Psych 202 Lecture March 3, 2015- Phobias start with classical conditioning but maintained with operant conditioning- In Vivo Desensitization Video clip (virtual desensitization): fear of going into the glass elevator climbed 72 flights of stairs instead; face fears in a virtual world; exposure therapy- fear will decrease while you’re still around it; offers hope for many phobics who were originally unwilling to seek treatment; treatment worked- In Vivo I Desensitization: try to reduce fear of snakes by desensitizing him to “Fred” the snake; got closer and closer to it until he actually touched Fred- How is operant conditioning different from classical conditioning- Skinner’s word for behavior that operates on the environment, that have effects which are instrumental in producing a reaction- Skinner philosophy- the consequences of behavior determine the probability that the behavior will occur again- Skinner Video clip- investigates behavior in terms of environmental variables; reinforcement correlates with behavior occurring again; pigeon pecking a diskreinforce pigeon with food= Skinner box; pigeon learned to spin in a circle; any behavior changes based on consequences of that certain behavior- works for people- What are the basic concepts in operant conditioning?o Reinforcement and punishment (+ and -)o Shapingo Schedules of reinforcement and their effects on learning- Reinforcement: Increases frequency of behavior; Skinner used the Skinner box to illustrate “shaping”; reinforcers can be “primary” or “secondary”- Shaping- rewarding of gradual approximations to desired behavior (e.g. pigeon turning around)- Positive= applies stimulus and negative= removes stimulus (not good vs. bad)- Punishment: Decreases frequency of behavior- Positive punishment= add aversive stimulus (i.e. hitting child) ; negative punishment= remove positive stimulus (i.e. grounding someone)- Negative reinforcement increases behavior in the removal of aversive stimuli- Operant Conditioning is Influences by Schedules of Reinforcemento Ratio schedules are based on units of behavior and produce fast learning (i.e. paid for every tree you plant)o Interval schedules are based on units of time and produce slower learning (i.e. every two weeks, you get a paycheck)o Variable schedules result in strong learning because of intermittent reinforcement (i.e. winning at the casino)o Fixed schedules: when reinforcement stop, behavior stops- Fixed Schedules and Variable Schedules Exampleso Fixed Ratio: every 5th box filled; if you ask 3 times; for every 5 times you get reward…o Fixed Interval: scheduled exams; get a raise every yearo Variable ratio: slot machines; keep winning and every 3 or 8th time you will get candyo Variable interval: pop quiz; boss checks work periodically- Animal and Coaching teaching tip: Start with fixed ratio (1:1) and then “fade” to partial schedules with increasingly infrequent reinforcement- To identify contingent responses: What is the Behavior Doing?o Increasing? Give positive stimulus?= positive reinforcement Take away negative stimulus= negative reinforcemento Decreasing? Give negative stimulus= positive punishment Take away positive stimulus= negative punishment- Positive-Negative Reinforcero When would alcohol be positively reinforcing?  When it’s a rewardo When would it be negatively reinforcing? Removes anxiety- Punishment: The Fundamental Ideao Punishment refers to the process of weakening or reducing the probability of behavioro Is an aversive stimulus always a punisher? Ex: The case of the class clowno Residential treatment- Why is punishment often ineffective? Ex: The case of the speeding ticket- Examples of Reinforcement Events:o Anxiety is decreased by performing compulsive rituals; ritual is negatively reinforcedo Headaches stop when aspirin is ingestedo Staying at home reduces social anxietyo Ingesting drugs increases when it removes boredom, restlessness, anxiety, depressiono a parent gives in to a whining child, buys candy, child hugso what behavior is negatively reinforced for parent? Positively reinforced for parent? For child? How are parent and child both reinforced? Kid is more likely to whine Parent is more likely to give in in the future- When does play become work? The Over justification Effect- why use external reward? It can change likelihood of engaging in behavior by changing meaning; what if the behavior is already rewarding? Unneeded justification for a behavioro Ex: Give student money for getting good grades, even though it’s already a reward in itself to get those grades- How is operant conditioning different than classical conditioning?o Classical Conditioning: reinforcement is unrelated to learning the associationo Operant Conditioning: reinforcement is related to learning- Social Learning Theory: focuses on the importance of observing and modeling behaviors- Bandura and Bobo launch social learning theory: (Video clip) children observe adults being aggressive to Bobo doll and then repeat that behavior; children with no aggressive modeling didn’t play as aggressively with the doll; when aggressive adult is rewarded, behavior is extremely likely; when aggressive adult is punished, behavior is still very likely but not as likely aswhen adult was punished- Studies of modeling seemed to prove that direct reinforcement is unnecessary for learning- Research that a child afraid of a dog, but is able to observe child playing with dog (repeatedly) will significantly reduce fear of dogs; phobias respond to social learning process- Brain Functioning in Learning/ Reward: dopamine is involved in motivation/emotion; crucial for positive reinforcement; absence reduces drive/motor control; experience of pleasure results from activation of dopamine neurons in nucleus accumbens (limbic system); amphetamine,cocaine increase dopamine; self-stimulation is a method of reward; rat with electrode attached to head to release dopamine- Dopamine signals reward- inter-cranial self stimulation activates dopamine