Chapter 1 - Tools for Analyzing Learning and Behaviour Flashcards
What are two fundamental forms of learning?
Classical conditioning (Pavlov)
and
Operant (instrumental) conditioning (Thorndike and Skinner)
How are Classical and Operant conditioning studied vs. how do they interact with one another?
Classical and Operant conditioning interact with one another in the real world but are studied separately
classical conditioning can motivate operant conditioning
i.e. sometimes a stimulus leading to a biologically significant outcome can lead to a behaviour which can elicit a learned response (R-O)
How do Classical and Operant conditioning differ from one another?
They differ in what the animal learns (i.e. if they learn an antecedent or consequence) and they also differ in whether the subjects behaviour has any bearing on the outcome (i.e. in classical conditioning, the subjects behaviour has no bearing on outcome but in operant, it does)
What is Classical Conditioning?
Classical conditioning is fundamental to adaption;
it anticipates and deals with upcoming biologically relevant events (i.e. like digestion/food) and the animal learns to associate stimuli in its environment
What is stimulus learning?
a method for investigating how animals learn about stimuli
the subject’s behaviour does not control the consequence
What is Operant Conditioning?
fundamental to adaptation;
- it relies on the relationships between behaviour and consequence
- learning to continue behaviours that lead to favourable consequences and stopping behaviours that lead to unfavourable consequences
What is response learning?
A method for investigating how animals learn about their response (behaviour)
subject’s behaviour does control consequence
What is S-O learning?
S-O learning is classical conditioning
S = stimulus
O = biologically significant outcome
stimulus leading to a biologically significant outcome (i.e bell leads to feeding)
What is R-O learning?
R-O learning is operant conditioning
R= response/behavior O = biologically significant outcome
a response or a behaviour leading to a biologically significant outcome (i.e. pressing a lever leads to food)
What is an occasion setter?
An occasion setting is any situation provides opportunity to associate biologically relevant events with stimuli n the environment and with behaviour
is mediated by the stimulus and can modulate the response generated by another CS
What is Direct trigger?
stimulus can act as a direct trigger for a response and the response becomes reflexive; after much practice the response can be elicited automatically and become habitual
stimulus will lead right to a response being made
Briefly describe the story of Clever Hans and how it was Debunked? and what the story had to do with behavioural experiments?
Clever hans was a horse that belonged to Von Osten
he could answer questions in math, language and music
Oskar Pfungst investigated this horse and found that when the tester did not know the answer to the card he was holding up to Clever Hans, Clever Hans did not tap the correct answer; However, when the tester DID know the the number he was holding up, Clever Hans tapped the correct answer
Therefore it was concluding that we have to be careful of human influence on animals because this can be a confounding factor in experiments
