3. Behavioral Perspective of Learning

Behavior: Big Questions • Is learning just a change

of behavior?•Can learning happen

without intent? •Can new behavior be

shaped by manipulating the environment?

3.1 Classical Conditioning

3.2 Operant Conditioning

3.3 Practical Applications of Behavioral Psychology

3.4 Cognitive Learning Theory

3.5 Summary

3.1 Classical Conditioning

Pavlov: Stimulus and Response 1• Seeing food, dog salivates

[Unconditioned Stimulus ➔ Unconditioned Response] •Ring a bell when food comes •Now bell causes salivation!

[Conditioned Stimulus ➔ Conditioned Response] • Similar bell ➔ salivation due

to stimulus generalization

Pavlov: Stimulus and Response 2Limited practical application of Pavlov’s findings • For overcoming phobias •Associate stimulus with

pleasant response • For overcoming obsession •Associate stimulus with

unpleasant response

3.2 Operant Conditioning

Thorndike: Trial and error and its effects

•Organisms use trial and error to solve problem • If effect of behavior is

pleasant, organism will repeat behavior •Might repeat even when

behavior no longer works!

Watson: Shaping new feelings •Albert neutral about rat •Unpleasant sound when rat

is near •Now Albert is afraid of rat

(emotional conditioning) •Now Albert is afraid of

anything white and furry! (overgeneralized response)

Skinner: Reinforcing by increments •Want dog to dance •Reward dog (food) for

every approximation of desired behavior • Later reward only for

closer approximations •Now dog “dances” on cue

Types of reinforcers • Positive = something desired•Negative = remove

undesired thing• Punishment = something

undesired • Primary = essential to life • Secondary = symbol or

currency for reward

Types of reinforcement•Continuous reinforcement ➔ subject expects reward for every performance•Until behavior is automatic

• Intermittent reinforcement ➔ random and decreasing rewards•Usually gets better/faster

results than continuous

When to reinforce • Fixed ratio = reinforce

every nth time • Variable ratio = reinforce at

no set number of times • Fixed interval = reinforce

after a set amount of time • Variable interval = reinforce

at no set amount of time

Punishment categories • Positive = adding or

issuing something unpleasant •Negative = removing

something pleasant •Meant to be a scientific

procedure, without emotion!

3.3 Practical Applications of Behavioral Psychology

For extinguishing undesired behavior • Ignoring = not reacting to

incorrect behavior • Time out (and other removal

punishments) = taking away social contact, privileges •Corporal punishment =

physical pain ➔ Meant to be a scientific procedure, without emotion!

For promoting desired behavior • Premack principle = get

thing you want by doing thing you don’t like • Shaping = reinforcing

partial or approximate correct behavior •Meant to be a scientific

procedure, without emotion!

Other behavior modification strategies •Contingency contract with

reward incentives • Token economy with reward

objects to be redeemed•With or without potential

for reward removal• Individual or group

incentives and rewards

What about praising? “I like the way Jack is sitting quietly.” “I like the way Jill did her project neatly and correctly.”•Ripple Effect can get

students to work/behave better to earn same reward•Can backfire if students feel

they can’t meet expectations ➔ give up trying

3.4 Cognitive Learning Theory

Cognitive learning theory •Hybrid of behaviorism and

cognitive theory • Learner observant of

others, not acted upon • Learning by observing

behavior and consequences (peers, adults, etc.)

Bandura: Vicarious learning •Combination of behavior,

environment, and attitude •Direct modeling: adults

and peers in environment• Symbolic modeling:

movies, celebrities, TV, ads, etc.

Vicarious learning effects • Self-regulation by learning

from observation• Self-motivation and self-

reinforcement to study and emulate model•Mastery of emulation ➔

self-efficacy about abilities •Helps future performance

goals for self

Vicarious learning errors •Misperception of model or

environment•Acting on incomplete

information• Faulty information

processing (physiological or learned)

➔ Inaccurate expectations and self-assessment

3.5 Summary

Learning through direct or indirect shaping•Behaviorism: shaping

behavior by association or by consequences •Cognitive learning:

shaping behavior by observation of models

➔ Emphasis on learning by shaping behavior vs. conscious processing