Psych 111 Exam 2 - Ch 6

A relatively enduring change in behavior, one that results from experience

objective observation of overt behavior as the only valid indicator of psychological activity.

(from the book: “A psychological approach that emphasizes the role of environmental forces in producing behavior.”[pg.21]) (everything comes through your senses)

-Based on belief that animals and humans are born with the potential to learn just about anything

-Believed in by John Locke; Tabula rasa (Blank Slate)

-Nurture was everything

-start out as a blank slate, then gain learning through experience. cause effect, cause, effect)

John B. Watson argued that the Freudian theory was unscientific and ultimately meaningless, he scorned any psychological enterprise that focused on things that could not be observed directly such as people’s mental experiences

-he acknowledged that thoughts and beliefs existed but he believed that they could not be studied using scientific method (pg 237)

John Watson: he rejected the Freudian and Structuralist focus on mental events and verbal reports, complete nature over nurture/ Skinner

from the book: “A type of learned response that occurs when a neutral object comes to elicit a reflexive response when it is associated with a stimulus that already produces that response.”[pg.237]

Ivan Pavlov

• Unconditioned Response (UR)
• Unconditioned Stimulus (US)
• Conditioned Stimulus (CS)
• Conditioned Response (CR)

unlearned automatic behavior (salivating, dryness of mouth) {Unlearned} salivation → (REFLEX)

a stimulus that elicits a response (Altoids) {Unlearned} food

stimulates a reaction only after learning takes place (computer noise) {Learned} bell

reflex that occurs when only the conditioned stimulus is presented, acquired learned response (ex. reaching for Altoids) {Learned} salivate

the initial learning of behavior, formation of an association between the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli.

the CS no longer predicts the US (from the book: “A process in which the conditioned response is weakened when the conditioned stimulus is repeated without the unconditioned stimulus. [pg.240])

CS produces the CR after a time of extinction, temporary, will fade quickly. (from the book: “A process in which a previously extinguished response reemerges following presentation of the conditioned stimulus.”[pg.241])

Occurs when stimuli that are similar but not identical to the conditioned stimulus produce the conditioned response. (from the book: “Occurs when stimuli that are similar but not identical to the conditioned stimulus produce the conditioned response.” [pg.241]) less of a response

learn to discriminate between 2 close things if one is paired with the US. (from the book: “A differentiation between two similar stimuli when only one of them is consistently associated with the unconditioned stimulus.” [pg.241])

using a 2nd US to produce the CR(For example, an animal might first learn to associate a bell with food (first-order conditioning), but then learn to associate a light with the bell (second-order conditioning).

counter conditioning

systematic desensitization

an acquired fear out of proportion to the real threat (irrational)

This example was used in class though not sure how reliable it is...ex: phobia of spiders, dump a ton on top of you

Is the process of extinguishing a response to a specific stimulus by reinforcing a competing, usually incompatible, response it. In the clinical setting a phobic object, such as a snake, is paired with relaxation on the basis that this is incompatible with the original response of anxiety. Associate the unconditioned response (fear) with an unconditioned stimulus which is good/enjoyable/relaxing (chocolate).

ex: you get used to spiders, look at them constantly/ overtime.

John B. Watson (the father of behaviorism) and Rayner

Classical conditioning

the pairing of the rat (CS) and the clanging sound (US) lead to the rat producing fear (CR) on its own. The fear response generalize to other stimuli presented with the rat initially, such as the costume masks or and other things with similar textures.

Classical conditioning plays an important role in drug addiction. Conditioned drug effects are common and demonstrate conditioning’s power.

The conscious learning process in which the consequences of an action determine the likelihood that it will be performed in the future.

(Thorndike’s Puzzle Box{Cat pushes lever to escape})

B. F. Skinner

While both result in learning, the processes are quite different.One of the simplest ways to remember the differences between classical and operant conditioning is to focus on whether the behavior is involuntary or voluntary. Classical conditioning involves making an association between an involuntary response and a stimulus, while operant conditioning is about making an association between a voluntary behavior and a consequence.

reinforcement is found in operant conditioning

operant conditioning: a learning process in which the consequences of an action determine the likelihood that it will be performed in the future. ex. Giving a dog a treat when teaching it to roll over.

classical conditioning: a type of learned response that occurs when a neutral object comes to elicit a reflexive response when it is associated with a stimulus that already produces that response. ex: Pavlov’s dogs

A cat was placed in a box that had a button on the inside that would cause the door to open and release the cat. After the cat made it out of the box it was returned. Each time the cat pushed the button faster and faster.

Edward Thorndike

operant conditioning

any behaviour that leads to a “satisfying state of affairs” is more likely to occur again, and that those that lead to an “annoying state of affairs” are less likely to occur again.

A rat is placed in a box with a lever on one of the sides. The rat is moving around and hits the lever and it spits out a pellet of food. The rat starts hitting the lever over and over to get more pellets out. The action the researchers want is for the rat to hit the lever and the reinforcer is the pellet of food.

B. F. Skinner

operant conditioning

shaping- a process of operant conditioning; it involves reinforcing behaviors that are increasingly similar to the desired behavior ( the guy that drew on the board we shaped him by clapping when he did something right)

Something that changes the frequency of a behavior. Increases the likelihood that a response will be repeated.

Positive

Negative

Give them something to get them to do what you want.(reward) increases chances of behaviour. GIVE something GOOD (press lever, give food)

Take something away to get them to do what you want. increases behavior by removing aversive stimuli. TAKE AWAY something BAD. (press lever, take away FyI shock)

reinforcers that satisfy biological needs ex: food and water

events or objects that serve as reinforcers but do not satisfy biological needs ex: compliment, money, A on paper

Punishment decreases the probability of behavior

Positive: decreases behavior by presenting an aversive stimuli. GIVE something BAD. ( punishment that occurs with the administration of a stimulus and thus decreases the probability of a behaviors recurring)

Negative: decreases the probability of behavior by removing a positive stimuli. TAKE AWAY something GOOD. ( punishment that occurs with the removal of a stimulus and thus decreases the probability of a behavior’s recurring)

With both punishments and reinforcements a Positive P or R is when something is given and Negative P or R is when something is taken away regardless of whether the thing itself is good or bad.

decreases behavior by presenting an aversive stimuli. GIVE something BAD. ( punishment that occurs with the administration of a stimulus and thus decreases the probability of a behaviors recurring)

With both punishments and reinforcements a Positive P or R is when something is given and Negative P or R is when something is taken away whether the thing itself is good or bad.

decreases the probability of behavior by removing a positive stimuli. TAKE AWAY something GOOD. ( punishment that occurs with the removal of a stimulus and thus decreases the probability of a behavior’s recurring)

With both punishments and reinforcements a Positive P or R is when something is given and Negative P or R is when something is taken away whether the thing itself is good or bad.

Reinforcement

reasonable

unpleasant

applied immediately so that the relationship between the unwanted behavior and the punishment is clear

a process of operant conditioning; it involves reinforcing behaviors that are increasingly similar to the desired behavior ( the guy that drew on the board we shapped him by clapping when he did something right)

• Interval
• Ratio
• Fixed
• Variable

based on units of time; produce slower learning

based on units of behavior; produce fast learning

a schedule in which reinforcement is consistently provided upon each occurrence

given after a specific number of occurrences or after a specific amount of time. (pg255 of the text)

a schedule in which reinforcement is applied at different rate or at different time

learning that takes place in the absence of reinforcement

Edward Tolman

one group of rats: ran maze with no food reward box

2nd group of rats: ran maze with food reward box ( showed improvement overtime)

3rd group of rats: ran maze with no food reward for first 10 days then a reward was given after the 10 days

Rats may learn a path through a maze but not reveal their learning which is called latent learning until it is reinforced. There is a distinction between acquisition and performance

animals have a hard time learning behaviors that run counter to their evolutionary adaptation

a unit of knowledge transferred within a culture

Imo the monkey developed and unwittingly passed along to her fellow monkeys the meme or cultural knowledge of washing sweet potatoes in the ocean to get the sand off.

the imitation of behavior through observational learning

Albert Bandura

2 groups of children were shown a film of an adult playing with a large inflatable doll, bobo: one group saw a the adult play nicely with it and another group saw the adult play aggressively with it.

when children were allowed to play with the doll later, those who had seen the aggressive display were more than twice as likely to act aggressively toward the doll

Susan Mineka

2 sets of monkeys wild and laboratory raised had to reach across box to get food. then a snake was placed in box the wild monkeys would not reach across the snake filled box but the laboratory monkeys would.

after watching wild reared monkeys react laboratory reared monkeys no longer reached across the box; fears can be learned through observations

neurons that are activated during observation of others performing an action

dopamine

a decrease in behavioral response following repeated exposure to nonthreatening stimuli

you get used to something and no longer respond to it

an increase in behavioral response following exposure to a threatening stimulus

neurons that fire together wire together -

the strengthening of a synaptic connection so that postsynaptic neurons are more easily activated