Learning and Conditioning

Process by which experiences produces a relatively enduring change in an organism behavior or capabilities

• By change in performances
• i.e., IQ test

• Behavior is strengthened if followed by reinforcement or diminish; punish
• Learned - operating is learning by consequences; behavior occur before resulting consequence

add to increasae behavior

take away to decrease to behavior

Increase probability will be repeated in future

Add something to decrease a behavior

Take away something pleasent to decrease behavior

Decrease probability preceeding events will occur in future

Signal the presence of particular contigencies of reinforcement

• Reinforcement begin with behavior that the organism already performs
• -reinforcement is made contingent on behaviors that increasingly approximate the desired behavior
• i.e., mouse press button for food

Learning by observation and imitating the behavior of others

Learning the consequences of an action from observing its consequences for someone else

• horse learned math
• Berlin 1904

• Learn to adapt to environment, all living organisms
• relatively permenant
• change in knowledge or behavior arising from experience

• I. Classical (Pavlov) - Learning by association
• II. Operant/Instrumental (Skinner) - Learning behavior and consequences

• 1. Phobias- Fear
• 2. Durg tolerance/overdose
• 3. "cephalic" insulin
• 4. "scapegoat food" -- Berstein

• Taught fear of rat
• generalize fear with similar shape, size and color

Some cues to prep body are missing

Learn to secrete insulin at the sight/smell of food

Cancer patient receiving chemothreapy can learn to associate the nausea with novel food

• Order of CS and UCS matters
• that which predicts gets learned
• orders matter!

• Present CS without CSC and the CR dies
• -means extinction is not process of forgetting but of learning not to respond

After period of time, new presentation of CS elicits CR

CR elicited by stimulus similar to orignal CS

Stimulus discrimination

Learn CR to CS newer pair with UCS

the "Garcia effect"

x-ray: rats stay away from drinking water after x-ray

Cats in "puzzle box", make response to get out quicker after many tries

• Behavior that have favorable consequences will tend to be repeated
• Behavior with unfavorable consequences will tend not to be repeated

• The opportunity to engage in preferred behavior can be used as a reward for engaging in less-preferred behavior
• e.g., do chores to drive car

Reward after specific number of responses

Reinforcement of a response after an unspecifc number of responses

reinforces a response after a specific time has elapsed

reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals

• Stop rewarding, and response returns to prior frequency
• fixed variable resistive to extinction

stimuli that indicate current schedule of reinforcement

• dial tone
• location
• mom vs dade
• traffic lights

• Yes
• No reinforcement is not necessary for learning. Latent learning proof Skinner wrong