Chapter 2 The Study of Learning and Behavior Scientific Analysis Natural science Explained by identifying the physical events that produce the phenomenon Learning Explained by identifying the physical events that reliably produce a behavior Measuring Learning If learning changes in behavior Then to measure learning to measure changes in behavior Operational Definition In order to study a behavior it must be defined so that it can be measured Sometimes referred to as operationally defining the target behavior Sometimes referred to as a behavioral definition Whatever you call it it specifies exactly what behavior is to be observed Defining the Operant Behavior 1 Describe what the person does and says AVOID LABELS Some behaviors are more simple to define crying Some are more complex and require more measureable observables defined as specifically as possible bad Crying Any high pitched vocal noise made by the child Must be accompanied by tears Bad Attitud e Child doesn t study Whispers to friends Rolls eyes when addressed 2 Use active verbs that are objective and unambiguous Defining the Operant Behavior Defining the Operant Behavior 3 Do not use inferences about internal states or motivation Teacher may define child as being rude How can you define rude more behaviorally Doesn t use please and thank you Rolls eyes Turns away when spoken to Defining the Operant Behavior 4 Defined so that two people agree When the behavior is defined behaviorally two people can observe the same behavior and agree the behavior occurred It is called interobserver reliability IOR or interobserver agreement How would you define Measuring Learning Change in Measuring Learning Changes in Number of Errors Rek Scirt Share Toun Kyt Wrek Skirt Share Toun Kite Wreck Skirt Share Town Kite Measuring Learning Changes in Number of Errors Number of Errors 5 4 3 2 1 0 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Measuring Learning Changes in topography Measuring Learning Changes in Intensity Measuring Learning Changes in Speed Measuring Learning Changes in Latency 5 x 7 35 6 x 7 42 7 x 8 56 9 x 6 54 3 x 4 12 Measuring Learning Changes in Rate or Frequency Cumulative Recorder Measuring Learning Fluency 1 A fruit picker selects fewer and fewer bruised or malformed fruit 2 A child ties her shoes for the first time 3 A second grader learns to write cursively 4 An American visiting France finds that he can reply more quickly to simple questions posed French than he could on his arrival 5 A child who always said I goed to the zoo now more often says I went to the zoo 6 A baby whimpered quietly and was ignored Then she cried loudly and was comforted 7 A rat received food each time it presses a lever At first the rat presses the lever easily with on foot but the experimenter modifies the lever so that the rat must pounce on the lever with both forefeet He soon does so 8 A baker trainee takes five minutes to get this first pretzel right but after a few hours of practice he turns out a pretzel in several seconds 9 A gambler makes larger bets following a big win 10 An artist goes commercial and decreases the time taken to complete a painting For online class see assignment Research Designs Click to go to site Research Designs http www thepsychologyfaculty org alevels item 97 case studies pt1 Research Designs The average college student studies 15 hours per week Research Designs Identify the IV and DV A behavioral neuroscientist examined the effects of a drug on maze running performance in ten female rats that came from a strain of DV bar pressing rate IV drug exposure Possible confounding variables animals bred for efficient DV spatial maze running learning and gender food deprivation time performance of day lighting etc memory Possible confounding variables A psychologist examine how different amounts of food reward affected the frequency of bar pressing byIV rats reward amounts An applied psychologist tested whether different computer screen displays influenced productivity in office workers gender food deprivation time of day lighting etc IV type of computer display DV amount of work completed Possible confounding variables skill level visual Research Designs Effect of beer consumption on test scores 85 83 91 70 zero beers 1 beer 3 beers 6 beers Research Designs A B Design A B A B Reversal Design Multiple baseline designs Demonstrates a functional relationship because treatment is replicated across two or more baselines Animal Research and Human Learning http www thepsychologyfaculty org a levels item 94 animal experimentation in psychology pt1