Historical Influences – Learning Lecture 2

Historical Influences – Learning Lecture 2

17th & 18th – Philosophy & Physiology Rene Decartes (1596-1650)

Is there such a thing as the “mind” Dualism: Brain is physical mind is not Monism: Mind is product of brain Mind-Body Question..are you a monist or a dualist? Is the mind separate from the body?

Mind-Body Question • Dualism: mind separate from body • Mechanist: Body is like a machine • Mind controls the machine • Body tells mind about the environment …association between senses & body Pipes = nerves Water = fluids in body Hidden Value = Pineal

Control Valve: Pineal Gland “Seat of the Soul” First technical model for the NS First …..

Rationalism: knowledge & truth are sought through logical reasoning Human are equipped with certain fundamental ideas of knowledge (innate ideas): God & Self  No Experience necessary  No learning Mind/Body Is the mind equipped at birth to understand the world  Learning

Historical Influences - Learning John Locke (1632-1704): British Associationist - “continguity” Empiricism: knowledge is acquired by the senses Tabula Rasa: blank slate All human knowledge: derived from experience Laid the foundation for learning Simple ideas could be combined with other ideas to produce complex ideas – ideas & events could be connected – retained  learning

3 Laws of Association • Contiguity associations occur btw events that occur together (order) • Frequency stronger association with repeated exposure • Intensity  (pleasure of pain) feeling accompanying association

Cortical Associations!!! Neural Basis for Behavior

Axodendritic Axosomatic axonaxonic

Pavlov & Company Behavioralism – Classical Conditioning

VH1 “Behind the Science” Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (1849-1936) Father of Learning • Russian Born • Eldest of 11 children • Son of a priest • At the age of 7 suffered a severe blow to the • head – concussion out for 4 years • At 11 sent to theological seminary – priesthood • At 21 entered university – 1875 graduated • 8 years later Ph.D. • The consummate • researcher! • pd for lab animals • Slept in lab • Ate only when • neccessary • Worked under brutal conditions – no light, heat (animals froze) Walked 100’s of miles to get to St. Petersburg

Military Medical Academy St. Petersburg • Initially worked on Blood Circulation & digestion • 1904 Nobel Prize: first Russian & physiologist • …in digestion!!!! • chewing and swallowing alone would cause gastric secretion • the secretory nerve that controls the gastric glands is the vagus nerve • variance in types and amounts of secretions of the stomach is a response to different foods • observation that the mere sight of food stimulates salivary and gastric secretion

Surgery on Dogs - His technique was truly unique in that he did not cut the nerve supply (salivary gland - paratoid) nor contaminate the secretions with food Serendipity (footsteps)…area of learning

Measure saliva – food only • rang a bell + food - salivary response • only ringing bell – salivary response Pavlov 'conditioned' dogs to initiate a salivary response to the sound of a bell

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING: • Classical conditioning was the first type of learning to be discovered and studied within the behaviorist tradition (hence the name classical) • a response naturally elicited by one stimulus comes • to be elicited by a different, formerly neutral stimulus E1 E2 S1 S2 CS UCS

Classical Conditioning • In order to have classical conditioning, there must exist a stimulus that will automatically or reflexively elicit a specific response • UCS - Unconditioned Stimulus (MEAT POWDER) • stimulus that evokes behavioral response of interest • stimulus that the animal does not have to learn to respond to • called the UCS because there is no learning involved in connecting the stimulus and response • UCR - Unconditioned Response (SALIVATION) • the reflexive response to the presentation of the UCS • NS - Neutral Stimulus (BELL) • stimulus that does not result in an unconditioned response • at first does not produce response

Once CC occurs – association btw stimulus & stimulus • CS - Conditioned Stimulus (Bell) • what used to be called the neutral stimulus • Initially it evoked no response, but, after conditioning, it now evokes a response • CR - Conditioned Response (Salivation) • similar to (is the…) unconditioned response • but is evoked by the conditioned stimulus The 'conditioning' model presented by Pavlov had an enormous influence on western behavioral psychology. For Pavlov, the assumption was that the unconscious processes that existed were simple reflexes which could be conditioned to affect behavioral change. Ivan Petrovich Pavlov can be thanked for maintaining the purity of observational science and striving to keep the standards for experimental methodology at its highest level. Although he is most remembered for his groundbreaking work in behavioral psychology, the inspiring research that led Pavlov to these observation cannot be forgotten. He was a truly great scientist and researcher.

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Pavlov’s - Neural Mechanism of Action for Classical Conditioning

Extinction: Weakening of a CR when CS is presented by itself CS (BELL) CR (SALIVA)

Spontaneous Recovery from Extinction Evidence that Neural Connection May Exist

Inhibition: The CS not only made excitatory connection with the UCS but also made inhibitory connections Inhibitory connection

Second order conditioning: Learning that takes place as a result of pairing a stimulus with a previously conditioned stimulus Metranome paired with food + = Metranome alone = + = Metranome paired with Black Square CS CS = Black Square alone

Counter conditioning: Technique for eliminating a conditioned response that involves pairing a CS with another UCS to get another response Metranome paired with food + = Metranome alone (CS) = + = Barking Metranome paired with rooster CS UCS = Metranome alone (original CS) Barking (new response)

Use Classical Conditioning to explain behavior: Scenarios 1. Sound of drill, dentist visit 2. Hospital smell, visiting the hospital 3. Round band aids, visiting the doctor 4. Examples of Second order conditioning & Counter conditioning Neutral Stimulus (NS) Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS) Unconditioned Response (UCR) Conditioned Stimulus (CS) Conditioned Response (CR)

Historical Influences – Learning Lecture 2