Outline 3/12/2013. Practice Question. Practice Question. PSYC 120 General Psychology. Spring 2013 Lecture 13: Learning & Memory

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1 Outline 3/12/2013 PSYC 120 General Psychology Spring 2013 Lecture 13: Learning & Memory Learning Observational learning Associative learning Memory? Dr. Bart Moore Office hours Tuesdays 11:00-1:00 Office location: 1030G Practice Question Classical conditioning is a form of A. personality B. learning C. motivation D. hair care E. Using a fan instead of AC to keep cool in the summer Practice Question The three main categories of psychoactive drugs are: A. Hallucinogens, Narcotics, Stimulants B. Hallucinogens, Stimulants, Opiates C. Stimulants, Hallucinogens, Depressants D Stimulants, Depressants, Narcotics E. Mating, drugs, and rock n roll 1

2 What is learning? Categories of learning Learning is a lasting change in behavior that results from experience. Requires sensation and/or perception Observational learning Learn by watching others behave Also requires memory Just like daddy! Associative learning Learn the relationship between two events Two types of associative learning Classical conditioning Operant conditioning Reading Riding a bike Playing an instrument Classical Conditioning Ivan Pavlov studied digestion in dogs Pavlov s question: Fed dogs different foods and measured amount of salivation Observed that dogs were salivating before the food was put in their mouths If dogs can learn the association between being fed and the person doing the feeding, can they learn other arbitrary associations too? Dogs salivated just at the sight of the person who brought food Ivan Pavlov ( ) BEFORE CONDITIONING (BEFORE LEARNING) ARBITRARY (NEUTRAL) STIMULUS Pavlov s salivation measuring apparatus NO SALIVATION 2

3 Pavlov conducted an experiment: DURING CONDITIONING (LEARNING PHASE) Pavlov conducted an experiment: DURING CONDITIONING (LEARNING PHASE) AFTER CONDITIONING, NO FOOD, JUST THE BELL AFTER CONDITIONING? Learning the association between the bell and food was automatic. Required no effort from the dog. Salivating to the bell became a reaction Classical Conditioning (example) Humans undergo classical conditioning too! For example: Let s say that at your house whenever someone flushes the toilet the shower gets extremely hot. After a few times, you automatically jump out of the shower whenever you hear the toilet flush! The toilet flush is now associated with burning, so it's a conditioned response (reaction) A guest at your house won t know that this happens, so he or she will be unconditioned and not know the association between the toilet and the hot shower. 3

4 Classical Conditioning (more examples) After eating at Taco Bell you get food poisoning. The next time you see a sign for Taco Bell, you automatically feel nauseated. Question: Do you think classical conditioning would be an effective way to study for an exam? You get a flu shot and the nurse says This won t hurt! just before stabbing you with a needle. The next time you hear This won t hurt you cringe in fear. Operant conditioning Operant conditioning is the act of learning an association between behavior and consequence. Question: Do you think classical conditioning would be an effective way to get yourself to study for an exam? Studying for an exam is hard, it takes effort and uses another type of learning called operant conditioning First described by psychologist B.F. Skinner, who found that rats can quickly learn to press a lever to receive food B.F. Skinner ( ) Behavior: press lever Consequence: get food Skinner Box 4

5 Operant conditioning (consequences) Consequences can be favorable or unfavorable: Favorable consequences reinforce or promote the behavior Example: If you learn that studying hard will help you get good grades, you will study more often Example: A waiter learns to be polite to customers in order to get higher tips Unfavorable consequences tend to reduce the behavior frequency Example: driving without my seatbelt got me a ticket, so I don t do that any more! Example: talking about politics with my uncle always causes an argument, so I don t do that any more! Operant conditioning (consequences) Consequences can be favorable or unfavorable: Favorable consequences reinforce or promote the behavior Example: If you learn that studying hard will help you get good grades, you will study more often Example: A waiter learns to be polite to customers in order to get higher tips Unfavorable consequences tend to reduce the behavior frequency Example: If you get a ticket for driving without a seatbelt, you don t do that any more! Example: talking about politics with my step father, who is a military history buff, always causes an argument, so I avoid doing that! Types of Consequences: Effects Types of Consequences 1. Change in response rate Reinforcement: increase response Punishment: decrease response 3. Change in stimulus presence Positive: add stimulus Negative: subtract stimulus (+rein.) Study Hard Get an A (+ pun.) Brush cat Get bitten Break curfew Grounded (loss of privileges) Take Aspirin Remove headache ( rein.) ( pun.) 5

6 Classes of Reinforcers Primary reinforcers Innately rewarding Secondary reinforcers Through classical conditioning Schedules of Reinforcement Continuous reinforcement Reinforcement occurs after every response Partial reinforcement Intermittent Example: Only bring candy sometimes Operant conditioning Classical conditioning Operant conditioning requires effort Classical conditioning is automatic Example 1: You must decide to study to get good grades Example 1: salivating to a bell associated with food Example 2: you must choose to fasten your seatbelt Example 2: flinching to the sound of a dentist s drill 6

7 Observational Learning Observational Learning Modeling = Imitation Humans Chimps Rhesus monkeys Learning by watching the actions of others Modeling other s behavior Social settings Kids are especially influenced Albert Bandura (1965) Bobo Doll study Video Bobo Doll Study Direct reinforcement not required Aggression and violence can be learned by watching others Imitation of specific acts Does watching violence on TV promote aggressive behavior? Possibly Study limitations: Correlation Causation Imitation of general intent but with novel acts Example: gun 7