1. Is brain-behavior behavior?
If so, it can be
conditioned
just like other
behaviors

2. Definition of Learning
Learning is an adaptive1 permanent
change2 in behavior or behavior potential 3
that is produced as a result of prior
experience4
1 occasionally maladaptive such as depressed mental set,
obsessions
2 not due to fatigue, injury
3 includes tendencies to respond that might not have been tested
4 excludes maturation, disease, instinct

3. Two forms of conditioning
Classical conditioning
Hard-wired linkage between stimulus and response (e.g., food
and saliva)
Anything acting as signal of food can produce response
Operant conditioning
Training linkage between stimulus and response through
reinforcement
behavior strengthened if followed by reinforcement
behavior weakened if followed by punishment
Law of Effect (Thorndike)
• Rewarded behavior is repeated

4. Components of conditioning
Acquisition
initial stage of learning,
during which a response
is established and
gradually strengthened
Effective pairing of
reinforcement

5. Extinction
diminishing a conditioned response
occurs when an response is not followed by a reward

6. Extinction and spontaneous
recovery
Acquisition
Strong (response
+ reward) Spontaneous
Extinction recovery of
(no reward) response
Strength
of CR
Extinction
(no reward)
Weak
Pause
Time

7. Operant Conditioning
Spontaneous recovery
reappearance, after a rest period, of an
extinguished conditioned response
Generalization
tendency for stimuli similar to the conditioned
stimulus to evoke similar responses
Discrimination
Identify specific stimulus from set of similar stimuli
to evoke similar reinforced responses

11. Operant Conditioning
B.F. Skinner (1904-
1990)
Built on Thorndike’s
Law of Effect
Discovered
schedules of
reinforcement

12. Operant Conditioning
Operant Chamber
(“Skinner Box”)
chamber with a bar
that an animal can
press to obtain a
food reinforcer
Frequency of
responses are
recorded

13. Operant Conditioning
Reinforcer
any event that follows a behavior AND
strengthens the behavior
Shaping
procedure in which reinforcers guide
behavior toward a desired goal

14. Principles of
Reinforcement
Primary Reinforcer
an innate reinforcer
satisfies a biological need
Secondary Reinforcer
a conditioned reinforcer
an event that gains its reinforcing power
through its association with a primary
reinforcer

15. Schedules of
Reinforcement
Continuous Reinforcement
reinforce desired response every occurrence
learning occurs rapidly
extinction occurs rapidly
Partial Reinforcement
Reinforce response only part of the time
learning occurs slowly
But connection resists extinction

16. Extinction curves due to continuous
and partial reinforcement

33. ADHD and responding to
partial reinforcement

34. Different Partial Reinforcement
schedules
Number of
responses
Fixed Ratio
1000
Variable Ratio
750 Fixed Interval
Rapid responding
near time for
500 reinforcement
Variable Interval
250
Steady responding
0
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Time (minutes)

35. Schedules of Reinforcement
Fixed Ratio (FR)
behavior is reinforced only Fixed Interval (FI)
after behavior occurs a behavior is reinforced only
specified number of times after a specified time has
(e.g., 1 in 3) elapsed
the faster you respond, the frequency of behavior
more rewards you get! increases when the time for
different ratios reward draws near
very high rate of responding
like piecework pay Variable Interval (VI)
behavior is reinforced at
Variable Ratio (VR) unpredictable time intervals
behavior is reinforced ON produces slow, steady
AVERAGE after behavior responding
occurs a specified number of like pop quiz!
times (e.g., 1 in 3 on average)
like gambling, fishing
very hard to extinguish
because of unpredictability

36. Reinforcement Schedule
examples
Buying a lottery ticket and winning VR
Watching & seeing a shooting star VI
Receiving allowance Saturday for having
clean room FI
Hotel maid gets 15-min break after cleaning
four rooms FR

37. Shaping
Can leave lab once rat touches lever
three times in 10 seconds

39. Shaping
Successive approximations to goal
behavior

40. Punishment
An aversive event that decreases
the behavior that it follows

41. Operant Conditioning
Appetitive Aversive
Presented Positive Punishment
reinforcement Discomfort follows
Positive event follows response e.g.
response e.g. reward punishment
Removed Punishment Negative
Positive state reinforcement
removed after Discomfort removed
response e.g. time-out after response e.g.
or omission training escape or avoidance
learning

42. Problems with
Punishment
Punished behavior is not forgotten, it's
suppressed--behavior returns when
punishment is no longer present
Causes increased aggression- shows that
aggression is a way to cope with problems
Creates fear that can generalize to
undesirable behaviors, e.g., fear of school
Does not necessarily guide toward desired
behavior--reinforcement tells you what to do,
punishment only tells you what not to do
Punishment teaches how to avoid it

44. Biofeedback

45. When one becomes aware
of:
Breathing
Hand or foot temperature
Heart rate
Muscle Tension
- You can change it.
This is the essence of biofeedback.

46. When you become aware of your own
brain activity –you can change it also.

47. Therapist and client/game
screen
Therapist Monitor
EEG
Sensors
Feedback Screen