Chapter 5 - PSY 0010

• classical conditioning: basic terms

  learning

  -habituation

  
  

  classical conditioning

  
  

  neutral stimulus

  
  

  unconditioned stimulus (UCS)

  
  

  unconditioned response (UCR)

  
  

  conditioned stimulus (CS)

  
  

  conditioned response (CR)
• learning


  a relatively permanent change in behavior brought about by experience
• habituation


  decrease in response to a stimulus

  
  

  -occurs after repeated presentations of the same stimulus
• classical conditioning


  neutral stimulus comes to elicit a response by pairing with a stimulus that naturally brings about that response

  
  

  -studied by Ivan Pavlov
• neutral stimulus


  before conditioning, does not naturally bring about a response
• unconditioned stimulus (UCS)


  naturally brings about a particular response without having been learned

  
  

  -ex: food
• unconditioned response


  natural and requires no learning

  
  

  -usually a reflex or emotion

  -ex: salivation
• conditioned stimulus (CS)


  previously neutral stimulus that has been paired with a UCS

  
  

  -ex: sound of a bell

  -causes a response formerly caused only by the UCS
• conditioned response (CR)


  after conditioning, the response caused by the CS
• how conditioning works

  conditioning occurs if the neutral stimulus and UCS are repeatedly paired

  
  

  -neutral stimulus is presented just before the UCS

  --the neutral stimulus "predicts" the UCS

  --the neutral stimulus then becomes the CS
• classical conditioning: extinction

  extinction

  
  

  spontaneous recovery
• extinction


  occurs when CS is repeatedly presented without the UCS

  
  

  -CR decreases in frequency and disappears

  -the CS no longer predicts the UCS

  
  

  spontaneous recovery
• spontaneous recovery


  temporary reemergence of an extinguished CR

  
  

  -occurs some time after extinction

  -goes away if there is no additional conditioning
• classical conditioning: generalization and discrimination


  stimulus generalization

  
  

  stimulus discrimination
• stimulus discriminaiton


  one stimulus produces the CR, but others do not

  
  

  -the ability to distinguish different stimuli

  -ex: bell produces salivation, but not ringing telephone
• stimulus generalization


  occurs when stimuli that are similar to the CS produce the same response

  
  

  -ex: bell sounds of similar tones can produce salivation
• Thorndike's law of effect (operant conditioning)


  responses that lead to satisfying consequences are likely to be repeated
• operant conditioning


  learning in which a voluntary response is strengthened or weakened

  
  

  -depends on its favorable or unfavorable consequences

  -rooted in the work of B.F. skinner
• operant conditioning: reinforcement

  reinforcement

  
  

  reinforcer

  -primary reinforcer

  -secondary reinforcer

  
  

  -positive reinforcer

  -negative reinforcer

  
  

  extinction
• reinforcement


  process where a stimulus increase the probability that a preceding behavior will be repeated
• reinforcer


  a stimulus that increase the probability that a preceding behavior will be repeated

  
  

  -reinforcers strengthen behaviors that produce them

  
  

  -primary reinforcer

  -secondary reinforcer

  
  

  -positive reinforcer

  -negative reinforcer
• primary reinforcer


  satisfy biological need and works naturally

  
  

  -ex: food, water, warmth
• secondary reinforcer


  stimulus that becomes reinforcing because of its association with a primary reinforcer

  
  

  -ex: money

  -ex: clickers (associated with food for dogs)
• positive reinforcer


  stimulus added that strengthens a response

  
  

  -ex: laughter reinforces telling jokes
• negative reinforcer


  stimulus removed that strengthens a response

  
  

  -the stimulus is usually unpleasant

  -ex: "removing" rain reinforces putting up an umbrella
• extinction


  discontinuing reinforcement to eliminate behavior
• operant conditioning: punishment

  punishment

  -positive punishment

  -negative punishment
• punishment


  process where a stimulus decreases the probability that a preceding behavior will be repeated

  
  

  -positive punishment

  -negative punishment
• positive punishment


  addition of a stimulus that weakens a response

  
  

  -the stimulus is usually unpleasant

  -ex: booing punishes telling a joke
• negative punishment


  removal of a stimulus that weakens a response

  
  

  -the stimulus is usually pleasant

  -ex: a fine (money taken away) punishes swearing
• pros of punishment


  appropriate for dangerous behaviors

  
  

  temporary suppression provides opportunity to reinforce more desirable behavior
• cons of punishment

  must be constantly administered for consisten suppression

  
  

  can have harmful side effects (ex: emotional behaviors)

  
  

  does not teach alternative, more desired behavior
• operant conditioning: schedules of reinforcement


  reinforcement schedules

  
  

  continuous reinforcement schedules

  
  

  intermittent reinforcement schedules

  -fixed ratio schedule

  -variable ratio schedule

  -fixed interval schedule

  -variable interval schedule
• reinforcement schedules

  rules about which instances of behavior are reinforced

  
  

  -continuous

  -intermittent
• continuous reinforcement schedule


  reinforcing of a behavior every time it occurs
• intermittent reinforcement schedule


  reinforcing a behavior some of the time

  
  

  -fixed ratio schedule

  -variable ratio schedule

  -fixed interval schedule

  -variable interval schedule
• fixed ratio schedule

  reinforcer is delivered after a specific number of responses

  
  

  -ex: salesperson receives a bonus every 5 units sold
• variable ratio schedule

  reinforcer is delivered after a varying number of responses

  
  

  -ex gambling (player occasionally wins)
• fixed interval schedule

  reinforcer is delivered for first response after a fixed time period has elapsed

  
  

  -ex: changing the channel to get the 6 PM news
• variable interval schedule


  time between reinforcers varies around some average interval

  
  

  -ex: taking vitamins to prevent a cold (consistent responding)