Phases of Learning

Classical Conditioning

Phases of learning: Acquisition Phase

• Consists of repeated trials in which the CS and US are paired and the CR gradually develops

• Most efficient conditioning occurs when: – CS slightly precedes US – CS comes to serve as a cue for the US– HOWEVER, conditioning will still occur if the two

stimuli are presented simultaneously.

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Phases of learning: the Extinction Phase

• Presentation of the US is discontinued – Immediately following discontinuation of the US

the CR will still occur, but will eventually stop.– After the CR stops, the behavior is considered

extinct.

=But only for a little because there is no food….

Phases of learning: Spontaneous Recovery

• The spontaneous return of a conditioned response following extinction.

• Example: All summer long, you do not operate under a school bell schedule, but immediately after your arrival back to SAHS, you remember what to do when the bell rings!

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Oh yeah, I remember what the bell means…

Phases of learning: Reconditioning

• The process of relearning a conditioned response following extinction—only one or two pairings are needed.

• Similar to spontaneous recovery, but the learning process is needed, just for a short period of time. (Maybe upon arriving back to SAHS, you need the entire day to remind you what the bell schedule is all about).

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GENERALIZATION.

YOU SHOW A CR TO STIMULI SIMILAR TO THE ORIGINAL CS

AN EXAMPLE?

WELL?

ANOTHER?

It’s just like Concepts... you recognize the NEW object since it’s similar to objects you’ve already learned about.

It’s an easy shortcut to understanding new stuff we run across…

YEAH………..GOT IT…….NOTHIN’ NEW…..SEEN IT...

Hmmmmm…..Well?

Generalization is so easy, we do it all the time…and we don’t really think about it.

SOMETIMES IT’S TOOEASY………………

Meet this bed sheet wearing fella, here…

Billy BobCrandall. Loyal Klansman

How y’all doin?

Ya Think Billy Bob may be generalizing a tad too much here?

Whoa!

NOW DON’T BE TOO TOUGH ON BILLY… He’s an extreme, sorta dumb example of what a lot of nicer folks do ALL THE TIME…

Aw…now my feelings are hurt!

We all generalize too quickly at times…and that leads to judgment errors!

HOW SMART IS THIS MAN?

SO…What’s the Opposite? …a more intelligent & sophisticated form of learning?

…DISCRIMINATION!

Where stimuli similar to the old CS don’t cause a CR

Von of thees is not like the other!...

Hey Count! Are all theseWhite Powders the same?

Hmm..

Try it again!

Discrimination takes experience…and an open mind. You have to LEARN

to discriminate

Animals, by nature, have a tough time with discrimination.

WHO is truly dangerous to Bushy here?

Ahhhh!!!

See? Are they all dangerous?

Animals CAN be trained to discriminate. It’s hard-to-do, but once done, they discriminate well! – An example?Let’s see……………….

Snooki?

WHO WOULD YOU BET $ ON TO FIND THE BOMB?

or Biff, bomb-sniffing dog

B

Stimulus Generalization

• The transfer of a learned response to a different, but similar stimuli

• Example: – CS= large black dog– CR= fear– Stimulus Generalization: Fear of small black dog or

large spotted dog or medium sized brown dog (aka all dogs scare you!)

Who me?

Stimulus Discrimination

• Learning to respond to one stimulus and to inhibit the response to all other stimuli.

• Example: – CS= large black dog– CR= Fear– Stimulus Discrimination= No fear of a small brown

dog or large white dog (etc). Only large black dogs scare you!

Phobias• Intense irrational fear of a particular thing• Can lead to panic attacks• You have no reasonable explanation as to why

you are afraid of this given thing. • Examples?

Desensitization Therapy(Behavior Therapy)

• Conditioning technique to gradually reduce anxiety of a particular object or situation

• Example: Peter’s fear of rabbits• Usually the therapy gradually exposes you to

your fear until you learn there is no harm.