Cognition and LearningCognition and Learning

How can you tell if someone is How can you tell if someone is learning?learning?

Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein did not begin did not begin to speak until he was three to speak until he was three years old. His parents years old. His parents feared he would never talk. feared he would never talk.

As a child, As a child, Thomas EdisonThomas Edison had trouble with grammar had trouble with grammar and spelling. His head was and spelling. His head was so large his parents thought so large his parents thought he might be retarded. he might be retarded.

Phobias and ConditioningPhobias and Conditioning Phobias are Phobias are

irrational fears of irrational fears of specific objects, specific objects, animals, or animals, or situationssituations

People acquire People acquire phobias through phobias through conditioningconditioning

Classical ConditioningClassical Conditioning A learning A learning

procedure in which procedure in which subjects make subjects make associations associations between a natural between a natural stimulus and a stimulus and a neutral stimulusneutral stimulus

Ivan PavlovIvan Pavlov Tuning Tuning

fork/salivationfork/salivation

The ExperimentThe Experiment

A neutral stimulus A neutral stimulus can replace a can replace a natural stimulus if natural stimulus if it’s presented just it’s presented just before that stimulusbefore that stimulus

Food = Food = unconditioned unconditioned stimulus (US)stimulus (US)

Salivation = Salivation = unconditioned unconditioned response (UR)response (UR)

Other TermsOther Terms

Conditioned Conditioned stimulus stimulus (CS) = tuning fork(CS) = tuning fork

Salivation = Salivation = conditioned conditioned response (CR)response (CR)

Conditioned Conditioned responses are responses are learned, not natural learned, not natural or reflexiveor reflexive

Classical ConditioningClassical Conditioning

Principles of Principles of Classical ConditioningClassical Conditioning

Acquisition of a conditioned response Acquisition of a conditioned response occurs graduallyoccurs gradually

Timing is very importantTiming is very important The intensity of the US The intensity of the US

(unconditioned stimulus)- hunger(unconditioned stimulus)- hunger

GeneralizationGeneralization Occurs when a Occurs when a

subject responds to subject responds to a second stimulus a second stimulus similar to the similar to the original (CS) original (CS) without any without any conditioningconditioning

Add an oval Add an oval alongside circle, alongside circle, dogs would also dogs would also salivate at the oval salivate at the oval alone.alone.

DiscriminationDiscrimination The ability to respond differently to The ability to respond differently to

different stimulidifferent stimuli Generalization and discrimination are Generalization and discrimination are

each a part of everyday lifeeach a part of everyday life For example, when some people hear

the sound of a dentist’s drill (CS), they become afraid (CR). After several uncomfortable sessions at the dentist, those people may generalize this feeling and become afraid when they hear any kind of drill. Later, those people may learn to discriminate between the sound of the dentist’s drill and that of a regular electric drill.

ExtinctionExtinction

The gradual weakening and eventual The gradual weakening and eventual disappearance of a conditioned disappearance of a conditioned responseresponse

The response disappears but is not The response disappears but is not forgotten (spontaneous recovery)forgotten (spontaneous recovery)

Response to a tone w/o food would Response to a tone w/o food would eventually weaken/disappear.eventually weaken/disappear.

Called “Reconditioning”Called “Reconditioning”

Extinction and Extinction and Spontaneous RecoverySpontaneous Recovery

John B. WatsonJohn B. Watson

The case of The case of “Little Albert”“Little Albert”

Fear responseFear response EthicsEthics

Classical Conditioning Classical Conditioning and Pleasant Responseand Pleasant Response

Advertising Advertising campaigns use campaigns use classical classical conditioningconditioning

Pairing a healthy, Pairing a healthy, young, pretty young, pretty model with a model with a productproduct

John WatsonJohn Watson

Classical Conditioning and Classical Conditioning and Products that Pose Health RisksProducts that Pose Health Risks

Positive EmotionsPositive Emotions

All types of emotions All types of emotions can be classically can be classically conditioned- conditioned- Examples:Examples:

A song on the radioA song on the radio Scent, fragrance, or Scent, fragrance, or

perfumeperfume Passing a bakeryPassing a bakery

Applications: Drug AddictionApplications: Drug Addiction

Withdrawal/“cold Withdrawal/“cold turkey”turkey”

Cues or triggers in Cues or triggers in the environment can the environment can reawaken their reawaken their craving.craving.

Avoidance of cuesAvoidance of cues

Taste AversionsTaste Aversions

John GarciaJohn Garcia explained explained the role of classical the role of classical conditioning in conditioning in creating creating TTaste aste Aversions-Aversions- when a when a subject associates the subject associates the taste of a certain food of a certain food with symptoms caused with symptoms caused by a by a toxic, spoiled, or , spoiled, or poisonous substance substance

Timing/single instanceTiming/single instance

Taste Aversion: An Taste Aversion: An ApplicationApplication

Aversions can have Aversions can have survival benefitssurvival benefits

How to protect How to protect sheep from coyotes sheep from coyotes without killing the without killing the coyotescoyotes

Injected sheep Injected sheep carcasses with a carcasses with a poison that would poison that would sicken the coyotes, sicken the coyotes, but not kill them.but not kill them.

Operant ConditioningOperant Conditioning

Groundwork for Groundwork for Operant ConditioningOperant Conditioning

Edward Thorndike-Edward Thorndike- puzzle boxes were puzzle boxes were arranged so that an arranged so that an animal would be animal would be required to perform a required to perform a certain response (pulling certain response (pulling a lever or pushing a a lever or pushing a button), while he button), while he measured the amount of measured the amount of time it took them to time it took them to escapeescape

Thinking and reasoningThinking and reasoning

The Puzzle BoxThe Puzzle Box Thorndike used a Thorndike used a

hungry cat who hungry cat who needed to learn a needed to learn a particular response particular response (stepping on a (stepping on a pedal) which would pedal) which would unlock a door with unlock a door with food behind itfood behind it

The “law of The “law of effect/instrumental effect/instrumental learning”learning”