PSYA01H3 Lecture 15: Learning: Habituation & Classical Conditioning
PSYA01 – Lecture 15: Learning – Habituation & Classical Conditioning
Tabla rasa – Locke, how environment shapes us; learning
The Big Picture – the manner in which we learn to behave in certain ways given certain
environmental condition
Learning stimulus-response mappings + their formation. Not much focus on cognitive
states/processes contrasting strongly w/methods pop. today.
STIMULUS RESPONSES – reflection of human machinery in action
- UCS & UCRs – unconditioned stimuli & unconditioned responses; associations that are
the product of evolution/creation, things that happen naturally
o EXAMPLE: paired w/out even learning
Put food in our mouth, digestive processes are initiated
UCS: Food UCR: Digestive Process
Projectile is coming @ our face, we close our eyes, duck our heads, raise
our hands, + sometimes hold breath
UCS: Projectile UCR: eyes closed, ducking heads, raising hands,
holding breath
When creepy noise/otherwise sense potential dance, our sympathetic NS
kicks in (a little)
UCS: Creepy noise UCR: Sympathetic Nervous System
- Habituation – weakening SR Mapping; occurs in some novel stimulus in envrmt (UCS)
tends to lead to startle response (UCR). Stimulus occurs repeated w/out any
positive/negative consequence, startle response stops occurring
o EXAMPLES: UCR proves itself unnecessary in presence of some UCS, UCR may
occur less + less
Those weird house noises you no longer hear
Betty White not flinching @ pies thrown at pixie glass
A dog’s reflection
Document Summary
Psya01 lecture 15: learning habituation & classical conditioning. Tabla rasa locke, how environment shapes us; learning. The big picture the manner in which we learn to behave in certain ways given certain environmental condition. Not much focus on cognitive states/processes contrasting strongly w/methods pop. today. Stimulus responses reflection of human machinery in action. Ucs & ucrs unconditioned stimuli & unconditioned responses; associations that are the product of evolution/creation, things that happen naturally: example: paired w/out even learning. Put food in our mouth, digestive processes are initiated. Projectile is coming @ our face, we close our eyes, duck our heads, raise our hands, + sometimes hold breath. Ucs: projectile ucr: eyes closed, ducking heads, raising hands, holding breath. When creepy noise/otherwise sense potential dance, our sympathetic ns kicks in (a little) Ucs: creepy noise ucr: sympathetic nervous system. Habituation weakening sr mapping; occurs in some novel stimulus in envrmt (ucs) tends to lead to startle response (ucr).
