The Learning Theories I. Learning defined as a relatively permanent change in behavior due to experience. II.

Emphasis on observable behavior

II. Emphasis: A. Effects of environment on behavior, chiefly: 1. stimuli (cues) that trigger a response 2. consequences that make a behavior more or less likely in the future
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Three major schools of Learning Theory: Classical Operant Social Conditioning Conditioning Learning I I I S-R theory Behavior I Observational Modification Learning/ I I Modeling Pavlov Skinner I Watson Thorndike Bandura (Law of
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Classical Conditioning A. Terms: 1. Stimulus = anything in the environment that triggers a response 2. Response = any behavior that occurs in response to a stimulus (voluntary or not)
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3. Unconditioned stimulus= UCS

4. Unconditioned response=UCR 5. Conditioned stimulus= CS 6. Conditioned response=CR

B. Key characteristics of theory: 1. Describing the ways that behavior changes when CS and CS are paired to produce new CR 2. Describing the conditions under which responses are changed (acquired or lost). 3. No new behavior learned
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C. Pavlov and his dogs UCS (meat) I ------(bell) UCR (salivation) CR (salivation)

CS

Higher order conditioning: pairing two CSs to produce response

CS1 CR (salivation) CR (salivation)
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(bell) I CS2 --------(light)

What did Pavlovs work show? 1. Best conditions for creating a new association between environmental cues and a response 2. Ways to build on that learning to create new S-R connections 3. How to break the connection between a stimulus and response
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4. Unlearning the connection between a stimulus and response

a. extinction=fading of S-R connection over time if UCS and CS do not occur together at least occasionally
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The next phase: Watson

A. U.S. Behaviorist B. First formal effort to apply Pavlovian learning theory to humans. C. Key experiments: Little Albertlearning of a fear response Little Peter unlearning a fear response
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The case of Little Albert 1. What behavior did Watson want to show that the child could learn? 2. According to classical conditioning, what CR was he seeking? 3. How did he find it? UCS UCR CS CR

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Little Peter and the follow-up 1. What did Watson want this child to learn? (e.g. what was the desired CR?)

2. How did he use classical conditioning to make this learning happen?

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