Behaviorism and Classical Conditioning chapter 6- textbook
Newborn Human Muscle Control/ learning
Newborns have almost no control of their muscles, with exceptions in their eyes and mouth.
Hypothetical scenario: A baby born with complete muscular control would potentially encounter several dangers due to a lack of learning experience.
Importance of Learning
Infants must learn safety, including what to touch, where to go, and where not to go.
Human behavior requires continuous learning and relearning.
Extensive research in psychology is focuse-d on learning and behavior modification.
Behaviorism and Classical Conditioning
This section focuses on behavioral changes in response to stimuli.
Examples include:
Licking lips seeing tasty food.
Turning away from previously sickening food.
Handling knives with caution.
Reacting to potential danger (e.g., someone running at you with a knife).
Learning Objectives
Discuss assumptions and goals of behaviorism.
Define classical conditioning, including methods of inducing and measuring it.
Identify extinction procedures in classical conditioning.
Outline Pavlov's explanation of classical conditioning and subsequent contradictions.
Relate classical conditioning principles to drug tolerance.
Historical Context
20th-century research focused on animal learning, predominantly with rats and pigeons, establishing the scientific basis for behaviorism.
Structuralists previously debated mental experiences, which resulted in the emergence of behaviorism.
Example of inquiry into mental states: Why did she yell? (Behaviorism emphasizes situational responses over mental states.)
Definition of Behaviorism
Psychology should concern itself solely with observable behavior and the contexts in which it occurs.
Notable behaviorist B. F. Skinner (1990): Statements of intention reflect behavior about to occur, arguments against mental states as direct causes of behavior.
Example from the Legal System
Witness testimony should focus on observable events, avoiding assumptions about mental states.
Behaviorism suggests that all behavior stems from interactions with the environment.
Stimulus-Response Psychology
Advocate Jack Loeb: behaviors perceived as intentional are actually responses to environmental stimuli.
Example: Caterpillars move toward light due to muscle tension rather than desire.
Conclusion: Built-in mechanisms prompt adaptive behaviors in animals without intrinsic desires.
John B. Watson
Systematized and popularized behaviorism in the early 20th century.
Definition of behaviorism: An objective branch of natural science aiming to predict and control behavior through observable data and laws.
Key Challenges for Behaviorism
To explain behavior without referencing mental states or internal experiences.
Classical Conditioning Foundations
Ivan Pavlov (early 1900s): Noticed dogs salivated at the sight of lab workers due to learned associations, leading to studies of conditioned reflexes.
Classical Conditioning Explained
Initial reflex connections are unconditioned responses (e.g., salivating at food).
Neutral stimuli can become conditioned stimuli through association, resulting in conditioned responses (e.g., dogs salivating to a metronome).
Process of conditioning is crucial for understanding animal learning.
Key Terms in Classical Conditioning
Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): An event that elicits an unconditioned response automatically (e.g., food).
Unconditioned Response (UCR): Automatic reaction to the unconditioned stimulus (e.g., salivation).
Conditioned Stimulus (CS): Initially neutral stimulus that elicits a response after conditioning (e.g., metronome).
Conditioned Response (CR): Reaction to the conditioned stimulus post-conditioning (e.g., salivation from the metronome).
Conditioning Phenomena
Acquisition: Establishing strength of conditioned response through repeated pairing of UCS and CS.
Extinction: Conditioned response diminishes when the CS is repeatedly presented without the UCS.
Differentiate between extinction (suppressing a response) and forgetting (lack of reminders/practice).
Example of Extinction
Buzzer followed by air puff (initial conditioning) leads to eye blinking. If repeated without air puff, response diminishes (extinction).
Spontaneous Recovery
A temporary return of an extinguished response after a period of non-exposure to the conditioned stimulus.
Relevant in therapies for anxiety disorders where learned fears may reappear.
Stimulus Generalization and Discrimination
Generalization: Transfer of conditioned response to similar stimuli (e.g., fear of wasps after being stung by a bee).
Discrimination: Ability to differentiate between similar stimuli (e.g., identifying a warning sound).
Classical Conditioning Adjustments and Complexities
Timing and predictability are critical in conditioning efficiency.
Over time, additional studies found classical conditioning intricacies? to include things like blocking effects, unpredicted responses, and response variations.
Application of Classical Conditioning to Drug Tolerance
Drug tolerance is influenced by classical conditioning, as the injection procedure becomes associated with the drug effects.
Body performs preemptive defenses against the drug based on conditioned stimuli.
Studies on Drug Tolerance
Injecting in familiar settings leads to stronger symptoms when using drugs as opposed to new environments.
Substituting the drug with saline solution during studies showed positive reinforcement in behavioral response recall.
Key Concepts of Drug Tolerance Conditioning
Conditioned response (tolerance) is seen in preemptive biological defenses that lessen drug efficacy over time due to conditioning.
Behavior Modification and Its Importance
Practical application of conditioned understanding to create behavior changes in people struggling with drug dependencies through altered stimuli associations.
Operant Conditioning Overview
Definition: Process of changing behavior via reinforcements or punishments after a selected response.
Operant conditioning differs from classical conditioning based on the involvement of the individual’s behavior in producing an outcome.
Introduced by Edward Thorndike and refined by B.F. Skinner.
Reinforcement and Punishment
Reinforcements (positive or negative) increase the probability of a behavior following a positive outcome, while punishment (also positive or negative) decreases the likelihood of a behavior.
Schedules of Reinforcement
Continuity vs Intermittence in reinforcement affects behavioral patterns, with particular focus on promoting desirable behaviors through structured reinforcement schedules.
Types of Reinforcement Schedules
Continuous Reinforcement: Every response is reinforced.
Fixed Ratio: Reinforcement occurs after a specified number of responses.
Variable Ratio: Reinforcement occurs after an unpredictable number of responses.
Fixed Interval: Reinforcement after a fixed elapsed time.
Variable Interval: Reinforcement after variable amounts of time.
Summary Conclusion
Human behavior is influenced directly by reinforcement and conditioning principles.
Learning is a multifaceted process integrated deeply with environmental feedback and social learning mechanisms.
Key Terms Related to Operant Conditioning
Applied Behavior Analysis: Modification of behavior through reinforcement and punishment techniques.
Chaining: Exploiting a series of behaviors where each reinforced step leads to the next behavior.
Self-Efficacy: Belief in one's ability to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance attainments.