Hull's 16 Major Postulates (1943)

11. Momentary Effective Reaction Potential Must Exceede a Certain Value Before a Learned Response Can Occur

if sEr does not exceed the reaction threshold, SLr, no response is made.

t (Ultimate Version of the Equation)

involvs duration of s and overlap of s+r

1. Sensing the External Environment and the Stimulus Trace

stimuli produce an afferent sensory neural impulses outlasting the stimulus, a stimulus trace.

14. The Value of sEr Will Determine Resistance to Extinciton

the value of sEr at the end of training determines the number of response (trials) to extinction (n). The higher it is the larger n will be.

10. Factors Tending to Inhibit a Learned Response Change from Moment to Moment

variatioin in responseprobability, an inhibiting potentiality, is another negative factor. sOr=ossillation effect

2. The Interaction of Senosry Impulses

various stimuli act on organism, and their traces interact to produce a sythesis which determines behavior.

Trace Stimulus

(1.Sensing the External and the Stimulus Trace) causes an efferent motor neural reaction that produces an overt response

Oscillation in Hull's Theory

(10. Factors Tending to Inhibit a Learned Response Change from Moment to Moment) 1940=L (response thereshold) 1943= I 1952= E

Resulting Variations

(10. Factors Tending to Inhibit a Learned Response Change from Moment to Moment) in E produce a momentary effective reaction potential, explaining why learned responses may occur on onetrial but not the next.

As sEr Grows

(12. The Probability of a Learned Response Being Made is a Combined Function of sEr, sOr, and sLr) with training it becomes less likely sOr will be big enough to drag the value below sLr and response probability gets larger.

Learning a New Response

(3. Unlearned Behavior) should only occur when no innate nor any previously learned response satisfied a need.

sHr

(4. Contiguity and Drive Reduction as Necessary Conditions for Learning) 1-10-0.0305N

N

(4. Contiguity and Drive Reduction as Necessary Conditions for Learning) number of reinforced pairings (and contiguous presentations)

Secondary Reinforcers

(4. Contiguity and Drive Reduction as Necessary Conditions for Learning) stimuli associated with need reduction.

Reinforcers

(4. Contiguity and Drive Reduction as Necessary Conditions for Learning) stimuli which reduces a drive.

Habit Strength

(4. Contiguity and Drive Reduction as Necessary Conditions for Learning) strength of an S-R association.

Drive Provides

(6. Stimuli Associated with Drives) the basis for reinforcement through drive reduction and also energizes performance (activates H into E)

Reminiscence

(8. Responding Causes Fatigue Which Operates Against the Elicitation of a Conditioned Response) improvement in performance after ending practice.

IR

(8. Responding Causes Fatigue Which Operates Against the Elicitation of a Conditioned Response) reactive inhibition, which is like fatigue

Learning Is

(Hull's Habit Strength Postulate Implied) a simple growth function based on the assumption that the incerase in H perp reinforcement is a constant fraciton of the amount remaining to be lerned.

6. Stimuli Associated with Drives

physiological need produced a drive state with specific associated stimuli that allow discrimination etween drives.

5. Stimulus Generalizaton

prior experience with similar stimuli may cause habit strength developed earlier to transfer into a new situation as generalized habit strength : sHr

15. Amplitude of a Conditioned Response Varies Directly with sEr

sEr is directly related to CR amplitude.

7. Reaction Potential as a Function of Drive and Habit Strength

sEr=sHrxD= probability a learned response will occur.

Ultimate Version of the Equation

sHr=M(1-e-kw) e-lt e-ut (1-e-iN)

9. The Learned Response of Not Responding

since fatigue is aversive, not responding may be rewarding. Learning not to respond produces lerned or conditioned inhibition (sIr). Since inhibition detracts from performance, effective reaction potentials

3. Unlearned Behavior

the organism is born with a response hierarchy that may be elicited when the need arises (hunger produces food getting behavior)

4. Contiguity and Drive Reduction as Necessary Conditions for Learning

a stimulus that is followed by a response that is followed by primary or secondary reinforcement will have the S-R connection strengthened.

12. The Probability of a Learned Response Being Made is a Combined Function of sEr, sOr, and sLr

early in training sEr is small close to sLr (or below it) and sOr will usually be large enough to keep the response from occuring.

8. Responding Causes Fatigue Which Operates Against the Elicitation of a Conditioned Response

it combines with non reinforcement to produce extinction, and itsdissipation causes spontaneous recovery.

13. The Greater the Value of sEr the Shorter Will Be the Latency Between S and R

latency (s + r) decreaes sEr increaes.

The Upper Limit of H is High When

need reduction is great, reinforcement delay is short, and S & R are close together (contiguity)

N (Ultimate Version of the Equation)

number of reinforcements

i

(sHr=M (1-e-iN) log (l.l-F)

e

(Ultimate Version of the Equation) a constant, usually 10

k, j, u and i

(Ultimate Version of the Equation) empirical constants

w

(Ultimate Version of the Equation) need reduction

t

(Ultimate Version of the Equation) reinforcement delay

M

(sHr=M (1-e-iN) constant based on reinforcement magnitude and delay.

F

(sHr=M (1-e-iN) fraction of the amount yet to be learned.

Habit Strength Postulate Implied

Learnging depends on S-R contiguity closely associated with reinforcement.

M (Ultimate Version of the Equation)

100 habs

1. Sensing the External Environment and the Stimulus Trace: Equation

S-s-r-R (stimuli-stimulus trace-efferent reaction-Response)