1 1 Learning: Classical Conditioning Chapter 7 Psy 12000.003 2 Learning How Do We Learn? One way is through Classical Conditioning Pavlov’s Experiments Extending Pavlov’s Understanding Pavlov’s Legacy 3 Definition of Learning Learning is a relatively permanent change in an organism’s behavior as the result of experience. Learning is more flexible in comparison to the genetically-programmed behaviors of Chinooks, for example. 4 To What Does Learning Apply? • New information (for exams) • New skills – Sports – Vocational • Hobbies and Interests – Gambling • Fears • Rituals, behavioral predispositions (personality?) • Beliefs • Values • Social behavior (how to behave among others) • Attitudes, stereotypes, prejudices 5 How Do We Learn? We learn by association. Our minds naturally connect events that occur in sequence. 2000 years ago, Aristotle suggested this law of association. Then 200 years ago Locke and Hume reiterated this law. 6 Stimulus-Stimulus Learning Learning to associate one stimulus with another.2 7 Stimulus-Stimulus Learning Learning to associate one stimulus with another. 8 Response-Consequence Learning Learning to associate a response with a consequence. 9 Response-Consequence Learning Learning to associate a response with a consequence. Ideas of classical conditioning originate from old philosophical theories. However, it was the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov who elucidated classical conditioning. His work provided a basis for later behaviorists like John Watson and B. F. Skinner. Classical Conditioning Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) Sovfoto http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhqumfpxuzI Classical Conditioning: Unconditioned Stimuli and Responses Unconditioned Stimulus (US) – a stimulus that unconditionally (naturally and automatically) triggers a response - Example: smell, taste, sight of food Unconditioned Response (UR) – unlearned, natural response to the unconditioned stimulus - Example: salivation 11 Classical Conditioning: Conditioned Stimuli and Responses Conditioned Stimulus (CS) – an originally neutral stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus (US), comes to trigger a conditioned response. - Example: tone, bell ringing Conditioned Response (CR) – learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus 123 13 Pavlov’s Experiments Before conditioning, food (Unconditioned Stimulus, US) produces salivation (Unconditioned Response, UR). However, the tone (neutral stimulus) does not. 14 Pavlov’s Experiments During conditioning, the neutral stimulus (tone) and the US (food) are paired, resulting in salivation (UR). After conditioning, the neutral stimulus (now Conditioned Stimulus, CS) elicits salivation (now Conditioned Response, CR) 15 Acquisition Acquisition is the initial stage in classical conditioning in which an association between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus takes place. In most cases, for conditioning to occur best, the neutral stimulus needs to come before the unconditioned stimulus. The time in between the two stimuli should be about half a second. 16 Extinction When the US (unconditioned stimulus: food) does not follow the CS (conditioned stimulus: tone), the CR (conditioned response: salivation) begins to decrease and eventually causes extinction. 17 Spontaneous Recovery After a rest period, an extinguished CR (salivation) spontaneously recovers if you pair CS and US again. But if the CS (tone) persists alone, the CR becomes extinct again. 18 Stimulus Generalization Tendency to respond to stimuli similar to the CS is called generalization. Pavlov conditioned the dog’s salivation (CR) by using miniature vibrators (CS) on the thigh. When he subsequently stimulated other parts of the dog’s body, salivation dropped.4 19 Stimulus Discrimination Discrimination is the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and other stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus. 20 Extending Pavlov’s Understanding Pavlov and Watson considered consciousness, or mind, unfit for the scientific study of psychology. However, they underestimated the importance of cognitive processes and biological constraints. 21 Cognitive Processes Early behaviorists believed that learned behaviors of various animals could be reduced to mindless mechanisms. However, later behaviorists suggested that animals learn the predictability of a stimulus, meaning they learn expectancy or awareness of a stimulus (Rescorla, 1988). “Black Box” Stimulus Response 22 Biological Predispositions Pavlov and Watson believed that laws of learning were similar for all animals. Therefore, a pigeon and a person do not differ in their learning. However, behaviorists later suggested that learning is constrained by an animal’s biology (i.e., Robert Bolles and “species-specific defense reactions”). 23 Biological Predispositions John Garcia The bright and noisy water studies. Garcia showed that the duration between the CS and the US may be long (hours), but yet result in conditioning. A biologically adaptive CS (taste) led to conditioning and not to others (light or sound). Courtesy of John Garcia 24 Biological Predispositions Even humans can develop classically to conditioned nausea.5 25 Pavlov’s greatest contribution to psychology is isolating elementary behaviors from more complex ones through objective scientific procedures. Pavlov’s Legacy Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) 26 Alcoholics may be conditioned (aversively) by reversing their positive-associations with alcohol. Through classical conditioning, a drug (plus its taste) that affects the immune response may cause the taste of the drug to invoke the immune response. Applications of Classical Conditioning A Clockwork Orange 27 Watson used classical conditioning procedures to develop advertising campaigns for a number of organizations, including Maxwell House, making the “coffee break” an American custom. Applications of Classical Conditioning John Broadus Watson Brown Brothers See also, “Little Albert” experiment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt0ucxOrPQE And Clockwork Orange: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv1Bmne20l4 An example of Classical Conditioning Every time you take a shower, someone in your apartment flushes the toilet. As a result, you are sprayed with very hot water and you jump back to get away from the water. Now,
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