learning Flashcards
when does learning occur
when an individual behaves in a more adaptive way because of experience
what are the three salient points of learning?
- A change in overt behavior indicates that learning occurred
- Experience is responsible for the change
- The changes benefits the animal
what is the simplest type of learning?
habituation
what is a long term stimulus?
Specific waning of a response, or learning not to respond to stimuli
define habituation
Animal stops responding to a specific neural stimulus
example of habituation
Horse habituates to feel of halter on head
what is a human example of habituation
We habituate to the feel of glasses on our head
why is habituation useful for horses?
Useful to try and desensitize horses to sound of crowds
◼ Shows ◼ Sales
what is an example of habituation with a pig
pig soon ignores sparkler over feeder
define associative learning
Learning brought about by positive or negative re-inforcers
what are the two types of associative learning
operant conditioning
classical conditioning
what is the difference between operant and classical conditioning
◼ Operant conditioning – animal has some control over what is happening
◼ Classical conditioning – it does not
which conditioning is signal learning
classical conditioning
classical conditioning was first demonstrated by Pavlov in dogs. what was the unconditioned stimulus (UCS), response (R), and conditioned stimulus (CS)?
UCS- sight of meat
R- salivation
CS- metronome
in classical conditioning, stimuli are paired repeatedly until:
conditioned stimuli alone elicits the response
with pavlov’s dogs, when did the dogs start to salivate?
when it hears the metronome
how can you classically condition milk letdown?
Release of oxytocin in response to jangling of milk equipment
◼ Sounds of approaching machinery will be paired with milking process
◼ Noises elicit oxytocin release
what is the UCS and CS of a pet at the vet?
USC- Cat responds to painful stimulus with fear or escape response
CS- staff
true or false: Does not take many pairings of stimuli to produce a fear response whenever the animal encounters the conditioned stimulus
true
what type of conditioning is instrumental learning
operant
define instrumental learning
Behavior is the instrument by which reinforcement is obtained
instrumental learning was first demonstrated by Thorndike using cats. Hungry cats were placed in a box within sight and smell of food. At first cats struggled vigorously to get the food. How did some of the cats opened the box door?
pulled latch string by chance
In Thorndike’s study, cats were free to eat, what happened each time the cats were placed in a box?
◼ Took shorter time to escape with fewer extraneous motions
◼ Until it pulled the latch string immediately upon being placed in the box
what is a skinner box
Lab example of instrumental learning
example of a skinner box
Rat presses bar to obtain food, water, electrical stimulation
what are some examples of operant conditioning on farms and homes?
◼ Swine can use electronic feeders
◼ Horses use automatic waterers
◼ Food dispensed when cat or dog presses level
define chaining
Performance of a series of operant responses in sequences
how was chaining used to train goats to do what?
◼ Jump 3 hurdles
◼ Walk on raised walkway
◼ Pass through 2 barrels
◼ Press lever 10 times
dog owners chain _______ commands
obedience
animals can learn to discriminate:
Various visual, auditory or tactile cues
provide an example of discrimination learning in horse, cattle, sheep
◼ Learn to choose feedbox covered with
black cloth instead of 2 uncovered boxes
◼ With increased trials, number of errors decreased
which learning requires the most intelligence?
conceptual learning
define conceptual learning
Ability to respond to a common quality or characteristic shared by a number of different specific stimuli
describe example of conceptual learning in horses
◼ Operant conditioning task
◼ Horse had to push one of 2 hinged panels
◼ Correct panel was unlocked
- Allowing horses access to bowl of grain
◼ Incorrect panel was locked
- Bowl of grain behind it
◼ Correct choice not always on same side
what were the problems in the conceptual learning example in horses?
◼ First problem –simple discrimination between black and white panel
◼ Next, discriminate between cross & circle
◼ Third, distinguish a triangle from rectangle
◼ Then triangles from half circles & various other patterns
what is the TRUE test of conceptual learning in horses
Horse had to choose between 2 shapes he had never seen before
◼ One triangular and the other non-triangular
define conditioned taste aversion
Process by which animals learn to avoid a food not because it tastes bad, but because he/she associates it with illness
what is gastrointestinal malaise
nausea
what happens after the first application of poisoning rats
- fewer rats killed
- those that survived no longer eat the bait
what will happen when rats are given novel food and radiation
Will soon avoid food they associate with radiation sickness
what are the 3 ways conditioned taste aversion differs from associative learning?
- Appears to be specific for taste & olfaction
- Illness must be of internal origin (general
malaise) - Novel taste & illness can be widely separated in time, and learning will still take place
how is nausea important in conditioned taste aversion?
it is the only way to make the animal associate food as sickening a long time after
what is the use for taste aversion?
◼ Determine what substances can animal can taste or perceive
◼ Prevent wildlife from eating agriculturally or ornament important plants
how can you teach coyotes to avoid lambs via taste aversion?
Repeated pairing of lamb with injection lithium chloride
how can you teach livestock to avoid a poisonous plant using taste aversion?
◼ Larkspur
◼ Emetic
how do you teach an animal an operant task?
wait until animal performs desired activity and then reward it
speed up teaching an animal an operant task by _________ the behavior
shaping
define shaping
reward for small steps toward desired behavior/activity
how do you teach a dog to heel?
Trainer rewards dog for staying within yard of his side, then foot & finally when dog walks quietly by trainer
how do you teach a chicken to dance?
turn to right, reward it
patience
timing
what kind of conditioning is a reinforced schedule
operant conditioning
during a variable schedule reinforcement, when do you reward?
every 10 or 20 times (or everytime)
the higher the fixed ratio = the ______ the animal will respond
the longer it will take the response to be _______
faster
forgotten
what schedule is your dog on when it barks 50 times begging for food and you then reward him (feed)?
the dog is on a high FR schedule
what is a common fixed ratio schedule?
when dog barks 50 times and owner gets annoyed so they get the reward
what is a fixed interval
◼ Another type of reinforcement
◼ Animal rewarded for a response that occurs after a certain period of time has elapsed since last reward
what is the animal required to have for a fixed interval?
animal has to have a good sense of timing
what are the important factors for teaching a flavor cue?
- novelty of cue
- dose and pharmacology of the toxin used as UCS
- availability of alternative foods
- social facilitation
what’s the difference between fixed interval and fixed ratio?
fixed interval is more random, time has elapsed, reward occasionally
what are rewards and examples?
positive reinforcement
- food
- social interaction
what is negative reinforcement and an example?
something aversive applied until the animal makes a response
- pull on horse’s mouth until he stops
- shocking dog with shock collar until dog stops
when does punishment occur?
after an action a consequence
- beat dog for chewing phone
positive reinforcement
adding something your dog enjoys
negative reinforcement
remove something your dog views as unpleasant
what is the goal of both positive and negative reinforcement?
both used to make a behavior more likely to occur again
difference between reinforcement and punishment
reinforcement: makes behavior more likely to occur again in the future
punishment: makes behavior less likely to occur again in the future
good things start
ex. cat chews on hand because it wants toy
positive reinforcement
bad things end
ex. canned air and quirt in cat’s face when chewing on hand
negative reinforcement
bad things start
ex. taking can of air away from cat’s face
positive punishment
good things end
ex. pull hand away from cat
negative punishment
