Learning II - operant Flashcards
What did Thorndike conclude from his experiments?
From his experiments he concluded that animals learn by trial-and- error.
Typical example experiment from Thorndike: Cat puzzle boxes Cat in cage, simple latch on door, fish outside
Explain trial and error learning?
Through trial- and-error some behaviours of the cat are rewarded with food, so that action is strengthened
There is no point in time where cat has insight or a ‘light bulb moment’ where he “learns” what to do
He learns through trial- and - error to do some behaviours more than others
What is shaping?
A method of positive reinforcement of behaviour patterns in operant conditioning.
Shaping involves a calculated reinforcement of a “target behaviuor”: it uses operant conditioning principles to train a subject by rewarding proper behaviour and discouraging improper behaviour.
What is learned helplessness?
Learned helplessness occurs when an animal is repeatedly subjected to an aversive stimulus that it cannot escape.
Eventually, the animal will stop trying to avoid the stimulus and behave as if it is utterly helpless to change the situation. Even when opportunities to escape are presented, this learned helplessness will prevent any action.
Explain reinforcement?
An environmental event that follows a behaviour can produce an increase or a decrease in the behaviour
If it’s nice it increases the behaviour.
If it’s unpleasant it decreases the behaviour.
Can use this for… Shaping (a behaviour)
Reinforce behaviours to change behaviour slowly
in the desired direction
Primary reinforces are food, but other reinforcers also work
these can apply to responses that have been formed through both classical and operant conditioning.
What is extinction?
Whenoperantbehavior that has been previously reinforced no longer produces reinforcing consequences the behavior gradually stops occurring.
What is spontaneous recovery?
Spontaneous recoveryis a phenomenon that involves suddenly displaying a behavior that was thought to be extinct. Spontaneous recovery can be defined as the reappearance of the conditioned response after a rest period or period of lessened response. If the conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus are no longer associated, extinction will occur very rapidly after a spontaneous recovery.
Explain Skinner’s experiment’s findings
Classic experiment on rats “Skinner box”
Instrumental conditioning understood as the likelihood of the response is increased by following the behaviour with a reinforcer
If food reinforcer stops – rat stops pressing bar (extinction)
What is the contingency mobile?
Stimulation that follows quickly from an action of their own (a ‘reply’ to their action)
with 8 week-old infants
Infants significantly increased the number of pillow (head) movements they made in the session
Shows infants can learn a simple response to produce some stimulation
What 4 different ways are there to increase or decrease behaviour?
Positive reinforcement (nice thing given to increase behaviour) Negative reinforcement (increase in the behaviour stops an unpleasant thing) Positive punishment (delivery of unpleasant to decrease the behaviour) Negative punishment (removal of nice thing to decrease a behaviour)
how does instrumental conditioning involve some cognition?
The organism interprets the reinforcement as being controlled by its response
If an animal or child feels they have control - they continue to develop control in other situations
If not they don’t feel they have control - they don’t try and develop control, even if they could – this is called “learned helplessness”
What is Maier and Seligman (1976) – Learned helplessness experiment?
2 dogs in harness
Task 1) 1 dog can turn off electric shock with nose, other can’t (but his is turned off too if other dog turns it off)
They both therefore receive same amount of shocks
What is different is that 1 dog has “control” the other does not
Task 2) Same 2 dogs but they are in a different situation. They can learn that a sound indicates an electric shock will come, and that if they can jump over barrier they can avoid it
Dog who had “control” in Task 1 learns to do this
Dog who did not have control in Task 1 doesn’t try to learn it, just get more and more passive
Therefore - If animal has learned they are ‘helpless’ this prevents them from trying to learn to avoid the shock when they could (i.e. learned helplessness)
