Brain and Behavior
Conditioning
Learning:
Relatively permanent
Change in behaviour
As a consequence of experience
Classical conditioning (Pavlov)(law of our emotional life)
Making new associations to existing behaviour. Creating connections through association arisen
through repetition.
Classical conditioning: learning through association, where two stimuli are linked together to
produce a new learned response in the organism (with repetition).
Before conditioning:
Unconditioned: natural behaviour/connection dog drools if he sees food.
After conditioning:
Conditioned: we try to connect something new to the old connection ring bell, dog drools.
To condition you always pair the unconditioned stimulus (US) and the conditioned stimulus (CS) to
evoke a conditioned response (CR), which will be the same as the unconditioned response (UCR).
Classical conditioning doesn’t work with taste aversion. This arises after one bad experience. It’s
genetically determined.
Acquisition – Extinction – Recovery
Acquisition CS+US
You add a conditioned stimulus (bell) to acquire the conditioned response, same as the
unconditioned response (salivating when seeing food, unconditioned stimulus). When linking the
UCS and CS together, the CR is produced.
Extinction
When a conditioned stimulus is no longer paired with an unconditioned stimulus. So the bell is no
longer paired with the food. Eventually the conditioned response, so the salivating, will
decrease/disappear. When the UCS and the CS are no longer linked together, the CR will
decrease/disappear.
Spontaneous recovery
Reappearance of the CR after a rest period.
However, if the conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus are no longer associated, extinctin
will occur very rapidly after a spontaneous recovery.
Generalization – discrimination
Generalization (expanding of specific stimulus)
After the conditioned response has been acquired, the conditioned stimulus is more likely to evoke
similar responses. So fear of a white stuffed rabbit will extend to fear of all looking alike stuffed
animals. When there is a CR, the CS will evoke similar responses in other, likewise situations.
Aangeleerd gedrag zal in vergelijkbare situaties ook optreden.
Overgeneralization: neurosis
,Discrimination (limit to specific stimulus)
The ability to differentiate between a conditioned stimulus and other stimuli (that have not been
paired with an unconditioned stimulus). You can distinguish a bell tone from other similar sounds.
Je kunt onderscheiden in welke situaties het aangeleerde gedrag nuttig is. Distinguish CS from
other stimuli.
Operant conditioning (Skinner)
Operant conditioning: method of learning through reinforcement or punishment.
3 things can happen:
1. If the behaviour has no consequences, the behaviour will not change in the future. The
repetition of behaviour is likely not to change in the future.
2. If the behaviour leads to consequences the organism finds pleasant, the behaviour is likely to
be repeated in the future. (law of effect, Thorndike)
3. If the behaviour leads to consequences the organism finds unpleasant, the behaviour is less
likely to be repeated in the future. (law of effect, Thorndike)
Features
- Learning by trial and error: learning through missing and guessing
- Organism shows observable, voluntary behaviour (operates)
- It’s about the effects of a certain behaviour: positive/negative reinforcement/punishment
Stimulus control
Behaviour is under stimulus control when the organism knows that behaviour only brings
reinforcement or punishment under certain circumstances. E.g. the cat only meows for food when
the person is in the kitchen.
Reinforcement To strengthen a behaviour in the future
Punishment To weaken a behaviour in the future
Positive Influencing behaviour by giving a stimulus
Negative Influencing behaviour by taking away a stimulus
Reinforcement
- Frequency: time period between rewards
- Timing: how quick after behaviour
- Number
Continuous: to learn fast
Intermittent: to maintain behaviour
Bursting or dripping campaigns.
Primary: immediate satisfaction of a need (food, drink, sex, love)
Secondary: postponed satisfaction of a need (money, status)
Extinction (both classical and operant learning)
When connection between behaviour-returns is broken. This happens less with intermitting
reinforcement.
Avoidance learning: If you fear wasps, you avoid contact (behaviour). Getting stung (aversive
stimulus) by a wasp is prevented. You behaviour to avoid wasps will increase because an unpleasant
stimulus kept being away (negative reinforcement with avoidance situations).
Behaviour is reinforced by the prevention of an aversive stimulus.
Behaviour is not likely to go extinct.
, Continuous intermittent extinction.
Stimulus generalization
Applying behaviour in likewise situations.
Overgeneralization: maladaptive behaviour
Stimulus discrimination
Making distinction between when behaviour is/is not suitable.
Other ways of learning
Mere exposure
- The more we are exposed to a stimulus, the more we tend to like it
- We choose the familiar above the unfamiliar
Wear-in & wear-out
Advertisements only have an effect after a certain minimum of exposure. And after a certain number
of exposures the effect will wear-out.
Observing / social learning
Learning through observing and imitating. From this you are able to develop new behaviour that fits
the copied behaviour.
Somebody observes the actions and behaviour of another person and the consequences and effects it
has to guide his own future actions and behaviour.
Conditions to copy behaviour of others:
- Effect of behaviour is clear
- Status of the role model
- Awareness: only what you see you can copy
- Retention: behaviour must be memorized
- Motoric reproduction: able to conduct the behaviour
Mirror-neurons
Mirror-neurons are adopting the other persons’ point of view and behaviour.
Psychomotoric learning
Learning through observing/instruction and practicing. First instruction, then you watch, then you try
yourself. Aimed at controlling motoric.
Cognitive learning
Learning aimed at obtaining knowledge and insight studying, repetition.
You need 1. Attention/observation, 2. Remembering, 3. Skills, 4. Motivation.
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