Rat Maze Activity

• complete the maze starting at the ear and ending at the tail

• you must work on your own to complete it• receive a small piece of candy when maze completed

• Try again—you can complete as many mazes as possible in the time allotted

RAT MAZESA Demonstration in Instrumental Learning and Operant Conditioning

• This is an example of – trial and error learning– instrumental learning/conditioning

• Thorndike = response to a stimulus is strengthened when they are instrumental in producing rewards

– operant conditioning• B. F. Skinner = positive reinforcers strengthen a

response if experienced after the response occurs– Each time a completed maze was handed in,

candy was received as positive reinforcement

Lemonade Experiment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE8pFWP5QDM

What is Learning?• Learning refers to the

• relatively permanent change in subject’s behavior to a given situation

• brought about by repeated experience in that situation

We learn by association (Associative Learning) Our minds naturally connect events

that occur in sequence learning that two events occur

together

Classical Conditioning VS Operant Conditioning• Classical

• Neutral stimulus is paired with a stimulus that elicits response

• Eventually the neutral stimulus causes the response

• Pavlov (dog saliva)• Watson (little Albert)

• Operant• Process of learning

based on producing positive consequences and avoiding negative ones

• Measured by rate of response

• Skinner (pigeons)

Classical (AKA Pavlovian) Conditioning

We learn to associate two stimuli

Classical Conditioning Terms Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)

stimulus that unconditionally--automatically and naturally--triggers a response

Unconditioned Response (UCR) unlearned, naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus

Conditioned Stimulus (CS) originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an

unconditioned stimulus, triggers a conditioned response Conditioned Response (CR)

learned response to a previously neutral conditioned stimulus Acquisition

the phase associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus (CS) comes to elicit a conditioned response

Pavlov’s Classic Experiment

Before Conditioning

During Conditioning After Conditioning

UCS (foodin mouth)

Neutralstimulus(tone)

Nosalivation

UCR (salivation)

Neutralstimulus(tone)

UCS (foodin mouth)

UCR(salivation)

CS(tone)

CR (salivation)

http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/classical-conditioning.html#lesson

A Classic Study• John B. Watson

• Conditioned “emotion”• Fear response in

humans (1920)• Little Albert

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG2SwE_6uVM

UCS==== UCR

N + UCS====== UCR

Repeated pairings. . . CS (originally irrelevant!) === CR

SO. . . Who gives the shots? WHY?

Extinction

• The gradual weakening and eventual disappearance of the CR

• Involves repeatedly presenting the CS without pairing it with the UCS

Spontaneous Recovery

• Occurs when a previously extinguished CR suddenly reappears after a period of no training

Generalization

• Tendency to respond to stimuli similar to the CS.• Ex. A child who has been bit by

a dog may fear all dogs.• After 9/11, people responded

anxiously to the sight or sound of planes.

• Generalization can be adaptive• toddlers are taught to fear

moving cars in the street and would respond similarly to trucks and motorcycles.

Discrimination

• Occurs when stimuli similar to the CS do not produce a CR

• The more similar the stimuli are to the CS, the greater the difficulty of discrimination

• Being able to recognize these differences is adaptive.• Ex. Confronted by a pit bull, your heart may race; confronted by a

golden retriever, it likely will not.

A song for your enjoyment…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94lWxsfKErM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6JE8s1-w-Y

Homework = perform your own experiment or observation. Turn it into a video project for extra credit (see sample below)

The Gothowitz Deviation