Chapter 5 LEARNING * BEHAVIOR CHANGES THAT ARE DUE TO OUR EXPERIENCES OR THE ENVIRONENT * Simplest form of learning involves our senses * Simplest form learning = Habituation: Adjusting to stimuli that do not change. Example: You go into a guy’s room and smell something terrible, after a while you get used to the environment/smell and don’t even notice it. * Humans learn similarly to animals. Patterns of responding are similar to animals.
* Types of Conditioning: 1. Classical conditioning: (Association) Type of leaning in which an association is made between events.
-Unconditioned or unlearned response: Dog begins salivating at the sight of food.
-Learned: Paired the sound of a bell with food, so once bell rings, dog begins to salivate. * Unconditioned Stimulus (US): triggers a natural response. Example: The food is an unconditioned stimulus. * Unconditioned Response (UR): unlearned, natural response. Example: The salivating. * Conditioned Stimulus (CS): After association with an unconditioned stimulus, triggers a conditioned response. Neutral stimulus before learning. Example: Bell. * Conditioned Response (CR): Learned response to previously neutral conditioned stimulus. Example: Scooping up food gets a dog running toward you for food. * Rules for acquiring UCS-CS connection: * CS must be present before the UCS. Example: you have to ring the bell before you show the food. * UCS must follow CS closely in time. Example: Ring the bell and then immediately right after show the food. * CS must uniquely predict the UCS * CS must provide new information about the UCS * Extinction and Spontaneous Recovery * Acquisition: CS + US * Extinction: CS alone. A decrease in responding when a CS is alone. Only the bell is presented, therefore salivating decreases.