Learning Lecture 7

PSY 102 (Section 8)

Nov. 1st. 2023
Dr. Avideh Gharehgazlou
Lecture Overview
Different types of learning:
Classical conditioning
Operant conditioning
Habituation
What is Learning? Chapter 6
Change in one’s actions, thoughts or emotions as a result of experience
When we learn smth new our brain changes, so does our emotion
Learning Through Conditioning
Conditioning  forming associations between stimuli, making
connections between two things
Ivan Pavlov - famously known for his dog experiments
For example a child makes a connection between his moms voice
and sees her face, so then when she speaks from the other room he
can recognize her.
Classical Conditioning

Form of learning in which one responds to a previously neutral stimulus

that has been paired with another stimulus which elicits an automatic
response
In order to develop a response, we have to pair the neutral stimuli wit
another stimulus to get that response
Classical Conditioning
Before learning:
Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)  elicits an automatic response without
prior conditioning (i.e., food)
Unconditioned Response (UCR)  automatic response to a stimulus
that does not need to be learned (i.e., salivation)
Classical Conditioning
After learning:
Conditioned Stimulus (CS)  initially neutral stimulus that comes to elicit
a response due to association with an UCS (i.e., metronome)
Conditioned Response (CR)  response previously associated with a non
neutral stimulus that is elicited by a (previously) neutral stimulus through
conditioning (i.e., salivation)
Strength of the CR
The more numerously the CS & UCS are paired together  the stronger the CR will be
The longer the delay is in pairing the CS with the UCS  the slower the speed of learning
& the lower the strength of the CR will be

Example - slamming the door behind u and someone would react in shock to this
unexpected loud sound, which would generate an automatic response from you which
again would be considered as unconditional stimulus
Jumping from ur set - unconditioned response
When you hear a tune, you may not have an automatic response to it, considered a
mutual stimulus , but hearing it when you walk in and someone puts it on super Loud out
of nowhere you would have an conditioned stimulus and response
Phases of Classical Conditioning:

Acquisition is the repeated pairing of CS

& UCS increasing the strength of the CR

Acquisition Extinction Spontaneous

Recovery

Learning phase during which a conditioned response is being

established
Phases of Classical Conditioning:

In extinction, the CS is presented repeatedly without the

UCS  resulting in the gradual disappearance of the CR

Acquisition Extinction Spontaneous

Recovery

Gradual reduction and eventual elimination of the CR, after

the CS is presented repeatedly without the UCS
 Phases of Classical Conditioning:

Acquisition Extinction Spontaneous

Recovery

Sudden re-emergence of an extint after a delay following an

extinction procedure
Stimulus Generalization
New CS that are similar, but not identical, to original CS elicit a CR
Occurs along a generalization gradient  the more similar a new CS is to
the original CS, the stronger the CR will be
Is adaptive  allows one to transfer what they’ve learned to new things
Friends car example
Stimulus Discrimination
Displaying a less prounounced to CS that differ from the original CS
Is adaptive  allows one to distinguish between stimuli that share
some similarities, but differ in important ways
Being bit by a dog and then seeing a simile lookalike dog with fear,
Higher-Order
Conditioning
When one develops a CR to a CS due to its association with another CS
Whereas in classical conditioning  one develops a CR to a CS due to its
association with and UCS

Higher-Order Classical
Conditioning: Conditioning:

C = ___ C C = ___ C
S
Higher-Order
Conditioning
Each progressive level results in weaker conditioning:
2nd-order conditioning tends to be weaker than classical conditioning
3rd-order conditioning tends to be weaker than 2nd-order conditioning
4th-order conditioning tends to be weaker than 3rd-order conditioning

Higher-order conditioning

Classical
< 2 -order 4th-order
nd
3rd-order
conditioning < <

C = U _____ _____ _____ _____

CS
Applications of Classical Conditioning
Advertisements pairing products with pictures of attractive
individuals to establish classically conditioned connections between
their products & positive emotions
Applications of Classical Conditioning
Classical conditioning can be used to produce fear in humans
Little Albert (John B Watson)
After pairing the rat with the CR (loud sound), little Albert displayed
a CR (crying) to the rat (CS)
Little Albert also showed stimulus generalization
Unethical study
Applications of Classical Conditioning
Classical conditioning can contribute to overcoming fears & phobias:
Introduce the patient to the feared stimulus while giving them something
pleasurable (Candy)
The feared stimulus will eventually elicit a new CR pleasure rather than fear
Operant Conditioning
Type of learning that is controlled by the consequences of one’s
behaviours
Instrumental conditioning
Can be used to train our dogs!
Operants behaviours produced to receive a reward
Classical vs. Operant Conditioning
Classical conditioning Operant conditioning

An automatic response is “pulled out” (response is A voluntary behaviour or response is developed

elicited) (response is emitted)

Reward is independent of the response Reward is dependant of the response

Response depends primarily on the autonomic Response depends primarily on skeletal muscles (i.e.,
nervous system (i.e., bodily changes) changes in voluntary motor behaviour)
 Skinner Box
Used to study conditioning by recording behaviours of animals that are in it
Reinforcement & Punishment
Reinforcement  any consequence that makes a behaviour more likely to
occur (strengthens the probability of the behaviour)
Punishment  any consequence that makes a behaviour less likely to occur
(weakens the probability of a behaviour)
 When not barking: When barking:

Reinforcement Punishment

+ +
POSITIVE POSITIVE PUNISHMENT
Presenting a pleasant stimulus Presenting an unpleasant stimulus
following a behaviour we want to following a behaviour we want to weaken
strengthen (i.e., give treat) (i.e., yelling)

- -
NEGITIVE PUNISHMENT
NEGATIVE Removing a pleasant stimulus following a
Removing an unpleasent stimulus following a behaviour behaviour we want to weaken (i.e., stop
we want to strengthen (i.e., removing leash) walking)
Reinforcement or punishment?
Reinforcement works better than punishment in the long run
Disadvantages of punishment:
Only tell us what not to do – rather than us what to do instead
Creates anxiety – which intereferes with future learning
May encourage subversive behaviour
May become a model for children’s agressive behaviour
Immediate punishment tends to be effective
Punishment of an undesired behaviour works best when a desired
behaviour is stimultaneously reinforced
Discriminative Stimulus

Stimulus that is associated with the presence of reinforcement

We are responding to discriminative stimuli all the time, even if were not
aware of it
Discriminative stimulus is different from stimulus discrimination
Acquisition
Classical conditioning:
Learning phase during which a conditional response is established
Operant conditioning:
Learning phase during which an operant response is established
Extinction
Classical conditioning:
Gradual reduction & elimination of the CR after a CS is presented by itself
repeatedly
Operant conditioning:
Gradual reduction & elimination of an operant response when reinforcement
is no longer presented
Extinction Burst  an initial increase in intensity of the undesired behaviour,
shortly after withdrawing reinforcement
Spontaneous Recovery
Classical conditioning:
Sudden re-emergence of an extinguished CR after a delay following
extinction
Operant conditioning:
Sudden re-emergence of an extinguished operant after a delay following
extinction
Stimulus Generalization & Stimulus Discrimination
In classical conditioning:
Stimulus generalization  the response is elicited by stimuli similar to the
original CS
Stimulus discrimination  displaying a less pronounced response to stimuli
that differ from the original CS
In operant conditioning:
Stimulus discrimination  training pigeons with reinforcers to distinguish
Monet’s & Picasso’s artworks
Stimulus generalization  the trained pigeons can also distinguish between
artworks from other painters which are similar to Monet’s & Picasso’s
Schedules of reinforcements
Pattern of reinforcing a behaviour
Continuous reinforcement  reinforcing a behaviour every time it occurs
Partial reinforcement  only occasional reinforcement of behaviour
Leads to a greater resistance to extinction
Habituation
The process by which we respond less strongly over time to repeated
stimuli
The simplest form of learning