Transcript Chapter Six
Chapter Six Learning FYI • Plato and Aristotle – Believed learning takes place when you associate a new object with existing knowledge of related objects or concepts Classical Conditioning • The concept of association • Music Feelings • Stimulus / Response • Song – Stimulus • Feelings – Response Classical Conditioning • Conditioning – a learned response – A pairing of different stimuli • Smell, appearance of food • Classical Conditioning – when one stimulus, calls forth the response usually called for by a different stimulus » The thought of food » Mouth watering » The actual food Canalization • Conditioned to prefer certain things • Difference in culture – Eating of insects You ring my bell / ring my bell • Hints that told the dogs food was coming – Assistants, banging of trays, can opener, etc. • Decided he would train dogs to respond to a stimulus • Bell > Meat Powder US / UR / CR / CS • US – causes a response that is automatic • UR – is that response – Salivation in response to meat powder • CS (Bell) – learned, food was provided after bell • CR – Salivation into response of bell (learned, to something that was neutral (bell)) Adapting to Envrionment • Happens in homes and in nature all the time – Taste aversion – Have a bad experience, our bodies will want to stay away from it – Role of time – Garcia Effect – Extinction – Taking the powder away after the bell eventually led to the dogs not reacting to the bell Spontaneous Recovery • Revival of a response – After a rest period of no bell, the reaction came back after a bell ring, but not as severe » Songs and too much play » Rides, too often, no more adrenaline Generalization / Discrimination • Respond the same way to some stimuli even if they are not identical » Ice Cream • Discrimination – responding differently to stimuli that are dissimilar • Both of these help living things adapt to environments » Discrimination and roller coasters » Generalization and roller coasters Applications of Classical Conditioning • Flooding – being exposed to a stimulus until fear responses are extinguished – Unpleasant but effective • Systematic Desensitization – taught relaxation techniques – Far more pleasant, takes longer to work Counterconditioning • Pleasant stimulus paired repeatedly with a fearful one • Bell and Pad Method – – US – bell – UR – waking up – CS – bladder tension – CR – waking up to bladder tension Section 2 • Operant Conditioning – Learning from the consequences of your actions – Animals and humans – Learn to engage in behavior that brings desirable consequences – Operant conditioning offers reactions to voluntary actions B.F. Skinner • B.F. Skinner’s secret weapon – Peck at targets on a screen for food pellets – Peck at targets while on the missile to adjust flight paths Operant • An organism learns to do something because of its effects – Reward of food for pecking at targets Reinforcement • “Skinner box” – Rat in a box with a food lever – Pressing the lever produced food, reinforcing the action • The first response could be by chance or by physical guidance – Teaching a dog to sit or roll over, then reinforced with a treat Humans and Reinforcement • Usually, knowledge of success is all the reinforcement a person needs – Money or candy works too