Psychology of Learning: Chapter 8

Thorndike's Law of Effect

(1898) trial and error learning was the conclusion, not insight;

Wolfgang Kohler

(1927) studied insight versus simple reinforcement theory in the chimpanzee; two sticks, hanging bananas, and an 'A-Ha' moment; chimps used novel techniques to acquire rewards; trial and error, not insight

Peckstein & Brown

(1938) tried to replicate Kohler's A-Ha Moment but found that it took their chimps several days and failed trials before successfully obtaining the fruit

William Verplanck

(1955) sat and spoke with subjects; 1st 10 min. tallied number of sentences that began "I think, or I believe," 2nd 10 min. reinforced expression of opinion (mm-hmm); last 10 min. no longer reinforced, but again tallied number; all subjects engaged in higher rate of opinion expression

Learned Helplessness

Martin Seligman (1974); force exposure to aversion; cannot escape; Ex: placed dog in a shuttle box, prevented the dog from escaping, paired tone with a shock, after many pairings, removed barrier, the dog made no effort to escape; it had learned helplessness; if wall up, will learn, learned helplessness and take shock when accompanied with tone

Chomsky: Nativist

Noam Chomsky (1959); "A Review of Skinner's Verbal Behavior"; Language is innate; language is conferred via a "language acquisition device" (LAD) in the brain; this review was the beginning of the end of the "Behaviorist Movement"; set of structures not yet identified that humans are only "animals" able to speak so unique to human being; humans over generalize-- something you innately do (Ex: grammar)

Skinner: Behaviorist

Skinner (1957); Verbal Behavior; asserts that language is entirely learned; it is through the reinforcing value of one's environment that we learn language; human only linguistic anti-animal cognition; 100% learned by parents; reinforced to learn

Skinner's Operant Applications

Skinner introduced the concept of teaching machines that would shape learning in small steps and provide reinforcements for correct rewards in schools; if could reinforce for personal tutor if child did good, stretching ratio (failed experiment)

Healthy Behavior Physical Activities Social Skills Human use

Successful shaping of advantages and appropriate behaviors have included

Physical Restraint Distancing Distraction

Techniques to Encourage Self Control

Extrinsic Reinforcement

anything you can see; child can tell you they are working for; Ex: instinctive, parent praise for playing sport, play sport because enjoy playing with grasshoppers in the outfield not actually playing the baseball

Awareness

based on our environment experiences, we behave according to the probable consequences; will this behavior be reinforced or punished

Superstition

behavior will precede reinforcement by chance; we look for contigencies in our environment to make sense to us because we believe we did it; core basis for most OCD; organism makes an incorrect association between behavior and reinforcement; chance; thus, the behavior, persists, strange rituals can develop and belief that those behaviors are controlling reward remain; Ex: bowling-- leaning to one particular side after rolled the ball in-order for the ball to roll the way you want it to, to get the pins to fall over; Skinner-- Present reinforcer on fixed-interval schedule of 15 see regardless of behavior

Joel Greenspoon

believed that language is reinforced, test theories by learning; 1st to show he can influence what people say by saying mmmhmmm only when they say a plural and by the end of the conversation they will be saying more things with plural endings; and then change it statements of opinion based reinforcement

Social Skills

can't teach; conscious with personality disorder but can teach proper social skills (anti-social disorder)

Self Control

chance defines as acting in our own best interests; the choice of a larger, albeit delayed reinforcer over a smaller, but immediately available reinforcer (Ainsworth 1972); more valuable, more reinforcing for immediate option but we should choose self control (serve us better); generally only observed in human and non-human primates; value is subjective for every organism

A-Ha Moment

cognition-- mental process that you cannot see or test because it is in your head

Self-Awareness

conscious awareness of our own thoughts, feelings, actions and responses to external stimuli, and to understand how and why they arise; measure this by using the "Mark Test"; children reach this at around 18 months

Refutes Skinner's Theory

learned helplessness refutes because we don't have solid evidence; conditioned dimensional response, can find it to be effective should see negative but don't

Karen Pryor

most famous for animal training; did click training, worked with pigeons and porpoises; believed that trying something new in order to get reinforcing stimulus, trained creativity

Nature vs. Nurture

neither one is the best; must be learned but born able to do it due to nature; application; Nurture: Skinner; Nature: Chomsky

Creativity

original or novel; never reinforced; never been done before or proven; cease reinforcing specific behavior; begin reinforcing "new" behaviors; now, through generalization of novelty and reinforcement, creativity can be encouraged; isn't great explanation for new behavior except for frustration theory due to being already taught

Robert Epstem

pigeon experiment; first had them peck on banana and reinforced by receiving a grain; second removed the banana and had them peck the block and reinforced by receiving a grain; third only got a grain when stand on box

Sports Operant Application

reinforcement principles can enhance athletic performance in sports Intrinsic: really enjoy playing the sport, so want to do it Extrinsic: instinctive, parent praise for playing sport

Companies Operant Application

reinforcers affect productivity; many companies now enable employees to share profits and participate in company ownership at work; incentive programs as schedules of reinforcement (variable interval)

Intrinsic Reinforcement

some sort of internal reinforcement; really enjoy doing it; much harder to remove than extrinsic reinforcement

Insight

the sudden realization of the solution (A-HA moment) never proven before