LEARNING

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 Agenda:
The Basics

Traditional conditioning

Operant conditioning

Cognitive Learning Theories

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 Learning
= Change of behavior or attitudes due to experience

Examples:
• Preferences
• Consumption

Examples:
• Watching advertisement
• Consuming a product

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 Learning Theories

Behavioral Learning Cognitive Learning

• Observable • Mental information
responses to external processing (Thinking)
stimuli
• Basic form of learning • Conscious process
• Low mental effort

• Classical Conditioning • Observational

• Operant Conditioning Learning

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 Learning

CLASSICAL (EVALUATIVE)
CONDITIONING

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 Learning via association
Pavlov’s main insight:
Dogs start salivating (=reflex) before the food hit their tongue

Photo

6 Ivan Pawlov 1849 - 1936

 Learning via association
Stimulus Response

Food Salivation
(US) (UR)
Before
Bell no response

During Bell & Salivation

Conditioning Food

After Bell Salivation

Conditioning (CS) (CR)

US, UR: unconditioned stimulus/response

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 Learning via association
Stimulus Response

Food Salivation
(US) (UR)
Before
Bell no response

During Bell & Salivation

Conditioning Food

After Bell Salivation

Conditioning (CS) (CR)

US, UR: unconditioned stimulus/response

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 Learning via association
Stimulus Response

Food Salivation
(US) (UR)
Before
Bell no response

During Bell & Salivation

Conditioning Food

After Bell Salivation

Conditioning (CS) (CR)

US, UR: unconditioned stimulus/response

CS, CR: conditioned stimulus/response

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 Classical Conditioning in a Consumer Context
Learning of emotional reactions

Acquiring likes and dislikes

Photo

10 John B. Watson (1878-1958)

 Classical Conditioning in a Consumer Context
Goal: Change the valence of the product

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 Classical Conditioning in a Consumer Context
US can be anything that is attractive

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 Classical Conditioning in a Consumer Context
… or unattractive

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 Your turn
What is the unconditioned
response (UR) here?

Positive Affect

Marlboro brand

Disgust

Purchase intention

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 Pavlok Wristband: “Aversion Therapy”
“wearer will be shocked so many times for indulging a bad habit that he, or she,
will come to associate that indulgence with pain — and so avoid it.”

https://pavlok.com/

15 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2896629/The-craziest-way-New-Year-resolutions-electric-shocks.html#ixzz4ZsVqOXWi
 Conditioning ≠ Mere Exposure Effect

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 Factors that influence successful learning
Repeated presentation of US-CS pairs

 US must be a reliable signal

Forward conditioning

 Neutral stimulus presented before and during the US

Example of Backward
 better than backward conditioning conditioning: Bell sound after the
(neutral stimulus presented after US) food arrives. This is not effective.

Biological preparedness

 difficult to learn to like a spider or not to like ice cream

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 Generalization
Pavlov’s dogs also respond to tones with slightly higher pitch

 Line and Brand extensions

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 Extinction
If the bell doesn’t predict food, the conditioned response gradually disappears

 Example: Change in brand perceptions over time

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 Strong Pairing of US and CS can Backfire

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 Learning

OPERANT (INSTRUMENTAL)
CONDITIONING

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 Basic Idea: Reinforcement Learning

Behaviorism:
Assumption that only observable behavior matters.

Internal states (memory, cognition, etc.) are irrelevant.

Photo

22 Burrhus F. Skinner 1904 - 1990

 Two Types of Reinforcement

Positive Reinforcement
→ Behavior aims to get more of the stimuli and its consequences

Behavior: you eat a candy bar

Consequences: it tastes good

Behavioral change: you are more likely to eat a similar candy bar in the future.

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 Two Types of Reinforcement

Negative Reinforcement
→ Behavior aims to remove/end the stimuli

Aversive Stimulus: an obnoxious sales person calls you up on the phone,

pressuring you into buying something you don’t want to do

Changed Behavior: You eventually agree to buy it

Consequences: the sales person leaves you alone

= termination of aversive stimulus

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 Punishment ≠ Negative Reinforcement

Behavior: You eat what looks like a piece of candy

Consequences: it is actually a piece of soap (=bad taste)

Changed Behavior: you are less likely to eat anything

that looks remotely like that thing ever again.

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 Your turn
1. You purchase a Spotify subscription to avoid the annoying interruptions that are
part of the their free service.

2. You buy stocks of a startup and it fails. From then on, you avoid the stock market.

A. Both cases are examples of positive reinforcement

B. Both cases are examples of negative reinforcement

C. Both cases are examples of punishment

D. Only (1) is an example of punishment

E. None of the answers above are correct

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 Primary and Secondary Reinforcers
Primary = Natural (intrinsically rewarding)
 Food, water, shelter, sexual contact, etc.

Secondary = acquired (abstract)

 Money, Frequent flyer points, ETCS

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 What influences the effectiveness of operant
conditioning?

Temporal proximity
 Immediate feedback

Transparency
 Clear relationship between behavior and response

Extinction
 If a behavior is not reinforced anymore
people show it less

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 Reinforcement Schedules
Fixed interval

Fixed ratio (every nth trial)

Variable ratio (probabilistic)

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 Learning the wrong Things: Superstition
Accidental reinforcement

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 Learning the wrong Things: Superstition

31 Pigeon Superstition: https://youtu.be/oOhi1tGvo3o

 Learned Helplessness
Exposure to aversive stimuli that
Passive
are perceived to be inescapable
behavior
and uncontrollable

Examples:

Not trying to ask for compensation if your plane is late

Not filing a complaint

Not asking for warranty

Photo

32 Martin E. P. Seligman 1942 -

 Operant vs. Classical Conditioning

Classical Operant
Conditioning Conditioning

Occurs when Two Stimuli (US and A response is

CS) are paired followed by a
reinforcing stimulus

Nature of Involuntary, elicited Voluntary, emitted by

response by a stimulus the organism

Role of the Passive Active

learner

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 Learning

COGNITIVE (OBSERVATIONAL)
LEARNING

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 Take Cognitive Processes Into Account
Operant conditioning:

Cognitive Learning:

“Internal” processes
• Not directly observable
• Examples: Attention, Memory, “Thinking”, etc.

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 Observation & Imitating
Making a big deal out of prosecuting shoplifters

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