Lecture 8 Chapter 6 - Classical conditioning - Learning Feb. 4th When we talk about learning, were talking about 3 ways that researchers have concluded we can group learning. Three areas of how we learn, or different types of learning. * Learning and memory are lumped together because you need to remember things in order to learn. · Research about learning is often about conditioning. o Example of conditioning - baby albert The three types are: 1. Classical conditioning 2. Operant conditioning 3. Observational learning Learning - any relatively durable change in behavior or knowledge due to experience · Learning is not unique to humans. · The same processes that occur when we learn occur in other species too. Conditioning - learning connections between events that occur in an organism's environment. · Classical o The first area of learning that was discovered, but Ivan and his dogs. o More of an involuntarily reflexive kind of behavior, ex: baby albert, salivating • Operant o More of a voluntary behavior, ex: studying to get a good grade. o Behaviors we engage in with long term outcomes - not directed to survival like classical conditioning. · Observational o Imitate and watch others.
Classical Conditioning A neutral stimulus is associated with a natural response Classical Conditioning Operant Conditioning A response is increased or decreased due to reinforcement or punishment Observational Learning Learning occurs through observation and imitation of others · Ivan studied saliva and how dogs salivate when they see food. . He conditioned them to salivate to all other things, such as a bell ringing. Ivan Pavlov - physiologist studying digestion; worked with dogs. · Meat powder - salivation · Salivating - before meat powder (anticipation) · Bell + meat powder - salivation · Bell - salivation
Made a conditioned response with a neutral thing that had no meaning to the dog before it was paired with the food, then associated with food, and then drooled by the site of just the bell. Classical conditioning: · Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) - stimuli that evokes a natural response without learned conditioning. · Unconditioned response (UCR) - unlearned reaction to the unconditioned stimulus that occurred without previous conditioning. · Conditioned stimulus (CS) - previously neutral stimulus that, through conditioning, acquired the ability the evoke a conditioned response. . Conditioned response (CR) - learned reaction to a conditioned stimuli that occurs because of a previous conditioning. Baby and food example: · The plate: neutral unconditioned stimulus, becomes a conditioned stimulus. I'm happy. Unconditioned Stimulus Unconditioned Response I'm happy. Neutral Stimulus Unconditioned Stimulus Unconditioned Response I'm happy. Conditioned Stimulus Conditioned Response This is how Behaviourists viewed attachment development - we will come back to this in our development lectures!