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Notebook Page 73:How We Learn and Classical

Conditioning

How Do We Learn?• Learning = relatively permanent change

in organism’s behavior due to experience

• or interactions with the environment

• Change not always immediate

• Principles of Learning– Classical conditioning

– Operant conditioning

– Cognitive learning (Observational learning)

• We learn by association (which we get through experience)– Our minds naturally connect events

together that occur in sequence

Learning by Association

Event 1 Event 2

Seal learns to expect a snack for its showy antics

Classical Conditioning• Learning through association

Two related events:

Lightning and thunder

Results after repetition:

We see lightning and we wince anticipating

thunder

Operant Conditioning• Learning by connecting a response with a

consequence

Response:Being Polite

Consequence:Getting a treat

Behavior Strengthened

Classical Conditioning• Organism comes to associate two

stimuli and respondsAUTOMATICALLY

• Connects a new (conditioned) stimulus with a natural (unconditioned) stimulus, responding to both the same way

• Video

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Classical Conditioning

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)

Ivan Pavlov and Reflexive Responses

Before Conditioning

During Conditioning

After Conditioning

UCR (Salivation)

UCS (meat powder)

Classical Conditioning 3-T-ChartPavlov’s Experiment

I find it easier to start at the end and work backwards…

NS(bell)

CR (Salivation)

CS(bell)

(meat powder)

Acquisition

Generalization

Discrimination

• Extinction • Spontaneous recovery

Watson and Rayner: Little Albert

Before Conditioning

During Conditioning

After Conditioning

UCR (fear)

UCS (loud noise)

NS(rat)

CR (fear)

CS(rat)

(loud noise)

Unethical today. Why?Useful in explaining human survival. Why?