Learning Flashcards
Learning
A relatively permanent change in behaviour due to experience
Classical Conditioning
A procedure during which an animal or person learns to associate a reflex response with a new stimulus
Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)
The stimulus that produces a reflex response
Unconditioned Response (UCR)
The reflex response to an uncondtional stimulus. It is automatic - we have no control.
Conditioned Stimulus (CS)
A new stimulus presented with the Unconditioned Stimulus
Conditioned Response (CR)
The response that is learnt
Extinction
A conditioned response dies out
Spontaneous Recovery
Pavlov found that if, after a delay, the animal was presented with the conditioned stimulus again, the conditioned response reappeared
Generalisation
This occurs when the response is triggered by a similar stimulus to the original one. So the animal is expanding it’s learned response to the new stimulus.
Discrimination
Pavlov noticed that if he rang different bells and only gave food when the same bell was sounded, after several trials they only salivated to the original bell, not any other bells.
Pavlov’s Case-Study
Aim: Pavlov was studying digestion in dogs- he wasn’t originally intending to study conditioning.
Method: He presented food in a bowl to a dog several times and, in the end, the dog salivated even when the bowl was empty. Pavlov had conditioned it to salivate to an empty bowl. Pavlov then decided to further his research by giving the dogs food at the same time as ringing a bell (neutral stimulus).
Results: After several times, the dogs salivated (a response) to the bell.
Conclusion: The dogs associated the bell with salivation. Normally, footsteps and a bell would not cause a dog to salivate, would they? But the dogs learned to associate the footsteps and the bell with the food and, hence, they salivated when these stimuli were present.
Watson And Raynor Case-Study
Aim: To see if the emotional response of fear could be conditioned in a human being
Mehtod: Albert was 11 months old. He seemed to like a white labratory rat and had no fear of any white furry objects. In the conditioning trials the rat was shown to Albert and, as he reached for it, a metal bar was hit very hard with a hammer, behind Albert’s back. This was done several times.
Results: After seven times, when the rat was presented again, Albert screamed and tried to get away. He did this even though the bar was not hit by the hammer and there was no loud noise. Albert also screamed when he was shown a Santa Clause mask and a fur coat.
Conclusion: Watson and Raynor showed that fear responses could be learnt and even very young children could learn in the way suggested by classical conditioning.
Thorndike Case-Study
Aim: To investigate the effect of consequences on learned behaviour in animals.
Method: He noticed that a hungry cat could learn to open a latch so that it could escape its cage and eat some fish that was outside. Early in the trial, the cat accidentally knocked the latch as it was turning around in the cage trying to get to the fish. Each time the cat was returned to the cage.
Results: Each time the cat returned to the cage, the was less time before it opened the latch and escaped again .
Conclusion: The cat had learnt to associate pressing a lever with getting food (a pleasant consequence)
Skinner Case-Study
Aim: Develop Thorndike’s work on Learned behaviours.
Method: Skinner developed Skinners box. He would place a hungry rat in the box. The rat would then produce several actions such as sniffing, exploring and grooming. By accident I would press a lever and a food pellet would appear in the food tray. Every time the lever was pressed the behaviour of ‘lever pressing’ was positively reinforced by a food pellet.
Results: Skinner noticed that once the animal had realised that the lever produced food, they continued to press the lever, therefore the behaviour was learned.
Conclusion: So behaviour can be shaped and maintained by its consequences.
Operant Conditioning
Learning due to the consequences of behaviour, through positive or negative reinforcement.
Neutral Stimulus
A stimulus that initially produces no specific response other than to focus attention. In classical conditioning when used together with a unconditioned stimulus, the neutral stimulus becomes a neutral stimulus
Positive Reinforcement
Leads to behaviour that is repeated because the consequences have been positive and the individual finds it rewarding.
Negative Reinforcement
When an unpleasant experience is removed after a behaviour or action has been made. This increases the likelihood that a behaviour or action will be repeated.
Flooding
A treatment for phobias that involves the immediate exposure of the person to the feared object, activity or event, until there is no fear response
Systematic Desensitisation
A treatment for phobias in which a person is taught to relax and then is gradually exposed to the feared object, activity or event
Punishment
A stimulus that weakens behaviour because it is unpleasant and we try to avoid it
Reinforcement
A consequence of behaviour that encourages or strengthens a behaviour. This might be seen as a reward.
Behaviour Shaping
Changing behaviour in small steps
Unconditioned
Shows that something is unlearned
Conditioned
Shows that something has been learned
Law Of Effect
Behaviours that are followed by rewards are usually repeated, those that are punished are not usually repeated
Primary Reinforcer
A reward, such as food or water, that the animal or person needs in order to survive
Secondary Reinforcer
A reward, such as money or a token, that the animal or person can exchange for a primary reinforcer.
