior

What is a key idea of thought as a covert behavior?

People assume thoughts lead to actions, but thoughts are just learned behaviors themselves.

What is an example of thought as a covert behavior?

"I think I will eat" is a learned internal response because eating has been reinforced in the past.

What is symbolic of external behavior?

Our thoughts mirror external behaviors we’ve learned through past experiences.

What is a key idea of symbolic of external behavior?

Thinking "I will eat" is symbolic of the act of eating, which was reinforced before.

What is an example of symbolic of external behavior?

If you've always eaten after feeling hungry, your thought "I will eat" is just a mental version of your past behavior.

What is negative reinforcement in eating?

A behavior increases because it removes something unpleasant.

What is the negative reinforcement in eating?

Eating takes away hunger, so eating is reinforced.

What is an example of negative reinforcement in eating?

You feel hunger (unpleasant state) → You eat → Hunger goes away (negative reinforcement).

What is stimulus response association?

We connect a stimulus (hunger) with a response (eating) based on past experiences.

What is a key idea of stimulus response association?

Thoughts like "I will eat" are just part of this learned connection.

What is an example of stimulus response association?

You feel cold (stimulus) → You put on a jacket (response) → You stay warm, so you repeat this in the future.

What is vernacular for a larger stimulus response association?

The phrase "I think I will eat" is just a way of expressing a deeper learned behavior (hunger → eating).

What is the key idea for vernacular for a larger stimulus response association?

We don’t actually "think first"—we just verbalize our learned behaviors

What is an example for vernacular for a larger stimulus response association?

You say, "I think I’ll sleep now," but really, your body has learned to sleep when tired, and you’re just labeling that behavior.