Learning And Conditioning

Front 1

What are the 3 models of conditioning?

Back 1

• ‘Classical’ conditioning
– ‘Respondent’ or ‘Pavlovian’ conditioning
• ‘Operant’ conditioning
– ‘Instrumental’ or ‘Skinnerian’ conditioning
• Observational learning
– Imitation learnin

Front 2

What is classical conditioning?

Back 2

Salivation reflex at sight of food.

Front 3

What is the change pre-conditioning to post-conditioning?

Back 3

• US: food -> UR: salivation
– Biological, innate, reflex (deep brain areas, e.g.
spinal cord, subcortical brain areas)

After conditioning:

• CS: bell -> CR: salivation
– Signals arrival of US, acquired, modifiable, less
stable, extinctable, cortical brain areas

Front 4

What are the applications of classical conditioning?

Back 4

• Behaviour Therapy:
– Treatment for enuresis
– Aversion therapy (classical conditioning of fear)
– Flooding
– Systematic desensitisation
• Conditioned drug response
• Conditioned emotional response

Front 5

What is systemic desensitisation?

Back 5

• Most used behavioural method for reducing fear and anxiety
– Medical procedures, phobias, tests, etc.
• Counterconditioning/coping techniques
– ‘calm’ response replaces ‘fear’ response
• Stimulus hierarchy
– Bring person in gradual contact with source of fear
– Relaxation exercises for each step

Front 6

What is operant/instrumental learning?

Back 6

Behaviour -> consequence:

•Consequences of an action for an individual
•Change in the probability that the action
would be repeated in the future.

Front 7

What is the law of effect for operant conditioning?

Back 7

• behaviour with satisfying consequence (reinforced) -> become more likely, strengthened
• behaviour with unpleasant consequence (punished) -> become less likely

Front 8

What is extinction in the context of conditioning?

Back 8

Extinction
– previously reinforced behaviour no longer
leads to response)

Front 9

What factors alter response?

Back 9

• Biological reasons (homeostasis)
– Satiation & deprivation
• Cost-benefit
– Lottery ticket depending on jackpot
• Neurochemical (Dopamine)
– Immediacy vs long term
– Contingency/Consistenc

Front 10

What is contingency?

Back 10

Schedule of Reinforcement
• Continuous Reinforcement
– reinforcing the desired response each time it
occurs
– learning occurs rapidly
– extinction occurs rapidly
• Partial Reinforcement (e.g. gambling)
– reinforcing a response only part of the time
– results in slower acquisition
– greater resistance to extinction (better
conditioning)

Front 11

What are the therapeutic applications of operant behaviour?

Back 11

1. State goal (lose weight)
2. Monitor behaviour (log book)
3. Reinforce desired behaviour (token economy)
4. Reduce incentive to perform undesired
behaviour (remove candy & fatty snacks)

Front 12

What is observational learning? Which experiment demonstrates its effect?

Back 12

– Importance of learning by observing and
modelling the behaviours, attitudes and
emotional reactions of others

Bobo doll experiment

Front 13

Revise these methods of conditioning.

Back 13