Learning and Biological Constraints

Basic Processes of Conditioning

• Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning initially thought to encompass all learning.
• Later findings indicated biological constraints on learning.

Biological Constraints on Learning

• Animals show varying degrees of difficulty in learning different types of associations.
• Easier to learn associations that are natural; harder for unnatural associations.

Taste Aversion

• Definition: When an animal gets sick from food and avoids it afterward.
• Personal Example: Developed an aversion to cilantro after getting sick, even though chicken was more likely the cause.
• Observation: Aversion is powerful and irrational (e.g., aversion to food, not unrelated stimuli).

Research Study on Rats

• Objective: To study biological constraints on learning in a controlled lab setting.
• Setup: Deprived rats of water, then provided sweetened water with varying conditions.
  • Group 1: Sugar water with illness-inducing substance, followed by sugar water.
  • Group 2: Sugar water with illness-inducing substance, followed by plain water with tone and light.
  • Group 3: Sugar water followed by electric shocks, then sugar water.
  • Group 4: Sugar water followed by electric shocks, then plain water with tone and light.
• Observations:
  • Group 1: Developed aversion to sweet water due to illness association.
  • Group 2: Did not develop aversion to tone/light.
  • Group 3: Did not develop aversion to sweet water.
  • Group 4: Developed aversion to tone/light due to electric shocks.

Conclusions from the Study

• Animals make associations based on natural world experiences, e.g., food causing illness, environmental factors causing injury.
• Contradicts behaviorist view that all associations are equal and can be explained by conditioning alone.
• Illustrates biological predispositions in learning associations.

Evidence of Evolutionary Influence in Learning

• Phobias: More likely to develop phobias of ancestral threats (e.g., snakes, spiders) than modern dangers (e.g., cars).
• Biological predispositions favor learning associations that historically conferred survival advantages.

Key Takeaways

• Adaptive associations that provide evolutionary advantage are learned faster than non-adaptive ones.
• Biological constraints and predispositions exist in learning, indicating behaviorism is not the whole story.