Learning 1 PDF

Learning 1 Definition Learning is a relatively permanent change in an organism’s behavior due to experience. Learning is more flexible in comparison to the genetically- programmed behaviors of Chinooks, for example. 2...

Learning 1 Definition Learning is a relatively permanent change in an organism’s behavior due to experience. Learning is more flexible in comparison to the genetically- programmed behaviors of Chinooks, for example. 2 How Do We Learn? We learn by association. Our minds naturally connect events that occur in sequence. 2000 years ago, Aristotle suggested this law of association. Then 200 years ago Locke and Hume reiterated this law. 3 Associationism Learning that certain events occur together Events may be two stimuli or a response to a consequence 4 Associationism Experience – thought – learning Learning – formation of associations based on contiguity Contiguity – the principle that ideas, memories, and experiences are linked when one is frequently experienced with another. 5 Associative Learning Learning to associate one stimulus with another. 6 Associative Learning Learning to associate one stimulus with another. 7 Associative Learning Learning to associate a response with a consequence. 8 9  Classical Conditioning Ideas of classical conditioning originate from old philosophical theories. However, it was the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov who elucidated classical conditioning. His work provided a basis for later behaviorists like John Watson. Sovfoto Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) 10 Pavlov’s Experiments During conditioning, the neutral stimulus (tone) and the US (food) are paired, resulting in salivation (UR). After conditioning, the neutral stimulus (now Conditioned Stimulus, CS) elicits salivation (now Conditioned Response, CR) 11 12 Stimulus Any object, event, or experience that causes a response 13 Acquisition Acquisition is the initial learning stage in classical conditioning in which an association between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus takes place. 1. In most cases, for conditioning to occur, the neutral stimulus needs to come before the unconditioned stimulus. 2. The time in between the two stimuli should be about half a second. 14 Extinction When the US (food) does not follow the CS (tone), CR (salivation) begins to decrease and eventually causes extinction. 15 Spontaneous Recovery After a rest period, an extinguished CR (salivation) spontaneously recovers, but if the CS (tone) persists alone, the CR becomes extinct again. 16  Stimulus Generalization Tendency to respond to stimuli similar to the CS is called generalization. Pavlov conditioned the dog’s salivation (CR) by using miniature vibrators (CS) on the thigh. When he subsequently stimulated other parts of the dog’s body, salivation dropped. 17 Stimulus Discrimination Discrimination is the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and other stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus. 18 19 Extending Pavlov’s Understanding Pavlov and Watson considered consciousness, or mind, unfit for the scientific study of psychology. However, they underestimated the importance of cognitive processes and biological constraints. 20 Cognitive Processes Early behaviorists believed that learned behaviors of various animals could be reduced to mindless mechanisms. However, later behaviorists suggested that animals learn the predictability of a stimulus, meaning they learn expectancy or awareness of a stimulus (Rescorla & Wagner, 1972). 21 Biological Predispositions Pavlov and Watson believed that laws of learning were similar for all animals. Therefore, a pigeon and a person do not differ in their learning. However, behaviorists later suggested that learning is constrained by an animal’s biology. 22 Biological Predispositions Courtesy of John Garcia Garcia showed that the duration between the CS and the US may be long (hours), but yet result in conditioning. A biologically John Garcia adaptive CS (taste) led to conditioning but other stimuli (sight or sound) did not. 23 Biological Predispositions Even humans can develop classically to conditioned nausea. 24  Pavlov’s Legacy Pavlov’s greatest contribution to psychology is isolating elementary behaviors from more complex ones through objective scientific procedures. Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) 25