Lecture 27: Animal Learning

What is learning?

a process by which behavior is acquired or changed through experience with the environment

What is classical conditioning?

A learning process in which emotional associations are made between a natural stimulus and a neutral stimulus

What are the two main functions of classical conditioning?

Adapt to the environment, avoid danger

stimulus

anything that causes a response

response

any reaction to a stimulus

neutral

causing no effect

conditioned

learned or taught

unconditioned

innate, natural, no learning needed

neutral stimulus

a stimulus that does not elecit any emotional response

unconditioned stimulus

a stimulus that elicits an innate emotional response without previous training/learning

unconditioned response

an individual's automatic/reflexive/innate reaction to a stimulus

conditioned stimulus

a once neutral stimulus that now causes a specific response after a period of training where it has been paired repreatedly with an unconditioned stimulus

what is operant conditioning?

modification of voluntary behavior to either increase or decrease its occurrence

What are the kinds of operant conditioning?

positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, negative punishment

positive

something was added or applied

negative

something was removed or discontinued

reinforcement

increases the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated

punishment

decreases the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated again

positive reinforcement

administration of a rewarding stimulus for a desired behavioral response

negative reinforcement

removal of an aversive stimulus following a desired behavioral response

positive punishment

applying or administering an aversive stimulus in response to undesirable behavior

Positive punishment should never be used with

fearful animals

negative punishment

removal or withholding of a desired stimulus in response to an undesirable behavior

continuous reinforcement schedule

reinforcement occurs immediately after each response ever time. fosters rapid learning

variable reinforcement schedule

reinforcement occurs intermittently, rather than after each response. strengthens behavior

luring

typically use food to lure animal into desired position

capturing

wait for the behavior to be offered

shaping

formation of a new behavior by rewarding the animal for each step taken towards the goal

extinction

the gradual disappearance of a learned behavior when the reinforcement for that behavior is no longer a consequence of that behavior

flooding

reduction in a fear/behavioral response by repeatedly presenting the frightening stimulus at full strength with the goal of eventual habituation

learned helplessness

disruption of motivation, affect and learning following exposure to unpleasant situations over which the animal has no control over scaping or changing. occurs when an animal is subjected to inescapable aversive stimulus and later does not attempt to escape the stimulus

desensitization

occurs by presenting aversive stimuli repeatedly at low intensities that are gradually increased

counter-conditioning

change a negative emotional response to a positive one by associating the frightening stimulus with one that naturally elicits a positive emotional response