Psychology 110

Neil Lutsky, Carleton College:

I. Introduction to the study of learning.

II. Behaviorism in psychology.

1. John B. Watson: The father of behaviorism.
2. Psychology before behaviorism: The preeminence of Introspectionism.
3. Three central claims of behaviorism.
   
   1. Overt, observable action as the object of analysis in psychology.
   2. Naturalistic coninuity and the development of animal models.
   3. Experimental research, science, and the external control of behavior.

III. Basics of Classical conditioning.

1. Background: Pavlov and psychic excretion.
2. The classic model of respondent (Pavlovian) conditioning.
   
   1. Time 1: neutral CS, US-->UR.
   2. Times 2 to (N-1): neutral CS paired with US.
   3. Time N: CS alone evokes CR.
   4. Process represented by an acquisition function.
   5. Reversing conditioning.
      1. Effects of disuse.
      2. Extinction and the extinction function.
   6. Generalization to new stimuli, including semantic generalization.
   7. Discrimination between stimuli.
   8. Higher order conditioning.
      
3. Some elaborations.
   
   1. Principle of equipotentiality.
   2. Stimulus intervals and orders.
      1. Backward, forward, and simultaneous conditioning.
      2. When does the CR occur?
      3. One-trial learning.
   3. Does the CR = UR?
      
4. Applications to human behavior.
   
   1. Watson's conditioning of baby Albert.
   2. Psychoneuroimmunology.
   3. Systematic desensitization.
   4. Social attitudes.
   5. Avoiding food aversion in chemotherapy.
      
      
      
      
      
      

IV. Introduction to instrumental (operant) conditioning.

1. B. F. Skinner: Some background.
   
   
2. Basics of operant conditioning.
   
   1. Thorndike's puzzle box.
   2. The law of effect.
   3. The concept of reinforcement and individual reinforcement histories.
      
      
3. Demonstrations, definitions, and insights.
   
   1. What do failing professors and the parents of crying babies have in common?
      
   2. Why is our everyday control of behavior flawed and ineffective?
      
   3. Supporting concepts.
      
      1. Extinction.
      2. Stimulus discrimination and stimulus generalization.
      3. Shaping.
         
      4. Schedules and types of reinforcement.
         
         
         1. Partial vs. continuous reinforcement.
         2. Interval vs. ratio reinforcement.
         3. Fixed vs. variable reinforcement
         4. Types: positive, negative, punishment.
            
      5. The law of relative effect.
      6. The problems of self control.
         
4. Secrets of effective behavioral control.
   
5. Applications to human learning.
   
   
   1. Hastorf study of group leadership.
   2. Insko "Aloha Week" attitude study.
   3. Behavior modification and the misbehaving child.
   4. Minded misstatements of contingent processes.