Introduction to Psychology Suzy Scherf Lecture 6: How Do We Act? Learning and the Role of Experience

1. Introduction to Psychology Suzy Scherf Lecture 6: How Do We Act? Learning and the Role of Experience

2. Psychology without Evolution Behaviorists - Nativists -

3. Psychology without Evolution Behaviorists and Nativists came up with same conclusion: Since learning results from an individual’s experience:

4. Psychology without Evolution 1. Nature vs. Nurture - 2. Genetic Fallacy - 3. Instincts control animal behavior -

5. Nature vs. Nurture - False Dichotomy

6. Genetic Fallacy The idea that traits with a genetic basis are automatically fixed and inflexible.

7. Instincts vs. Learning What do we mean by “instincts”

8. Instincts vs. Learning Even animal behaviors that appear to be completely “instinctual” require learning:

9. Instincts vs. Learning What do we mean by “learning”

10. Instincts vs. Learning Even animal behaviors that appear to be completely “learned” are influenced by the genotype:

11. Psychology with Evolution 1. 2. 3. 4.

12. Genes Differ in Responsiveness to the Environment 1. Obligate Effects -

13. Why Design an Obligate Adaptation? • When a single solution works best across a wide range of environments • Obligate traits ‘expect’ a certain range of environments Experience Still Matters:

14. Genes Differ in Responsiveness to the Environment 2. Facultative Effects -

15. Why Design a Facultative Adaptation? 1. When the environment is variable within the lifetimes of individuals. 2. When the fittest alternative varies from one environment to the next

16. Norm of Reaction for a Facultative Trait: High (Phenotype) Low Low (Environment) High Levelof Melanin Synthesis Level of UVb Radiation

17. Reaction Range for an Obligate Trait: Discontinuous Abnormal (Range of Normal Phenotype) (Range of Normal Environment) Abnormal

18. Selection will prefer facultative or obligate traits depending on -

19. What Kind of Learning? • Learning involves - • Learning mechanisms are - • Facultative adaptations are -

20. What Kind of Learning? 1. Birds learning “star compass” - 2. Ants navigation home in most efficient way using “dead reckoning” 3. Human infants learning language - 4. Monkeys showing “insight” in food foraging

21. What Kind of Learning? 5. Dogs being classically conditioned - 6. Cats being operantly conditioned - 7. Human’s learning to play a game of weather forecasting using - 8. Monkeys learning to do -

22. Concepts Relevant to Learning 1. Ecological Context - - • EEA (Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness):

23. Concepts Relevant to Learning 2. Critical Period Learning - • Specialized to happen once - • Indigo Buntings - • Human’s -

24. Concepts Relevant to Learning 2. Critical Period Learning - • Requires specialized experiences to develop • Time window - • Traits vary in their sensitivity to critical periods

25. Concepts Relevant to Learning 2. Critical Period Learning - • Deprivation and excessive enrichment experiences - • Related to plasticity • Different brain systems -

26. Concepts Relevant to Learning 3. Preparedness - • Over-prepared -

27. Concepts Relevant to Learning 3. Preparedness - • Under-prepared -

28. Are there any General-Purpose Learning Mechanisms? • Can we think of any general problems that animals face? • Problems that would be solved with a single learning mechanism?

30. Classical Conditioning • Learning that some external thing can elicit a reaction from your body • Forming an association (noticing a pairing) between -

32. Classical Conditioning is Still not General-Purpose

33. Operant Conditioning: Learning Associations between Behaviors and Consequences

35. Operant Conditioning Reinforcers and Punishers affect behavior Reinforcers - Punishers -

36. Operant Conditioning Still not general-purpose

37. Limitations of Conditioning 1. 2. 3. 4.

38. Problem-Solving Using Insight or Trial-and-Error

39. Problem-Solving Using Insight or Trial-and-Error