TOPIC 7: Learning and Behaviour Flashcards

1
Q

Behaviourism founded by J.B. Watson (1878-1958)

A
  • emphasized observable behaviours

- environment forms and modifies behaviours

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2
Q

Learning

A

is a change in behaviour, ability, or knowledge that results from experience.

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3
Q

Associative learning

A

is a change that results from experience that leads us to link stimuli or events together.

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4
Q

Classical Conditioning

A

(a.k.a. respondent conditioning)

Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (1849-1936)

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5
Q

Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (1849-1936)

A

Russian physiologist

  • performing research on the physiology of digestion
  • measured dogs’ salivation to meat powder
  • however, the dogs became “psychic,” salivating when technician entered the room, or when they heard his footsteps
  • studied how stimuli (meat powder and footsteps) became associated with each other
    • isolated dog in a room
    • repeatedly rang bell and presented food
    • measured dog’s salivation to food
    • then measured salivation response to bell alone
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6
Q

Unconditioned Stimulus(UCS)

A

stimulus that elicits a reflexive response without any previous learning

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7
Q

Unconditioned Response(UCR)

A

reflexive response automatically elicited by a certain stimulus, with no prior learning

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8
Q

Conditioned Stimulus(CS)

A

initially neutral stimulus (NS) that elicits a response after association with a UCS

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9
Q

Conditioned Response(CR)

A

learned response elicited by an initially neutral stimulus which has been associated with a UCS

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10
Q

Pavlov’s original terms

A

Pavlov’s original terms were unconditional (meaning “not dependent on”) and conditional (meaning “depending on”)

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11
Q

Principles of Classical Conditioning

A
  • sensitization
  • habituation
  • dishabituation
  • acquisition
  • extinction
  • spontaneous recovery
  • stimulus discrimination
  • stimulus generalization
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12
Q

sensitization

A

repeated presentations of stimulus cause increase in response

e.g., your attention is captured by the sound of a dripping faucet

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13
Q

habituation

A

repeated presentations of stimulus cause decrease in response. Effects a response but sensory adaptation effects the receptors sensitivity

e.g., you pay less attention to the sound of rain

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14
Q

dishabituation

A

after presentation of a novel stimulus, habituated response reappears

e.g., the sound of thunder makes you aware of the sound of rain again

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15
Q

acquisition

A

learning UCS-CS association, and subsequent responses

  • best when CS precedes UCS by 0.5 s
  • backward conditioning
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16
Q

backward conditioning:

A

CS follows UCS; not very effective

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17
Q

extinction

A

repeated presentations of CS without UCS causes weakening and eventual disappearance of CR

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18
Q

spontaneous recovery

A

after apparent extinction and rest pause, CS causes reappearance of CR

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19
Q

stimulus generalization

A

tendency to produce a CR in response to a stimulus similar to CS

CS (yellow light) + UCS (air puff) → UCR (eye blink)

Orange light → CR (eye blink)

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20
Q

stimulus discrimination

A

ability to distinguish and respond selectively to two different stimuli

CS+ is always followed by UCS

CS- is never followed by UCS

CS+ (yellow light) + UCS (air puff) → UCR (eye blink)

CS- (orange light) + no air puff → no eye blink

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21
Q

conditioned fear and anxiety

A

phobias

CS (sight of dentist) + UCS (pain) → UCR (fear)

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22
Q

conditioned emotional responses

A

e.g., advertising:

CS (product) + UCS (attractive person) → UCR (pleasant emotion)

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23
Q

conditioning physiological responses (Bovbjerg et al., 1990)

A

e.g., immunosuppression:

CS (waiting room) + UCS (chemotherapy drug) → UCR (suppressed immune system)

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24
Q

Classical Conditioning Pros & Cons

A

PROS:

  • universal principles
  • objective means of studying complex behaviours

CONS:
- mentalistic explanations may be required

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25
Q

universal principles

A

can be applied to animals from earthworms to people

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26
Q

Robert Rescorla & Allan Wagner (1972)

A
  • goal: condition rats to fear a tone

Group. A: tone + shock 20 times → fear response

Group. B: tone + shock 20 times, mixed randomly with tone alone & shock alone 20 times → no fear response

Conclusion: amount of pairing is not as important asexpectation the UCS follows the CS. notallstimuli follow the “rules of learning”

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27
Q

Operant behaviours

A

Operant behavioursoperate on the environment and produce consequences

  • What is the relevance of consequences of behaviour?
  • How can behaviours not naturally elicited be learned?
  • How do you get a chimpanzee to do karate?
28
Q

B.F. Skinner (1904-1990)

A
  • elaborated on E.L. Thorndike’s (1874-1949)Law of effect: reinforced behaviour is more likely to recur
  • created the operant conditioning chamber (or Skinner box): allows control of environmental contingencies
  • A-B-Cs
29
Q

A-B-Cs

A

specificantecedentsignals that a certainbehaviourwill produce a particularconsequence

30
Q

discriminative stimulus

A

Adiscriminative stimulussignals that a response will be followed by a consequence

  • may be overt
  • may be covert
31
Q

covert

A

an internal experience

e.g., feeling hungry (→ eat → feel full)

32
Q

overt

A

an objective stimulus

e.g., hearing your phone ring (→ answer it → talk to your friend)

33
Q

Reinforcement

A

strengthens or increases probability of behaviour it follows

34
Q

positive reinforcement

A

behaviour followed by presentation of an appetitive stimulus; this increases the behaviour

35
Q

negative reinforcement

A

behaviour followed by removal of an aversive stimulus; this increases the behaviour

36
Q

Punishment

A

weakens or decreases probability of behaviour it follows

37
Q

positive punishment

A

behaviour followed by presentation of an aversive stimulus; this decreases the behaviour

38
Q

negative punishment

A

behaviour followed by removal of an appetitive stimulus; this decreases the behaviour

39
Q

Reinforcement conditions

A
  • primary reinforcer
  • secondary (orconditioned)reinforcer
  • operant extinction
  • immediate ordelayed
40
Q

primary reinforcer

A

innately satisfying appetitive stimulus

41
Q

secondary (orconditioned)reinforcer

A

learned, via association with primary reinforcer

42
Q

operant extinction

A

weakening and eventual disappearance of behaviour because it is no longer reinforced

43
Q

immediate ordelayed

A

humans respond to delayed reinforcement; but small, immediate ones may outweigh large, delayed ones

44
Q

Walter Mischel & colleagues (1970; 1972): “The Marshmallow Test”

A
  • participants: 4- and 5-year-olds at Bing Nursery School on Stanford University campus, starting in the 1960s
  • child placed in a room with no distractions
  • identified most desirable treat: marshmallows or pretzels
  • experimenter confirmed that child preferred two marshmallows to just one
  • child was given one marshmallow–and was promised a second marshmallow, if they waited until the experimenter returned in 15-20 minutes before eating the first one

results:

  • 65% were able to wait, 35% were not
  • children’s self-distraction strategies.
45
Q

delay of gratification

A

considered to be an index ofself-control, one facet of personality

46
Q

Mischel & colleagues (1989, 1990):

A
  • tracked the children over time
    • found long-term differences between the groups
  • delay time positively correlated with:
  • higher SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) scores (by 210 points)
  • greater social and cognitive competence
  • better ability to cope with stress/frustration
  • increased educational attainment
  • longer-term marriages
  • higher incomes
  • greater career satisfaction
  • better health
  • lower incidence of drug use
  • more fulfilling lives
  • delay of gratification is a better predictor of a child’s grades in school than __
47
Q

Schedules of reinforcement

A
  • Continuous

- intermittent

48
Q

Continuous

A

reinforcement given for each response

PROacquisition is rapid

CONextinction is rapid

49
Q

intermittent

A

only some responses are reinforced

CONacquisition is slower

PROextinction takes longer

50
Q

fixed ratio (FR)

A

reinforcement given after a set number of responses

51
Q

variable ratio (VR)

A

reinforcement after random number of responses (number deviates around a mean)

52
Q

fixed interval (FI)

A

equal pause after each reinforcement

53
Q

variable interval (VI)

A

variable length pause after each reinforcement (length deviates around a mean)

54
Q

when is punishment most effective

A

(a) it followsevery undesirable behaviour, and

(b) does soimmediately after

55
Q

operant generalization

A

responding to similar discriminative stimulus

56
Q

operant discrimination

A

responding to one particular discriminative stimulus, but not another

57
Q

shaping

A

reinforcing successive approximations of a desired target behaviour–typically, a complex one

58
Q

chaining

A

reinforcing one behaviour then giving the opportunity to perform the next one to produce a sequence of behaviours

59
Q

behaviour modification

A
  1. identify and clearly define the behaviour you are targeting for change
    e. g., increase a desirable behaviour: exercise, defined as walking
  2. self-monitor: record your behaviour baseline
    e. g., use a Fitbit to track your steps
  3. set goal for your behaviour in measurable terms
    e. g., walk at least 10,000 steps every day
  4. systematically apply behaviour change procedure
    e. g., positive reinforcement: only have dessert if you walk 10,000 steps
  5. gradually reduce incentives
    e. g., switch from pie with ice cream, to fruit, to sugarless gum
60
Q

Operant Conditioning Pros & Cons

A

PRO
- behaviour is affected by consequences

CONS
- learning can take place without reinforcement or punishment.

  • reinforcement may not increase a given behaviour.
  • operant principles don’t work equally on all behaviours
61
Q

Instinctive drift

A

learned behaviours “drifted” back to species-typical behaviours
- biological predispositions may be difficult to overcome

62
Q

Components ofSocial Learning Theory(Bandura, 1977)

A
  • Attention
  • Retention
  • reproduction
  • Motivation
63
Q

modeling

A

learning to reproduce behaviour exhibited by a model–not by direct reinforcement/punishment

64
Q

Attention

A

how closely person pays attention to model’s behaviour

- factors: interest value, arousal, expectations

65
Q

retention

A

how well person remembers model’s behaviour

- factors: memory strategies, cognitive level

66
Q

Reproduction

A

how well person can reproduce model’s behaviour

- factors: complexity of behaviour, person’s physical skills

67
Q

Motivation

A

how motivated person is to imitate model’s behaviour
- factors: incentives, vicarious incentives