U3b In-Class Notes

Learning: Long lasting change in behavior due to experience

Association

• We learn by association: Our minds naturally connect events that occur in sequence

• Associative Learning is learning that two events occur together

  • two stimuli

  • a response and it’s consequence

    

Classical Conditioning

• Ivan Pavlov

  • originally a digestive scientist

  • PAVLOV'S DOGS: In this classic experiment, dogs were conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell, which was initially a neutral stimulus. The bell became associated with the unconditioned stimulus of food, resulting in the conditioned response of salivation when the bell rang, even in the absence of food.

• Dog Experiment (meant to study digestion)

  • Hypothesized that presented dogs with food they would salivate

  • Dogs started drooling before food was in the room

  • Dogs must have learned how to salivate (conditioned reflex)

• Classical Conditioning is a passive learning (automatic learner does NOT have to think)

  • stubbing toe

  • jump scare in a movie

• First you need an unconditional relationship

• Next you find a neutral stimulus (something that by itself elicits no response)

• You present the stimulus with the UCS a whole bunch of times

• We know learning takes place when the previously neutral stimulus gets a response

• The neutral stimulus becomes the conditioned stimulus (CS)

• The Unconditioned response becomes a conditioned response (CR)

Unconditioned Response (UCR) → Conditional Response (CR)

Neutral Stimulus (NS) → Conditional Stimulus (CS)

• TRICKY FACT: We know learning exists because the CS is linked to the UCS (this is called AQUISTION)

  • Does not least forever

  • Moment CS is no longer associated with the UCS, we have EXTINCTION

THE OFFICE EXAMPLE:

• Jim's prank on Dwight where he conditions him to expect a mint every time he hears the sound of a computer rebooting.

• This illustrates how a neutral stimulus (the computer reboot sound) can become associated with an unconditioned stimulus (the mint), leading to a conditioned response (Dwight expecting the mint).

  • Unconditioned Stimulus = The mint

  • Unconditioned Response = Dwight expecting a mint

  • Neutral Stimulus = Computer reboot sound

  • Conditioned Stimulus = Computer reboot sound

  • Conditioned Response = Dwight expecting a mint

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Timing Matters: