Learning
● Loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings are born knowing to find the ocean and how to swim.
Unlike the sea turtle, humans must learn how to swim.
● In operant conditioning, a response is associated with consequence. This dog has
learned that certain behaviors result in receiving a treat.
● Ivan Pavlov’s research on the digestive system of dogs unexpectedly led to his
discovery of the learning process now known as classical conditioning.
○ Before conditioning, an unconditioned stimulus produces an unconditioned
response, and a neutral stimulus does not produce a response. During
conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus is presented repeatedly just after the
presentation of the neutral stimulus. After conditioning, the neutral stimulus alone
produces a conditioned response, thus becoming a conditioned stimulus.
○ In higher-order conditioning, an established conditioned stimulus is paired with a
new neutral stimulus, so that eventually the new stimulus also elicits the
conditioned response, without the initial conditioned stimulus being presented.
○ Kate holds a southern stingray at Stingray City in the Cayman Islands. These
stingrays have been classically conditioned to associate the sound of a boat
motor with food provided by tourists.
● This is the curve of acquisition, extinction, and spontaneous recovery. The rising curve
shows the conditioned response quickly getting stronger through the repeated pairing of
the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus(acquisition). Then the curve
decreases, which shows how the conditioned response weakens when only the
conditioned stimulus is presented(extinction). After a break or pause from conditioning,
the conditioned response appears(spontaneous recovery)
● John B. Watson used the principles of classical conditioning in the study of human
evolution
○ Through stimulus generalization, Little Albert came to fear furious things,
including Watson in a Santa Claus mask.
● B. F. Skinner developed operant conditioning for systematic study of how behaviors are
strengthened or weakened according to their consequences.
○ In a skinner box, a rat presses a lever in an operant conditioning chamber to
receive a food reward.
○ Sticker charts are a form of positive reinforcement and a tool for behavior
modification. Once this little girl earns a certain number of stickers for
demonstrating a desired behavior, she will be rewarded with a trip to the ice
cream parlor.
● Time-Out is a popular form of negative punishment used by caregivers. When a child
misbehaves, he or she is removed from a desirable activity in an effort to decrease the
unwanted behavior. For example, a child might be playing on the playground with friends
and push another child. The child who misbehaves would then be removed from the
activity for a short period of time.
● The four reinforcement schedules yield different response patterns. The variable ratio
schedule is unpredictable and yields high and steady response rates, with little is any
pause after reinforcement. A fixed ratio schedule is predictable and produces a high
● Loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings are born knowing to find the ocean and how to swim.
Unlike the sea turtle, humans must learn how to swim.
● In operant conditioning, a response is associated with consequence. This dog has
learned that certain behaviors result in receiving a treat.
● Ivan Pavlov’s research on the digestive system of dogs unexpectedly led to his
discovery of the learning process now known as classical conditioning.
○ Before conditioning, an unconditioned stimulus produces an unconditioned
response, and a neutral stimulus does not produce a response. During
conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus is presented repeatedly just after the
presentation of the neutral stimulus. After conditioning, the neutral stimulus alone
produces a conditioned response, thus becoming a conditioned stimulus.
○ In higher-order conditioning, an established conditioned stimulus is paired with a
new neutral stimulus, so that eventually the new stimulus also elicits the
conditioned response, without the initial conditioned stimulus being presented.
○ Kate holds a southern stingray at Stingray City in the Cayman Islands. These
stingrays have been classically conditioned to associate the sound of a boat
motor with food provided by tourists.
● This is the curve of acquisition, extinction, and spontaneous recovery. The rising curve
shows the conditioned response quickly getting stronger through the repeated pairing of
the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus(acquisition). Then the curve
decreases, which shows how the conditioned response weakens when only the
conditioned stimulus is presented(extinction). After a break or pause from conditioning,
the conditioned response appears(spontaneous recovery)
● John B. Watson used the principles of classical conditioning in the study of human
evolution
○ Through stimulus generalization, Little Albert came to fear furious things,
including Watson in a Santa Claus mask.
● B. F. Skinner developed operant conditioning for systematic study of how behaviors are
strengthened or weakened according to their consequences.
○ In a skinner box, a rat presses a lever in an operant conditioning chamber to
receive a food reward.
○ Sticker charts are a form of positive reinforcement and a tool for behavior
modification. Once this little girl earns a certain number of stickers for
demonstrating a desired behavior, she will be rewarded with a trip to the ice
cream parlor.
● Time-Out is a popular form of negative punishment used by caregivers. When a child
misbehaves, he or she is removed from a desirable activity in an effort to decrease the
unwanted behavior. For example, a child might be playing on the playground with friends
and push another child. The child who misbehaves would then be removed from the
activity for a short period of time.
● The four reinforcement schedules yield different response patterns. The variable ratio
schedule is unpredictable and yields high and steady response rates, with little is any
pause after reinforcement. A fixed ratio schedule is predictable and produces a high
