Learning Flashcards
Hallmark of living organisms
learning and acting on expectations
How do we and other species accomplish learning?
We make predictions!
we use rats especially–lots of animals used for research basic living processes
to be good at learning about world:
Need to be able to respond change/hardware for detecting change (food, threat, etc)
Ability to make predictions (pavlovian software)
Operate (skinnerian software)
basic hardware components:
Sensory system, reflex, habituation
Sensory system
(ability to detect shape, color, temp, smell, etc)/ability to discriminate stimuli
Reflex:
hardwired stimulus response circuits
Not learned, evolved
Habituation:
the circuit breaker/overcoming the reflex
We get used to something and we stop responding (ex: food)
classical conditioning
how to be good at making predictions (pavlov)/Classical conditioning involves associating an involuntary response and a stimulus components: prediction generalization blocking latent inhibition extinction spontaneous recovery
prediction
learn associations
Rat seeing cheese=salivate w/o learning
cheese=unconditioned stimulus
Unconditioned response=reflex
If light flashes pre feeding always, rat salivates w light
light=conditioned stimulus, salivate=conditioned response
Humans conditioned for money, pizza boxes…
unconditioned response
reflex
generalization
Learn sloppily: generalization
Basic learning processes–learning sloppily is good bc it allows us to generalize to other things
Can extrapolate–if afraid of one cat, afraid of other cats, extends to other similar things
Little albert overgeneralized=clanging noise associated with rats, hes afraid of all furry things
blocking
Learn sparingly: blocking
One pattern of relationships, not many
If light and melody pre feeding always, and the rat only learned about light before, the rat won’t respond to sound alone
First association blocks second association
latent inhibition
Learn slowly: latent inhibition
Dont want to learn things that arent good guide–want more than one instance
No food only flash light; then flash precedes food; if something wasnt good predictor before, harder to internalize it as predictor in future
extinction
Unlearn slowly: (hard to unlearn) extinction
Process where previously learned association weakened when pattern breaks
If food doesnt appear post light anymore, takes rat a while to realize
spontaneous recovery
Relearn quickly: spontaneous recovery
Respond
Operant conditioning–
organisms can cause these changes in environment as a result of predicting what causes positive results
operant conditioning is about associating a voluntary behavior and a consequence. In operant conditioning, the learner is also rewarded with incentives, while classical conditioning involves no such enticements.
Law of effect–
repeat what works, Edward Thorndike: if an association is followed by a “satisfying state of affairs” it will be strengthened and if it is followed by an “annoying state of affairs” it will be weakened
Thorndike puzzle box–
cat solves puzzle to get out of box–reward selects behavioral mutations, learns to press pedal
Bf skinner =
skinner box, mold rats behavior based on reward and punishment operant conditioning (wanted to improve humanity thru behaviorism)
Optimize responses:
schedule of reinforcement
Different patterns of reinforcement we might get–influences our response patterns
Varieties of reinforcement
continuous–EVERY TIME but things are rarely perfectly reliable irl
Partial
ratio
reward function of number of times animal performed action
interval
function of how long since last reward
fixed
ratio or interval always same
variable
ratio or interval averages to certain value
which variety of reinforcement is most effective?
fixed ratio
Behaviorism–
idea that all behavior is result of learning…completely discredited today even tho it is basis of some important stuff
Behaviorists didnt think point in discussing things we can’t readily observe–only reinforcement
Even flavor preference would be result of conditioning
(blank slate hypothesis, discredited)
biological preparedness hypothesis
Operant conditioning is real but isn’t everything– people and animals are inherently inclined to form associations between certain stimuli and responses.
