Learning & Classical Conditioning

Learning 

• Relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs through experience

How do we learn? (Associative learning) 

• learning that certain events occur together

Main topics

• Classical conditioning 
• The type of learning in which a response is natural elicited by one stimulus becomes to be elicited by a dodgers formally natural stimulus 

1. Pavlov and Watson 
2. UCS,UCR,CS,CR

Operant conditioning 

• The type of learning in which behaviors are emitted to warm rewards or avoid punishment 
• B.F skinner 
• Reinforcement and Punishments 

Social Conflictive Learning Theory

• The type of learning in which behaviors are learned by observing a model 
• Albert Bandura 
• Modeling 

Classical Conditioning 

• Ivan Pavlov 

1. An involuntary behavior is determined by what proceeds it 

• Unconditional stimulus (US) 

1. Stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response 

• Unconditioned response (UR) 

1. Unlearned, naturally occurring response to the UCS  

• Neural stimulus (something that by itself elicits no response) 

Classical Conditioning 

Conditioned stimulus 

An originally neutral stimulus (NS) that, after association with the UCS, comes to trigger a response. 

Conditioned response (CR) 

The learned response to previously neutral stimulus 

Things to remember 

• The same response (UR) are always the same
• The NS and the CS are always the same. The NS becomes the CS through learning 

Pavlov had 5 critical principles 

• Acquisition 
• Extinction 
• Spontaneous recovery 
• Generalization 
• Discrimination 

Classical learning (acquisition) 

• We know learning exists because the CS is linked to the UCS 
• This is called acquisition 

1. contiguity 

• The CS should come before the UCS 
• They should be very close together in timing 

1. Contingency 

• Learning is better when the UCS and CS occur together frequently 

1. Novelty 

• Learning is better when the CS is new or unique 

Extinction 

• Acquisition does not last forever 
• The moment the CS is no longer associated with the UCS, we have Extinction 
• Reconditioning: the quick learning of a CR after extinction 

Spontaneous recovery 

• Sometimes, after extinction, the CR still randomly appears after the CS is presented 

Stimulus generalization and discrimination 

• Generalization: something is so similar to the CS that you get a CR 
• Discrimination: something is so different to the CS that you do not get a CR