Overview
This lecture covers the fundamentals of behaviorism, focusing on associative learning through classical and operant conditioning, along with the key experiments and principles established by Ivan Pavlov, John B. Watson, and B.F. Skinner.
Behaviorism and its Historical Foundations
- Behaviorism is a psychological approach emphasizing the study of observable behaviors over internal mental states.
- Ivan Pavlov’s experiments were foundational to behaviorism and promoted experimental rigor in psychology.
- Pavlov initially studied the digestive systems of dogs before noticing their salivation responses to anticipation of food.
Classical Conditioning (Pavlov)
- Learning is defined as acquiring new, enduring information or behaviors through experience.
- Classical conditioning involves associating two stimuli to produce a learned response.
- Unconditioned stimulus (food) naturally elicits an unconditioned response (drooling).
- Neutral stimulus (bell) elicits no response at first.
- During conditioning, the neutral stimulus is repeatedly paired with the unconditioned stimulus.
- After conditioning, the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus, eliciting a conditioned response (drooling).
- Acquisition is the phase where the association is learned.
- Classical conditioning demonstrates that learning is observable and measurable.
Further Developments: Watson and Little Albert
- John B. Watson extended classical conditioning to emotions, famously conditioning "Little Albert" to fear a white rat.
- Watson showed that conditioned responses could generalize to similar stimuli.
- Behaviorists argued that behavior is shaped solely by external, observable influences.
Operant Conditioning (Skinner)
- Operant conditioning involves learning to associate behaviors with consequences.
- Behaviors followed by reinforcement increase; those followed by punishment decrease.
- B.F. Skinner invented the "Skinner Box" to study operant conditioning in animals.
- Positive reinforcement adds a desirable stimulus (e.g., giving a treat).
- Negative reinforcement removes an aversive stimulus (e.g., stopping seatbelt beeping).
- Shaping is the process of reinforcing successive approximations of a desired behavior.
- Negative reinforcement is not the same as punishment; punishment decreases behavior.
Reinforcers and Schedules
- Primary reinforcers satisfy biological needs (e.g., food).
- Conditioned (secondary) reinforcers gain value through association (e.g., money).
- Continuous reinforcement provides reward every time; partial (intermittent) reinforcement happens irregularly.
- Behaviors learned through partial reinforcement are more resistant to extinction.
Limitations and Next Steps
- Criticisms arose about behaviorism ignoring thoughts, feelings, and cognition in learning.
- The next topic will discuss the influence of cognitive processes and observational learning.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Behaviorism — School of psychology focused on observable behaviors.
- Classical Conditioning — Learning by associating two stimuli to produce a response.
- Operant Conditioning — Learning by associating behaviors with consequences.
- Unconditioned Stimulus (US) — Naturally triggers a response without learning.
- Unconditioned Response (UR) — Automatic response to the unconditioned stimulus.
- Conditioned Stimulus (CS) — A previously neutral stimulus that now elicits a response after association.
- Conditioned Response (CR) — A learned response to a conditioned stimulus.
- Reinforcement — Any event that increases the likelihood of a behavior.
- Punishment — Any event that decreases the likelihood of a behavior.
- Shaping — Gradually guiding behavior toward a desired outcome using reinforcement.
- Extinction — The diminishing of a conditioned response when reinforcement stops.
- Primary Reinforcer — An unlearned, naturally reinforcing stimulus.
- Conditioned (Secondary) Reinforcer — A learned reinforcer associated with a primary reinforcer.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review upcoming readings on cognition and observational learning for the next lecture.
- Reflect on examples of classical and operant conditioning in daily life.