1 Introduction Definition of Learning 1 24 Learning is a change in behavior as a function of experience o Does behavior change Or is behavior fixed and invariant More evidence that behavior can change o Are changes in behavior related to experience Is experience the driver of behavioral change Behavior of the Drug Addict Pre addiction drug na ve o Has no experience with drug taking o Initiation Occasional recreational or social drug use o Initial use o Do they find the drug pleasurable Yes more likely to self administer in the future Escalation of frequency of drug use o Interest in participating in other activities begins to decrease o Person decides to take drug to get high not just in specific social situations Chronic use of higher drug doses o Person complains that he can t get as high from the same dose o Takes bigger dose o Doesn t experience as good of a high Excessive and compulsive abuse of the drug o No longer under strict voluntary control o Moment of Truth when person becomes powerless to resist Types of Simple Learning Non associative learning o Habituation o Sensitization Associative learning o Pavlovian classical conditioning o Instrumental operant conditioning Habituation Habituation is a decrease in a response as a function of experience with a stimulus o The longer the duration of continuous exposure to a stimulus the less you respond to that stimulus Getting used to a stimulus Habituation within a trial or within trial habituation o The more times that you experience a stimulus the less you respond to that stimulus Habituation between trials or between trials habituation Examples of Habituation Acoustic startle reaction o Clenching of muscles upon hearing a loud noise defensive reaction o Increase in heart rate o Muscle tension and heart rate will decrease within trial or between trial Delicious sauce bernaise o Reaction to sauce decreases with subsequent bites Delicious chocolate ice cream Drug tolerance effect o First time very big rush o Show tolerance to euphoria inducing effect of drug Sensitization Sensitization is an increase in a response as a function of experience with a stimulus o The longer the duration of continuous exposure to a stimulus the more you respond to that stimulus Sensitization within a trial or within trial sensitization o The more times that you experience a stimulus the more you respond to that stimulus Sensitization between trials or between trials sensitization Opposite of habituation more reaction response over duration or number of trial Examples of Sensitization Annoyed by a dripping faucet o Will begin to sound louder and louder over time Buzzing of a mosquito o Noise will become so distracting focus on buzzing more than movie Asthmatic bronchial spasms o The more exposure you have to the irritant the stronger your reaction o Example perfume Dysphoric mood coming down from crack high o First time crack user comes down he gets irritated crash o 100th time coming down from crack high he is much more easily provoked over small things A model of addiction based on habituation and sensitization Solomon Corbit Opponent Process Theory of Addiction o The drug produces two stimulus effects Onset of Drug Action Euphoria sensitive to pleasure Offset of Drug Action Dysphoria sensitive to pain or irritation Solomon Corbit Model of Drug Addiction The drug addict experiences o Habituation of euphoria induced by drug onset o Sensitization of dysphoria induced by drug offset 2 Elicited Behavior Habituation Sensitization 1 29 Understanding Emotional Behavior Emotional behavior is not under strict voluntary control Emotional behavior is illogical unruly undisciplined mysterious intractable perplexing unreasonable irrational confusing disorderly unfathomable chaotic unpredictable cryptic maddening and basically makes no sense Changes in Emotional Behavior Emotional behaviors are chaotic but changes in emotional behaviors while complex are lawful and orderly and therefore predictable The Solomon Corbit Model provides a quasi quantitative model of changes in emotional behavior based on the algebraic summation of opposing underlying processes Solomon Corbit Model The two environmental events that determine emotional behavior are o The Onset of the US unconditioned stimulus or emotion provoking stimulus o The Offset of the US unconditioned stimulus or emotion provoking stimulus Solomon Corbit Model of Addiction Also called o Solomon Corbit Opponent Process Theory of Motivation o Solomon Corbit Model of Affective Dynamics o Solomon Corbit Model of Emotional Behavior Onset and Offset of Unconditioned Stimulus According to the Solomon Corbit Model The emotional response subjective emotional state that follows the Onset of the US The emotional response subjective emotional state that follows the Offset of the US is called A is called B 1st time drinking alcohol Feelings Trial 1 During US very uplifting feeling but it s not sustainable o From no alcohol to some alcohol very best high o Levels off and then decreases even though alcohol levels in the brain are the same o Levels off at lower level than before Stops drinking declining blood alcohol levels o Falls below baseline o Something is missing I wish I was high sense of dissatisfaction o Contrast after effect when drinking is done falls below baseline Returns to baseline after some time Within trials habituation decrease in the intensity of A as a function of time since Contrast after effect B the emotional response that follows the offset of the US is the onset of the US opposite in sign to A Feelings Trial 100 Addiction doing it more but enjoying it less Much more alcohol consumption but emotional elevation is much lower and briefer B is extremely severe much longer and much worse Between trials habituation decrease in the intensity of A as a function of repeated experiences with the onset of the US Sensitization of contrast after effect increase in the intensity of B as a function of repeated experiences with the offset of the US Feelings Trials 1 and 100 Rather than deal with the B people would rather drink more alcohol Alcohol becomes a way of managing their mood When Unconditioned Stimulus is Alcohol Onset of US is rising levels of alcohol in the brain Offset of US is declining levels of alcohol in the brain A 1 is A on Trial 1 intense euphoria A 100 is A on Trial 100 moderately pleasurable Between Trials 1 and 100 the subject experiences habituation to the euphoria inducing effects of alcohol