Chp 7: Learning

continuous reinforcement

(fixed ratio of 1:1) learning occurs rapidly (best choice for mastering behavior) every target behavior results in reinforcement once the response is firmly attached, reinforcement is usually switched to a partial reinforcement schedule ex. rat gets a food pellet for every level pushed

2 reasons why pavlov's work remains so important:

1. classical conditioning is how organisms (all) learn to adapt to environment and survive 2. showed us how a process, such as learning, can be studied objectively -salivary response was an observable measurable behavior (no guesses what went on in dogs mind)

1. Telemarketers are reinforced by what schedule? 2. People checking the oven to see if cookies are done in which schedule 3. airline frequent flyer programs that offer a free flight every 25,000 mi of travel

1. variable-ratio schedule (after a varying number of calls) 2.fixed interval schedule 3. fixed ratio schedule

operant conditioning response acqusition extinction cognitive processes biological predispositions

1. voluntary 2. associating réponse with consequence (reinforcer or punishment) 3. responding decreases when reinforcement stops 4. organisms develop expectation that a response will be reinforced or punished; also exhibit latent learning, w/o reinforcement 5. organisms best learn behaviors similar to natural behaviors

classical conditioning: response acqusition extinction cognitive processes biological predispositions

1.automatic 2. associating events 3. CR decreases when CS is repeatedly present alone 4. organisms develop expectation that CS signals arrival of US 5. natural predispositions contain what stimuli and responses can easily be associated

a _____ produces no salivation response

NS

An experimenter sounds a tone just before delivering an air puff to your blinking eye. After several repetitions, you blink to the tone alone. What is the NS, US, UR, CS and CR?

NS= tone before conditioning US= air puff UR= blink to air puff CS= tone after conditioning CR= blinking to tone

In the "little albert experience" the infant learned to fear a white rat after repeatedly experiencing loud noise as the rat was present. What was the US, UR, NS, CS, CR

NS= white rat US= loud noise UR= fear response CS= rat after pairing CR= fear of white rat

the _____ is repeatedly presented just after the NS. The ______ continues to produce _______

US; US; UR

positive reinforcement

add a desirable/rewarding stimulus ex. pet a dog that comes when you call it; pay the person who paints your house

positive punishment

addition of an aversive stimulus (punishment) ex. child given extra chores ex. rat given electric shock

positive punishment = negative punishment=

administer something undesired end something desired

antisocial models

aggressive, harmful modeling behavior- have a negative, destructive effect

how to make a new NS become a new CS without the presence of a US?

all that is required is for it to become associated with a previously conditioned stimulus ex. if tone signals food and produces salivation, then a light that becomes associated with a tone may also trigger salivation

primary reinforcer

an innately reinforcing stimulus unlearned -food, water

punishment

any event that weakens (decreases the frequency of a behavior happening again

as we repeat behaviors in a given context the behaviors become....

associated with the contexts our next experience of the context then evokes a habitual response

unconditioned response:

automatic natural response to a stimulus (before conditioning)

Thorndikes Law of Effect

behavior followed by a pleasant outcome (reward) is likely to happen again punished behavior less likely to occur

With _____ conditioning, we learn association through events we cannot control. With ______ conditioning, we learn associations between our behavior and resulting events

classical, operant

extinction: repeated presentation of the ______ without the US causes the ______ to no longer elicit the _______

conditioned stimulus; conditioned stimulus; conditioned response ex. dogs started salivating less and less when tone was triggered and no food appeared

process of learning associations is _____

conditioning

extinction

diminished (weakened) responding that occurs when the CS no longer signals an upcoming US

does watching violent TV programs cause aggressive behavior?

exposure to violent films increases aggressive behavior correlational evidence: when TV is introduced into societies, violence goes up

conditioned reinforcer

get their power through learned association with primary reinforcers stimulus that gains its power to reinforce through its association with a primary reinforcer -money -good grades

reinforcement _____ behavior. Punishment _____ behavior

increases; decreases

acquisition

initial (stage) learning of the stimulus-response relationship when one links NS to US so that NS begins triggering the CR in operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response

classical conditioning is biologically adaptive because..

it helps humans and other animals prepare for good and bad events ENABLES SURVIVAL (and reproduction)

discrimination

learned ability to distinguish between conditioned stimulus (which predicts US) and other irrelevant stimuli ex. dogs learned to respond to the sound of a particular tone and not to other tones ex. guard dog may make your heart race, guide dog will probably not

conditioned = ______ unconditioned = ______

learned; unlearned

associative learning

learning that certain events occur together events may be two stimuli or a response and its consequences

classical condition is the most basic form of _____ by which all organisms _______ to environment

learning; adapt

association:

minds naturally connect events that occur in sequence

reinforcement

operant conditioning, any event that strengthens (increases the frequency of) a behavior happening again

prosocial models

positive, constructive behavior- has positive effects on behavior

biological constraints

predispose organisms to learn associations that are naturally adaptive ex. teaching a cat tricks that involve leaping high and landing on feet

learning

process of acquiring new information or behaviors

ratio + variable = interval + variable =

ratio: after an unpredictable number- reinforcement after a random number of behaviors ex. slot machines intervals: unpredictably often- reinforcement for behavior after a random amount of time ex. longed-for Facebook message that finally rewards persistence in rechecking Facebook

ratio + fixed = interval + fixed =

ratio: every so many: reinforcement after nth behavior -ex. buy 10 coffees, get one free interval: every so often: reinforcement for behavior after a fixed time ex. tuesday discount prices

spontaneous recovery

reappearance of a weakened conditioned response after a pause ex. dogs started salivating less and less when tone was triggered and no food appeared after several hours elapsed, dogs salivated after tone

fixed ratio schedule

reinforcement after an exact number of target behaviors ex. rat gets food pellet for every 5 lever pushes

variable ratio schedule

reinforcement after variable number of target behaviors -hard to extinguish even when they don't produce the desired results ex. rat gets food pellet every 1-10 lever pushes randomly

fixed interval

reinforcement can be obtained after exact amount of time new food pellet becomes available to rat after 2 minutes passed ex. paycheck every 2 weeks

variable interval:

reinforcement can be obtained after variable (random) amount of time -produce slow, steady responding since there is no knowing when the wait will be over ex. new food pellet becomes available to rat every 2-5 minutes (randomly)

operant conditioning at home

reinforcing good behavior increases the occurrence of these behaviors ignoring unwanted behavior decreases their occurrence

negative reinforcement

remove an aversive stimulus (punishment)= provides relief from something -NOT PUNISHMENT -results from NR increase the odds that you will repeat these behaviors ex. take painkillers to end pain; fasten seat-belt to end loud beeping alarm

negative punishment

removing a desirable stimulus ex. child is grounded and cannot go to mall ex. rat has food taken away

classical condition and operant conditioning are both forms of ________ learning. The differences are that CC involves _______ behavior whereas OC involves _____ behavior

respondent; operant (behavior that operates on environment to produce rewarding or punishing stimuli)

operant conditioning at work

rewarding specific, achievable behaviors rather than vaguely defined merit increases productivity

operant condition in sports

shaping can be used to train complex skills such as hitting a golf ball reinforcing small successes then gradually increasing the challenge

neutral stimulus:

stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning ex. events dog couldn't see or hear but didn't associate with food-- with food in dogs mouth

spontaneous recovery showed that extinction was ____ the conditioned response rather than ______ it.

suppressing; eliminating

operant conditioning in school:

teaching machines that shape learning in small steps and provide reinforcements for correct rewards -rather than have a one seize fits all classroom, getting immediate feedback through reward and punishment

generalization

tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar response ex. toddlers taught to fear moving cars also become afraid of moving trucks and motorcycles generalization fears can linger

advertisers pair previously neutral stimuli (brands) with erotic images with the idea that...

the brand will itself elicit the same positive response as the image "sex sells"

conditioned response:

the response to the conditioned stimulus usually the same or very similar to the unconditioned response

unconditioned stimulus

the stimulus that elicits automatic/natural response (before conditioning)

conditioned stimulus

the stimulus that is paired with the unconditioned stimulus initially it does not elicit a response (NS) following conditioning, it elicits a response (CS)

behaviorism

the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes

classical conditioning

type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events

operant conditioning

type of learning where organisms associate their own actions with consequences actions followed by reinforces increase, those followed by punishment often decrease

_______ produces a unconditioned response

unconditioned stimulus

loud sudden noise is the ______ and the startle/fear is the _______

unconditioned stimulus; unconditioned response

aversive stimulus

unpleasant event that is intended to decrease the probability of a behavior when it is presented as a consequence (i.e. punishment)

why do drug counselors advise addicts to change environment when trying to quit an addictive substance?

users often feel a craving when they are again in the drug-using contact- with people or places they associate with previous highs

variable = fixed = interval = ratio =

variable= random (after random amount of time) fixed = exact number interval= time (every 2 weeks) ratio= every specific number of tries (2-5 lever pushes)

why harmful punishment is bad

-punished behavior is suppressed, not forgotten. Temporary state may reinforce parents punishing behavior -teaches organism certain responses, but not others will be reinforced -punishment can teach fear -physical punishment may increase aggression by modeling aggression as a way to cope

in pavlov's experiment: (NS) (US) (UR) (CS) (CR)

Before conditioning NS- tone US- food in mouth UR- salivation After conditioning CS- tone CR- salivation

the previous neutral stimulus alone now produces a _____ thereby becoming a ______

CR; CS

higher-order conditioning

a new NS can become a new CS without the presence of a US

shaping

a procedure in which reinforces (such as food) guide and animal's actions toward desired behavior -method of successive approximations

cognitive learning

acquire mental information that guides our behavior ex. observational learning lets us learn from others experiences

first step of classical condition is called ______ (when NS becomes CS). When a US no longer follows the CS and the CR becomes weakened, this is called _______

acquisition; extinction

learning allows us to....

adapt to our environment