Conditioning and Learning Study Guide Exam 3 I Comparative Cognition 1 Memory Mechanisms Cognition Thinking involves language Cognitive Ethology comparative psych Animals show conscious intent Comparative Cognition compare across species Cognition may or may not exist because consciousness cannot be perceived Cognitive Interferences inferences about cognition can lead to behavioral predictions But projection must avoid talking about feelings Learning Vs Memory Learning deals with acquisition Memory focuses on retention and retrieval Classical and Instrumental Conditioning Procedural memory vs episodic memory Categorizing Memory Long Term Short Term Working Procedural Semantic Episodic Explicit Implicit Explicit being things we specifically remember learning Implicit being things we know but don t really know how we know them Working Memory relevant to current trial Hunter wait to be able to respond to food Rats Raccoons Dogs different waiting times Rats and dogs orient raccoons don t Reference Memory LTM across trials Delayed Matching to Sample can measure latency wouldn t expect to show pattern today and determine which one you showed the first time In schizophrenics show delay therefore it shows that there is a deficit in working memory However there may be ANOTHER explanation tests done in class Matching in Other Species Chimpanzees and lip reading Present vocalization present 2 videos Chimps reliably choose Procedural Determinants Since lines are parallel they are two independent functions No relationship in between how long you look at it and how long you are delayed Trade Decay Hypothesis Initial trace strength is a function of stimulus intensity and duration Decay rate is equal independent of these factors Domjan tested trials till reached performance of 80 percent however Significant effect of training delay on number of trials to reach stability p 0 05 More training sessions required with longer delays p 0 05 Accuracy for 4 and 6 second groups better than that 0 and 2 second groups but 4 not different from 6 and 0 not different from 2 Spatial Memory Mazes rats don t like to be in the water so they quickly learn how to find the platform Morris Radial Arm Maze Rats remember where they have been by using distal room cues rather then proximal stimulus cues environmental cues Can be out of the cage for 4 hrs and still perform wells remember what arms he has or has not visited After 4 hours decline in memory What is learned General Same As Rule and Specific Rules Example Train on one set of stimuli red and blue Test on another green and yellow Transfer correct matching supports Trials unique procedure results support same as rules Acquisition and Encoding Role of Cognitive Maps Beacon following sign tracking Landmarks Distance cues relative size relative brightness Retrospective and Prospective Coding Retrospective keeping track of what s happened past Prospective keeping track what s yet to come future avoidance learning With prospective coding as I visit different places the burden on my memory becomes less Knows they don t have to remember anymore each time they go to one Retrospective coding know each time they been to one arm of the maze memory load becomes more Start by doing retrospective coding and flip and do prospective coding memory load The Shopping Mall Example Not allowed to look in bag and see what already bought Most efficient thing is to figure out which stores you have been to retrospective flip do prospective see which 3 you have to still go to Retention and Rehearsal Dr Butters and Mr Hackett Direct Forgetting Directed Forgetting procedure remember trial forget trial free reward trial forget probe trial free reward trial Retrieval role of context Forgetting Proactive and Retroactive Interference Proactive interference refers to things in your memory interfering with what you re trying to remember Retroactive interference refers to current items interfering with past memories Retroactive Amnesia for Extinction Given trial in an avoidance situation Some get extinction trials other do not If you move from one side of the box to the other get shocked Animals who are not extinguished wait a long time Those extinguished take much less time to go to the other side of the box Extinguished fear of being shocked Induce hypothermia hypothermia interferes with learning See if hypothermia can interfere with extinction Performance that looks like the animals were not extinguished Water temperatures effect the extinguishing Associating cold with extinction trials cold context in which you learn extinction II Infant Learning Without operant contingency there is no learning Long Term retention test baseline baseline ratio Long Term Retention Test Immediate Retention Test Retention Ratio Infant only kicks to exactly the same mobile The effect of changing the size of the training character by 33 on the magnitude of delayed recognition 24 hours after training for 3 month olds Retention interval is a function of age For children 6 months and up pressing a button makes a train move Retention interval is a function of length of training session 3 months old Retention interval is a function of the number of sessions 3 months old Distributed learning is superior to massed learning 3 months old recognition test 8 days after day 0 Much better when you put a rest day in between Too much rest period losing benefit picked up Retention Interval retention interval is a function of training session duration number of training sessions and interval lengths in between session Hence retention interval is a function of the number of repetitions and the intervals between repetitions Forgetting initial infant kicks only to training mobile At the end of the retention interval the infant also kicks to novel mobile Changing either the mobile cue or liner context eliminates recognition Observation After 6 months an infant can learn through observation that a glove on a puppet may contain a hidden bell Operant learning is the result of feedback from a voluntary action intentional loop Distributed repetition is superior to mass repetition for learning Visual memory is detailed and specific effect of context The Time Course of Retrieval In 3 Month Old Infants Train 3 month old infant to kick at a mobile Remind infant of mobile 13 days later Wait then bring back mobile 15 minutes Nothing 1 hour Again nothing 8 hours Still nothing 24 hours A little kicking 72 hours Same amount of kicking as in training