Psychlgy Chapter 5 5.1 Definitin f Learning Learning- is any relatively permanent change in behavir brught abut by experience r practice Maturatin- kind f change due t bilgy, nt experience Changes like the increase in height, r the size f brain 5.2 It Makes Yur Muth Water: Classical Cnditining Pavlv brught abut the study f basic principles in learning Reflex- an unlearned invluntary respnse that is nt under persnal cntrl r chice Stimulus- can be defined as any bject, event, r experience that causes respnse Repnses- that reactin f an rganism Pavlv and the Salivating Dgs Classical cnditining- learning t elicit an invluntary, reflex-like, respnse t a stimulus ther than the riginal, natural stimulus that nrmally prduces the respnse Elements f Classical Cnditining Uncnditined Stimulus Uncnditined stimulus- the riginal, naturally ccurring stimulus unlearned Ordinarily leads t the invluntary respnse Uncnditined Respnse Uncnditined respnse- the autmatic and invluntary respnse t the uncnditined stimulus Unlearned and ccurs because f genetic wiring in the nervus system Cnditined Stimulus Neutral stimulus- has n effect n the desired respnse prir t cnditining Cnditined stimulus- in classical cnditining, a previusly neutral stimulus that becmes able t prduce a cnditined respnse, after pairing with an uncnditined stimulus Cnditined Respnse Cnditined respnse- learned respnse t a cntrlled stimulus Putting it all tgether: Pavlv s Canine Classic Pavlv did an experiment in which he pair the ticking sund f a metrnme with the presentatin f fd t see if the dgs wuld eventually salivate at the sund f the metrnme Metrnme- a simple device the prduces a rhythmic ticking sund Acquisitin- the repeated pairing f the neutral stimulus and the uncnditined respnse stimulus An uncnditined stimulus is always fllwed by an uncnditined respnse stimulus and a cnditined stimulus is always fllwed by a cnditined respnse stimulus Basic Principles t Classic Cnditining The CS must cme befre the UCS
Placed a hungry cat in a bx with a lever that if pushed it wuld let the cat ut and eventually lead the cat t fd The cat never learned t push the lever t escape right away but tk less time t find the lever Law f Effect If an actin is fllwed by pleasurable cnsequences it will tend t be repeated; if the actin if fllwed by unpleasable cnsequences it will tend nt t be repeated B.F. Skinner: The behavirist s behavirist Gave the learning f vluntary behavir a special name: perant cnditining Operant- any behavir that is vluntary and nt elicited by specific stimuli In perant cnditining learning depends n what cmes after the respnse 5.5 The Cncept f Reinfrcement Reinfrcement- any event f stimulus, that when fllwing a respnse, increases the prbability that the respnse will ccur again Cnsequence that is in sme way pleasurable t the rganism Primary and Secndary Resurces Reinfrces- items r events that when fllwing a respnse will strengthen it Primary reinfrcers- any reinfrcer that is naturally reinfrcing by meeting a basic bilgical need such as hungry, thirst, r tuch Secndary reinfrcer- any reinfcer that becmes reinfrcing after being paired with a primary reinfrcer, such a praise, tkens, r gld stars Psitive and Negative Reinfrcement Psitive reinfrcement- the reinfrcement f a respnse by the additin f experience f a pleasurable cnsequence, such as a reward r a pat n the back Negative reinfrcement- fllwing the respnse with the remval r escape frm smething unpleasant will als increase the likelihd f that respnse being repeated 5.6 Schedules f Reinfrcement: Why the ne-armed bandit is s seductive The Partial Reinfrcement Effect partial reinfrcement effect- a respnse that is reinfrced after sme, but nt all, crrect respnse will be mre resistant t extinctin Example- Bianca s mther giving her a dllar at the end f the week if she has put her clthes in the hamper every day fr the week; when Bianca s mm stps giving her a dllar Bianca will nt stp putting her clthes in the hamper cntinuus reinfrcement effect- a reinfrcer fr each and every crrect respnse; mre like t fall back t ld habits nce the reinfrcer has been taken away example: Ashley s mm gives her a quarter after she uts her clthes in the hamper when Ashley s mm stps giving her quarters fr putting her clthes in the hamper Ashley will mst likely stp putting her clthes in the hamper again interval schedule- when the timing f the respnse is mre imprtant rati schedule- when it is the number f respnses that is mre imprtant because a certain number f respnses is required fr each reinfrcer
punishment by remval- the kind f punishment mst ften cnfused with negative reinfrcement; behavir is punished by the remval f smething pleasurable r desired after the behavir ccurs example- grunding a teenager if remving freedm t d what the teenager want, placing a child in time ut Negative Reinfrcement versus Punishment by Remval Examples f Negative Reinfrcement Examples f Punishment By Remval Stpping at a red light t avid getting in an Lsing the privilege f driving because yu ve had accident t many accidents Mailing an incme tax return by April 15 th t avid Having t lse sme f yur mney t pay the a penalty penalty fr late tax filing Obeying a parent befre the parent reaches the Being grunded (lsing yur freedm) because f cunt f three t avid getting a sclding disbedience 5.8 Prblems with Punishment Punishment is used t weaken a respnse and getting rid f a respnse that is already well established is nt that easy Punishment typically nly serves t temprarily suppress r inhibit a behavir until enugh time has passed Example: punishing a child s behavir desn t always eliminate that behavir cmpletely Punishment by Applicatin can be quite severe and typically stps the behavir immediately Severe Punishment may cause: The child t avid the punisher instead f the behavir being punished, s the child learns the wrng respnse May encurage lying t avid the punishment Create fear and anxiety, emtinal respnse that d nt encurage learning Hitting prvides a successful mdel fr aggressin Hw t make Punishment mre Effective Punishment shuld immediately fllw the behavir it is meant t punish If the punishment cmes lng after the behavir, it will nt be assciated with that behavir Punishment shuld be Cnsistent First, if the parent says a certain punishment will fllw a certain behavir, then the parent must make sure t fllw thrugh and d what he r she prmised t d Secnd, punishment fr a particular behavir shuld stay at the same intensity r increase slightly but never decrease Punishment f the wrng behavir shuld be paired, whenever pssible, with reinfrcement f the right behavir Instead f yelling at a tw year ld fr eating with their finger the parent shuld pull her hand gently ut f her plate and say N, we d nt eat with ur fingers