Conditioning of Animals

陳怡瑋獸醫三 b02609074

Content Overview

• What is conditioning?• Classical conditioning • Similar experiments/ extension to classical

conditioning• Operant conditioning• Related topic• Sources

What is conditioning? In behavioral psychology, conditioning is a behavioral process in which a

response from an individual can become more predictable and frequent over time, under a specific stimulus and reinforcement. The stimulus is

usually a reward, but can also be a punishment/ reproach.

Consider the following simplified experiment:

Individual= A puppyStimulus & reinforcement= Sit command, followed by a treat

Response= To sit down

1) Experimenter tells the puppy to sit. 2) Puppy sits.3) Treat is awarded to the puppy4) Repeat the above steps numerous times, until the puppy obeys the

command every time.

Types of ConditioningThrough the study of reflexes, several stimulus- response theories of

conditioning have been developed, including:1) Classical conditioning2) Operant conditioning

Each type of conditioning will be explained in this ppt

Classical Conditioning History: The famous classical conditioning concept was introduced by a Russian

physiologist called Ivan Pavlov, who was initially studying the physiology of digestion on his lab dogs. Pavlov was studying the digestive process of dogs over a long period of time using meat powder as the stimulus and collecting the dog’s saliva ( response) by redirecting the fluid outside its body.

Classical ConditioningDefinition: It is a behavioral response that involves the trigger of an innate/

biological response by the pairing of a neutral stimulus & unconditioned stimulus. It involves 5 factors:

Unconditioned stimulus ( UCS): A stimulus that triggers an unlearned/ innate response.

Unconditioned response ( UCR): Innate response triggered by the UCSConditioned stimulus (CS): The combination and association of UCS with CS,

triggering the conditioned response.Conditioned response (CR): The developed/ learned response resulting from

the association of UCS with NS over numerous trials

Classical conditioningDefinition ( continued):The previously mentioned 4 factors is used in 3 different stages of

conditioning:1) Before conditioning: UCS, UCR2) During: UCS + CS CR ( still in the developing process)3) After: CR established

Classical Conditioning: Pavlov’s Experiment

Applying the previously mentioned factors to Pavlov’s experiment: Subjects: Pavlov’s lab dogsUCS: Meat powderUCR: Salivation CS: Ringing of bellCR: Salivation in response to the association of bell ringing with meat powder

Classical Conditioning: Pavlov’s Experiment

Procedure:Before conditioning:1) Dog salivates ( UCR) as an innate response to the presence of the meat powder

( UCS).2) 2) Dog does not salivate to the ringing bell, has yet to associate the ringing bell

with the presence of meat powder. During conditioning:2) Experimenter enters with a ringing bell ( CS) followed by the delivery of meat

powder ( UCS) to the dog. 3) In response to the meat powder, the dog salivates ( UCR).4) Step 2 is repeated numerous times, and gradually the dog learns to associate the

ringing bell with the presence of meat powder ( CS + UCS CR)After conditioning:5) Dog automatically salivates to the sound of the ringing bell ( CR)

Extension to Conditional LearningLittle Albert Experiment: This is an extension of classical conditional applied onto humans, done by

Watson and Reyner ( 1920). Procedure: Little Albert, a 9 months old infant was presented with several

different animals including a white rat, and he showed no fear to any of those animals. However, Little Albert would always display major signs of fear ( cry) when a hammer was struck against a steel bar behind and over his head. When Little Albert was over 11 months old, the white rat was presented to him, followed immediately by the striking of the hammer; this induced Little Albert to burst into tears. This was then repeated 7 times over the following 7 weeks and the same response was incited each time. After the 7 weeks, Little Albert would always automatically burst into tears at the sight of a white rat, whether the striking of the hammer was accompanied or not.

Extension to Conditional LearningLittle Albert Experiment ( continuation) Interestingly, it was found that Little Albert developed phobia not only to

white rats, but also to animals and objects with similar characteristics: dogs, white wool, fur coat, etc. This is known as generalization. From this experiment, it was found that classical conditioning can produce phobia, which is an irrational fear and in the case of Little Albert, his developed phobia was the white rat. However, phobias can eventually die out, a process known as extinction; the diminishing of a fear to a learned response.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hBfnXACsOILittle Albert Experiment Video

Operant Conditioning Classical vs. Operant Conditioning: In classical conditioning, a neutral stimuli is presented, resulting an innate

therefore producing an association between the stimuli and the natural response. In operant conditioning, reinforcement or consequences are applied to increase or decrease a certain behavior, thus gradually forming an association between the behavior and the consequence it causes.

Skinner’s concept of Operant Conditioning Video ( Harvard):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIEt6TrjJXw

Classical

- Induced response: InvoluntaryStimuli Involuntary response

- No reinforcement/ punishment- Individual/ learner is not required

to actively participate

Operant

- Induced response: Voluntary-Voluntary response punishment /

reward- Utilizes reinforcement/

punishment- - Learner is required to actively

participate in order to receive a reward/ punishment

Classical vs. Operant Conditioning

Operant ConditioningBackground: It was first studied by Edward Thorndike, and is sometimes called

instrumental learning. Thorndike’s experiment involved how cats attempted to escape from home made puzzles. He observed how with increased trials, the time it took for the cats to escape from the puzzle decreased. Thorndike generalized this finding as the law of effect; behaviors that result in satisfying consequences tend to occur with higher frequency while behaviors that induce unpleasant consequences will less likely be repeated.

Operant conditioning of pigeon video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=80&v=I_ctJqjlrHA

Operant ConditioningBackground ( continuation): B.F. Skinner is known as the Father of operant conditioning. He extended

the work of Thorndike by adding on the idea of “ reinforcement”. Similarly, Skinner also utilized a puzzle box called “ Skinner Box” to conduct his experiment.

Operant ConditioningProcedure:Skinner identified 3 responses of the operant:1) Neutral : Response given from the environment that neither increases or

decreases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated2) Reinforcement: Response given from the environment that increases the

probability of a behavior being repeated. Reinforcement can either be positive or negative.

3) Punishment: Response given from the environment that decreases the probability of a behavior being repeated. Punishment weakens the behavior.

4) Extinction: Occurs when the previously reinforced response is no longer effective.

Operant ConditioningProcedure ( continued):A. Positive reinforcement For positive reinforcement, Skinner placed a hungry rat into the box. As

the rat moves randomly around the box, it might accidentally bump and press onto the lever, and by doing so, a food pellet will drop into a container besides the lever. Rapidly, the rats learn to directly go and tap onto the lever for the food. In this case, the rats have learned that the tapping of the lever brings them food reward, thus a positive reinforcement.

Ex. Student learns that by getting an A on his exams, his mom will reward him by taking him out to a fancy meal. Therefore the student will attempt to aim for an A on all of his exams.

Operant ConditioningProcedure ( continued):Negative reinforcement:Skinner again placed the rat in the box with a weak electric current that brings

the rat discomfort. As the rat moves around the box, it discovers that if it bumps into the lever, pressing it, the electric current gets turned off. Rapidly, the rat learns to go directly to the lever and tap on it to stop the electric current once it is placed in the box. In fact, Skinner even taught the rats to associate the turning on of a light with the start of the electric current, thus the rats learn that once they see the light, they must quickly tap on the lever to avoid the electric current.

Ex. If caught using your phone in class, you will have to pay the teacher 100 NTD$. Therefore, no students dare to use their phones in class, thus encouraging attentive listening in class.

Operant ConditioningPunishment: Punishment is the opposite of reinforcement, as it is done to eliminate or

reduce a certain behavior, rather than increasing it. Punishment can be executed by applying an unpleasant stimulus ( ex. Electric shock) after a response, or by removing the potential reward, thus decreasing the probability of such a response from occurring.

Operant ConditioningExtinction:Initially, the rats have learned to press the lever in return for food. Then, food

no longer is given after the lever is pressed. The rat continues to pres the lever for food in vain, but gradually, it stops pressing the lever in hope for food. The previously reinforced behavior has been “extinguished”.

Operant ConditioningFactors that affect the effectiveness of reinforcement/ punishment:1) Satiation/ Deprivation: In the case of the Skinner rats, if the rats were not

hungry, the stimulus provided ( food pellet) would not be much of an appealing thus effective reinforcement. On the other hand, if the rats were in a hungry/ deprived state, the food pellet would be a major attractant thus effective reinforcement.

2) Immediacy: An immediate reinforcement/ consequence would be more effective than a delayed one. If the food pellet was not rewarded to the rat immediately after the lever tapping action, the desired response might not be induced.

3) Contingency: To produce effective learning, reinforcement should be consistent, and not intermittent. If the food pellet is only rewarded to the rat at times after the lever tapping action, learning would be slower.

4) Size: The size of the stimulus can affect its potency as a reinforcement. If the of the food pellet is too small, it might not induce such a desired effect on the rat.

Related topicMonkey experiment G.R. Stephenson conducted an experiment on monkey behavior. He

trained adult male and female rhesus monkeys to not manipulate/ touch an object, and then placed an individual trained monkey along with an untrained monkey in the same room, facing the forbidden object. In one case, the trained monkey actually pulled the naïve monkey away from touching on the object. In another case, two trained monkeys displaced facial signs of aggression towards the untrained monkey when he attempted to touch the object. Afterwards, when the naïve monkey was placed in the room alone, it was found that he displayed less tendency to approach the forbidden object.

* Think about punishment of operant conditioning; the punishment is the scolding of the trained monkeys.

Sources• "Conditioning Introduction." PsychologistWorld. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

<http://www.psychologistworld.com/memory/conditioning_intro.php>.• Maestripieri, Dario. "What Monkeys Can Teach Us About Human Behavior: From Facts to

Fiction." Psychology Today. N.p., 20 Mar. 2012. Web. <https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/games-primates-play/201203/what-monkeys-can-teach-us-about-human-behavior-facts-fiction>.

• McLeod, Saul. "Classical Conditioning." Simply Psychology. N.p., 2008. Web. 2014. <http://www.simplypsychology.org/classical-conditioning.html>.

• - - -. "Skinner - Operant Conditioning." Simply Psychology. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2015. <http://www.simplypsychology.org/operant-conditioning.html>.

• "Operant conditioning." Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operant_conditioning>.

• Roundy, Lisa. "Classical Conditioning vs. Operant Conditioning: Differences and Examples." Study.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2015. <http://study.com/academy/lesson/classical-conditioning-vs-operant-conditioning-differences-and-examples.html>.