learning and behaviour Flashcards
weeks 1-3 (22 cards)
Our behaviour satisfies what biological needs?
feeding
fighting
sexual
Outline Tinbergen’s 4 causes of behaviour
Causation – Hormones, genes, nerves (proximate causes)
Development – Learning and ontogeny (e.g., imprinting)
Evolution – Phylogenetic history (e.g., parental care patterns)
Function – Adaptive value (fitness benefits)
What are the types of reinforcement and punishment?
Positive reinforcement: Add a pleasant stimulus to increase behavior
Negative reinforcement: Remove an unpleasant stimulus to increase behavior
Positive punishment: Add an unpleasant stimulus to decrease behavior
Negative punishment: Remove a pleasant stimulus to decrease behavior
Why is understanding behaviour essential in neuroscience?
Behaviour helps us understand why the brain is organized the way it is. “Nothing makes sense in neuroscience except in the light of behaviour.”
What is dual-process theory?
t’s the idea that we have two types of thinking systems operating in our brain:
System 1 (Automatic / Implicit)
System 2 (Controlled / Explicit)
These systems help us react to the world efficiently — sometimes we need to act fast, other times we need to think hard before acting.
Dual process theory: What are the characteristics of automatic (implicit) processes?
Low effort
High capacity
Fast
Associative, contextual
Evolutionary old
Non-verbal, modular
What are the characteristics of controlled (explicit) processes?
High effort
Low capacity
Slow
Rule-based, abstract
Requires working memory
Evolutionary modern
Classical conditioning terms: CS, US, CR, UR
CS – Conditioned Stimulus
A previously neutral stimulus that, after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus, triggers a learned response.
🧠 Learned signal.
Example: A bell (CS) that’s rung before feeding a dog.
US – Unconditioned Stimulus
A stimulus that naturally triggers a response without learning.
🧠 Automatic cause.
Example: Food (US) that naturally makes a dog salivate.
CR – Conditioned Response
The learned response to the conditioned stimulus.
🧠 Learned reaction.
Example: Salivation (CR) in response to the bell alone.
UR – Unconditioned Response
The natural, automatic response to the unconditioned stimulus.
🧠 Built-in reaction.
Example: Salivation (UR) in response to the food.
Operant conditioning terms: SD, R, Rf
Sd – Discriminative Stimulus
A stimulus that signals that reinforcement is available if the right behaviour is performed.
🧠 Cue for opportunity.
Example: A “Open” sign on a shop tells you your behaviour (walking in) will get a reward (buying something).
R – Response
The behaviour or action performed by the organism.
🧠 What the subject does.
Example: A rat presses a lever (R).
Rf (or Sr) – Reinforcer (or Reinforcing Stimulus)
A stimulus that follows a response and increases the likelihood of that response happening again.
🧠 Reward or motivator.
Example: The rat gets a food pellet (Rf) after pressing the lever.
Define the following simple learning processes: classical/pavlovian conditioning, instrumental/skinnerian learning
Classical/Pavlovian conditioning
Learn that a specific event (US) follows a
signal (CS)
Responses made in anticipation or
preparation for event
Instrumental/Operant/Skinnerian
learning
Learn that a response (R) in a specific
context (Sd) produces a specific outcome
(Sr)
Responses made to generate or avoid
outcome in that context
Outline the differences between a positive and negative feedback loop in neuroscience.
Positive feedback
(AKA Vicious cycle/ Amplifying)
* A causes B
* B causes A
Negative feedback
(AKA stabilising/ dampening cycle)
* A causes B
* B reduces A
Why is it so important to understand the environmental causes of behaviour and emotions?
The study of the environmental causes of
behaviour (and emotions) allowed for the
development of techniques to modulate them– Behavioural therapies were the first truly effective
therapies– Advertising techniques– Utopian ideals of sociocultural change through
manipulation of environmental variables.
* “Nudging”
* Public health campaigns
* Child development
How Can Complex Behaviour Arise from Simple Processes in Neuroscience?
Neuroscience explains complex behaviour by breaking it into simple, repeatable processes, such as:
🔹 Simple learning systems (e.g. classical & operant conditioning)
🔹 Feedback mechanisms (e.g. pain or reward leads to behavioural adjustment)
🔹 Iteration (learning through trial and error)
These are supported by neural systems like:
✔️ Dopaminergic reward pathways
✔️ Cerebellum for motor correction
✔️ Synaptic plasticity (learning at the neuron level)
➤ Complex behaviour = many small brain processes working together over time.
Instrumental behaviour: our current behaviour has been selected by what?
its consequences
Outline the ABC model of behaviour
The ABC model of behaviour is an instrumental model of learning.
Outline the two ways we study reinforcement
discrete trial procedures: Single trial with clear beginning and end to each trial. Measured using objective DVs like time or errors
free operant procedure: The behaviour can occur at any time without specific trial onset. The subject controls their own rate of responding. Common in Skinner box experiments.
In free operant behaviour paradigms, what are schedules of reinforcement?
Schedules of reinforcement are central.
Behaviour is continuous and self-paced.
Common reinforcement schedules used:
Fixed Ratio (FR): e.g., FR5 – one reward every 5 responses.
Variable Ratio (VR): e.g., VR10 – on average, one reward every 10 responses.
Fixed Interval (FI): e.g., FI30s – first response after 30 seconds is reinforced.
Variable Interval (VI): e.g., VI60s – average of 60 seconds between opportunities.
👉 These schedules directly shape the rate and pattern of responding over time. (B = kR)
When investigating the effects of reinforcement on hevauour: what does B = kR mean?
– We have the rate of Behaviour
B– We have the rate of Reinforcement
R– We have a slope constant
k– The rates of the response is
proportional to the rate of
reinforcement
B = kR
What are the three factors that need to be considered for reinforcement and punishment if you want to effectively modify someone’s behaviour?
Immediacy/Contiguity
* The consequence should occur soon after reaching
a target or goal.
– Contingency
* The consequence should occur reliably after
reaching a target or goal, and access to it at any
other times should be limited.
– Value
* The consequence should be valuable and/or
meaningful to you.
what are the different types of reinforces used to modify someone’s behaviour?
primary rewards: things which have inherent value e.g food, drugs, pain
activity rewards: rewarding behaviour with doing something you like
premack principle: accessing a highly preferred behaviour by doing a highly disliked behaviour
secondary rewards: things that have acquired value by association with primary rewards e.g food voucher
token economies: rewarding good behaviours with ‘tokens’ which they can exchange for rewards
outline the issues with the following reinforces of behaviour: primary rewards, secondary rewards
Considering these limits, why might people choose to use the premack principle or token economies?
primary:
Heavily dependent on motivational state
* Satiety– Or very contextual
* Status is culturally determined, utility is situation
specific– Suffer from poor contiguity
* High transactional costs, slow to deliver, can interfere
with ongoing behaviour
secondary:
Must be established via classical conditioning
* Expensive and time consuming– Can extinguish or be counter-conditioned
premack principle/activity reinforcers: For people who don’t response well to typical rewards (unintrested in money, or not hungry for food) activity rewards are preferred, cheap and intrinsic
token economies:
Contiguity
* Can be given immediately,
* Portable
* Low transactional cost
* Do not interfere with the behaviour,– Value
* ‘Universal reinforcers’ can cater to
individual tastes,
* Not subject to satiety
