PS261 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Learned Helplessness
Document Summary
Animals learn the shocks are independent of their behaviour. Animals come to expect that the reinforcers will continue to be independent of their behaviour in the future. Expectation of future lack of control undermines ability to learn a new instrumental response because of reduced motivation. Thus they have trouble learning their behaviour elicits the reinforcement. Learned helplessness effect is the pattern of results obtained with triadic design. Animals in group 2 have trouble learning because inescapable shocks cause freezing. Theory cannot explain instances in which exposure to inescapable shock disrupts choice learning. Exposure to inescapable shock reduces extent to which animals pay attention to their own behaviour and that is why they show learning deficit. Asks why exposure to escapable shock isn"t as bad vs why inescapable shock disrupts subsequent learning. Response produced stimuli experienced at the start of escape response.
