Learning Theories

LearningTo gain knowledge,

understanding, or skill, by study, instruction, or

experience.

Part 1Classical Conditioning

Classical Conditioning

• Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)

• Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which associations are

made between a natural stimulus and a learned, neutral stimulus.

Step 1• We begin with a natural stimulus/response

pair.– No conditions are needed for this to occur.– Example: Food creates Saliva

• Stimulus=Response

• Classical Conditioning Terminology:– Unconditioned Stimulus: any stimulus that

automatically elicits a response– Unconditioned response: a natural response to

a natural stimulus

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)= Unconditioned Response (UCR)

– Food (UCS) = Salivation (UCR)

Step 2

• In order for learning to occur a neutral stimulus is paired with the natural stimulus/response.

• This is repeated multiple times, by doing this the subject begins to associate the two.

NS+UCS=UCR

• Classical Conditioning Terminology:– Neutral Stimulus (NS): a stimulus that has no

effect on the response.

experimenter (NS) + Food (UCS) = Salivation (UCR)

Step 3

• After being paired together multiple times the subject begins to anticipate the NS=the UCS.

• And what was once neutral becomes learned or conditioned.

Experimenter (CS)+ Food (UCS) = Salivation (UCR)

• Terminology:– Conditioned Stimulus (CS): a stimulus that

was once neutral but has become learned by associating two things together.

Step 4• Eventually there is a response to the

conditioned stimulus alone. – This makes the response a conditioned

(learned) response (CR)

Conditioned Stimulus (CS) = Conditioned Response (CR)

experimenter (CS) = Salivation (CR)

• Terminology: – Conditioned Response: a response to the

learned stimulus.

Helpful Hints…

• The Neutral Stimulus always becomes the Conditioned Stimulus.– NS turns into the CS

• The Unconditioned response always becomes the conditioned response.– UCR turns into the CR

Key Words/People…• Acquisition:

• The initial stage of learning during which a response is established and gradually strengthened.

• John B. Watson• Discovered emotional conditioning. Example:

Little Albert

• Stimulus Generalization:• Tendency for stimuli similar to the CS to evoke a similar response

• Extinction:• The diminishing of a response when, in CC an

UCS does not follow a CS.

• Spontaneous Recovery:• The reappearance, after a rest, of an extinguished

conditioned response.

• Mary Cover Jones:• Discovered that Classical conditioning could be used

to rid fears and phobias.

Part TwoOperant Conditioning

Operant Conditioning

• B.F. Skinner (1904-1990)

• Operant Conditioning: a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by

reinforcement or diminished if followed by

punishment.

Or actions and consequences.

Skinner Box

Key Words…• Shaping:

– A procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of a desired goal.

• Chaining:– Reinforcing the connection between the

parts of a sequence• Punishment:

– An aversive event that decreases the behavior it follows.

• Discrimination:– Learning to tell the difference between

two stimuli.

Reinforcement• Reinforcement:

– Any event that strengthens the behavior it follows.

– Primary– Secondary– Positive– Negative– Immediate– Delayed

– Reinforcement Schedules– Continuous– Partial

» Fixed-ratio» Variable-ratio» Fixed-interval» Variable-interval

Schedules of Reinforcement

Variable Interval

Number of responses

1000

750

500

250

010 20 30 40 50 60 70

Time (minutes)

Fixed Ratio

Variable Ratio

Fixed Interval

Steady responding

Rapid respondingnear time forreinforcement

80

Conditioning Comparisons:Both are learning by

Association

Classical Conditioning: Learning through a

stimulus and response

Operant Conditioning: Learning through

rewards or punishments and our

behavior

Part 3Social Learning

Social Learning…

• Albert Bandura

Social Learning: learning from the behavior

of others or all learning in social situations.

Observational Learning: learning by observing and imitating the behavior of others.

Bo-Bo Dolls

Bandura’s experiments

Key Words…

• Modeling:– The process by which a behavior is observed and imitated.

-more affected by same sex models.

-more affected by those we admire.

• Pro-social Behavior:– Positive, constructive, helpful behavior. – The opposite of anti-social.

Part 4Cognitive Approach

Cognitive Approach…

An approach to the study of learning that emphasizes abstract mental processes and previous knowledge.

– Helps explain more complex examples of learning.

– Focus on how knowledge is…• Obtained• Processed• Organized

What makes it different?

• Believes in cognition.– Classical conditioning and

operant conditioning ignore this.

• States that learning isn’t obvious– There is a big difference

between learning how to do something and actually doing it.

Demonstrations of Cognition in learning…

• Latent Learning:– Learning that goes on under the

surface, but not obvious.

• Expectancies:– Beliefs about our ability to

perform an action and to get the reward.

• Reinforcement Value:– Individualized preference for a

certain type of reward.

• Cognitive Map:– Mental image of where one is

located in space.

• Strategies– Methods for solving problems

Wrap-Up…

• Classical Conditioning:– Learning by associating two events, a

stimulus and response.

• Operant Conditioning:– Learning to associate rewards and

punishments with our behaviors

• Social Learning:– Learning in any social situation.– Learning by watching and imitating others.

• Cognitive Approach:– Learning through abstract reasoning and

previous knowledge.

The End!!