wk3_L6. Learning: an Introduction Flashcards
Learning is about…
Recognising environment & adapting behaviours accordingly
What skills need to be learned?
Survival, food, mating etc
What are some costs of learning?
Increased juvenile vulnerability, increased parental investment in young, greater complexity of nervous system (costs energy), developmental fallibility; trial & error V instinct. Instincts guard against dangers/learning wrong info
What are the 4 types of learning?
- Notice/ignore
- What events signal
- Consequence of behaviour
- Learn from others
Define learning…
Relatively permanent change in behaviour, potentially as result or reinforced practise (Kimble, 1961. p. 2)
(motivation required for learning to occur)
What is Conditioning?
Association between environmental stimuli & behavioural response
Which behaviours are considered “not learning”?
Instincts (genetic)
Reflexes (auto reaction)
Changes in behaviour - fatigue, drugs, illness, maturation
Learning either ASSOCIATIVE or NON_ASSOCIATIVE
Associative learning: associate one stimulus with another
Non-associative learning: results from impact of one particular stimulus. E.g. Habituation, we learn to ignore repeated stimuli. Novelty noticed from birth so decline in tendency to respond. Alternatively, when something new happens we pay attention to it/move towards it: Orienting response
Non-associative learning: tendency to become familiar with stimulus as result of repeated exposure. Sensitisation occurs when response to event increases rather than decreases, like loud noises make babies cry
Habituation & Sensitisation both natural responses. Intensity of the stimulus being a factor of which one will occur:
-Mild - habituation -Intense - potentially threatening stimuli = sensitisation
How does learning occur?
By Association
We naturally connect events that occur in sequence. Associative learning of two events that occur together, then we can predict/expect the second event to occur (classical conditioning). Stimulus predicts occurrence of certain event and we respond accordingly. In classical conditioning, all responses are reflexes or autonomic - we cannot voluntarily emit
We learn to associate a response that we make with it’s consequences (operant conditioning)
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING…
- Learning of a new association between two previously unrelated stimuli
- Stimulus predicts occurrence of certain event and we respond accordingly
- All responses are reflex/autonomic - we cannot voluntarily emit
Classical Conditioning KEY TERMS: NS / US / UR / CS / CR
- NS (Neutral Stimulus): stimulus that, before conditioning, doesn’t naturally bring about response of interest. E.G. sound from bell in Pavlov’s experiment
- US (Unconditioned Stimulus): stimulus (event) that triggers unconditioned (involuntary) response - without previous conditioning
- UR (Unconditioned Response): unlearned response to an unconditioned stimulus occurring without prior conditioning. E.G. salivation to food, moving away from something painful
- CS (Conditioned Stimulus): previously NS that, through repeated pairings with US, now causes a CR. E.G sound such as from bell in Pavlov’s experiments, a tactile stimulus…
- CR (Conditioned Response): learned reaction to a CS occurring because of previous repeated pairings with an UCS. E.G. CR salivation in Pavlov’s experiments
Basic Principles of Classical Conditioning
- Acquisition - formation of learned response to a stimulus through presentation of unconditioned stimulus
CS doesn’t just substitute for US. CR not always same as UR.
Cognitive view of classical conditioning the CS predicts the US, so we react by preparing for that event
ADVERTISING in Classical Conditioning
CS = Coke - CR = positive emotional response
UCS = Attractive individual/situation - UCR = positive emotional response
Cute is a great UR to use in advertising!
Pair products with stimuli that elicit neutral or positive emotions
Also, stimuli learnt to have unpleasant consequence - Try new drink > makes you sick > next encounter with that drink > try something else
An example of an Application of Classical Conditioning - CHEMOTHERAPY/FOOD/NAUSEA
A Conditioned taste aversion
Basic Principles of Classical Conditioning - Extinction: elimination of a learned response by removal of US
What would happen is Pavlov later presented the bell without the food?
- Extinction: CR weakens when CS presented without US
- Extinction is not unlearning, but learned inhibition
- Spontaneous Recovery: re-emergence of a previously extinguished CR
What if we give a single CS-US pairing? Reacquisition - Extinction is not unlearning. Following extinction, one CS-US pairing will reinstate the prior learning at much faster rate than original learning
