Psy 360: Learning and Conditioning
Dr. Valeri Farmer-Dougan
Fall 2017
Monday and Wednesday 9:35-10:50
SCH 104
Welcome to Psychology 360.
In this course you will encounter firsthand the basic theories and applications in learning and conditioning. You will belntroduced to the historical underpinnings of modern theories on learning and conditioning, as well as important applications demonstrating how knowledge of these concepts and theories help both humans and animals in our daily lives.
As a result of this class you should develop an understanding of the roles thatconsequences and the scheduling of consequences on acquisition, maintenance and structure play in the behavior of human and nonhuman organisms. The course emphasizes both the mechanisms and theories surrounding how consequences select and shape behavior, with an emphasis on methodology, measurement and quantification of behavior as a means of explaining underlying mechanisms.
This course is structured so that you will find we move from a basic introduction tohistorical theories of classical and operant conditioning to the cognitive and biological aspects of learned and conditioned behavior. We will discuss applications of these theories throughout the course, as well as discuss ethical issues surrounding learning and conditioning techniques for both human and animal behavior.Both lecture and the textbook play an integral guide for you in this course. The book includes a study guide as the second third of the book. Some assignments will utilize the study guide resource, while others may involve reading an original source provided to you online.
PLEASEkeep this syllabus; it contains reading assignments, testdates
Dr. Farmer-Dougan’s Office Hours:
My office is in the lab-Felmley 230A(NOT DeGarmo).
Office phone is 438-4554;
Office hours are: MWF 11to 11:50 AMor by appointment.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Goalsfor the Psy 360.01: Learning and Conditioning: As a result of completing the course, the student will be able to:
•Define and discuss current issues in learning, habituation, classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and comparative cognition.
·Outline the historical developments in learning and conditioning.
·Define elicited versus emitted behavior.
·Compare and contrast habituation and sensitization.
·Define the major terminology for classical conditioning and describe the classical conditioning paradigm.
·Outline the parameters critical to classical conditioning.
·Compare and contrast the mechanisms of CSs and USs, and what makes an effective CS.
·Define the major terminology for operant conditioning and describe the operant conditioning paradigm.
·Outline the parameters critical to operant conditioning.
·Distinguish the various procedures and schedules of reinforcement used in operant conditioning.
·Explain the matching law, behavioral regulation and discuss the concept of self-control.
·Describe and discuss regulatory and motivational mechanisms involved in operant conditioning.
·Describe procedures used to measure stimulus control, and explain the learning factors critical to developing stimulus control.
· Define extinction, and discuss the various theories of extinction.
·Distinguish between avoidance and punishment
·Discuss the ethical considerations inherent in avoidance and punishment
·Recognize the similarities and differences in learning processes across species of animals and humans.
·Address contemporary social issues contained within the analysis of behavior in experimental and applied situations.
·Become familiar with the ethics involved in research with animal subjects and the legal and moral responsibilities of those working with nonhuman subjects.
Required Text:
The text used in this class isThe Principles of Learning and Behavior
By Michael P. Domjan, 7th edition.It is available at the university bookstores as well as at Amazon.com and other online bookstores. The book is requiredand it ishighly recommendthat youreadit. Homework will be assigned using the book.
Class activities and Grading
Lectures:
Lecturesare Monday and Wednesdays. It is important that you attend each class unless illness, emergency or graduate school/job interviews conflict. Obviously, if you are in marching band, an athlete, or on an ISU team, you are excused. Please give me your schedule early in the semester so I can anticipate when you will be gone and have make-up assignments ready for you.
Power pointsfor each lecture will be made available the night before the course. Please be advised that I may change these slightly as I am reviewing for lecture right before class and be prepared to adapt.Printing and reading the Power Points are not sufficient for understanding the information in lieu of class attendance.If that were true, I would email them all to you and go home…..but, I want you to learn this material. It is important! So, come to class!
It is best if youread the reading assignment BEFORE the lecture. This helps with spelling terminology or understanding experimental procedures. Surprisingly, the area of learning and conditioning is quite jargon-ridden. You will be lost if you do not keep up on the reading.
I have provided a day-by-day outline of lecture topics and assigned readings. Please not that this is subject to change, and watch the website and listen for announcements in class regarding any changes.
Tests
There will be three (3) tests given in this class, approximately every 5 weeks(and #1what kind of schedule is this and what is the reinforcer for you?). Tests will involve some multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank or matching, butessayresponses will be highly emphasized. Be prepared!
Class Assignments
Class assignments (both in and out of class) will provide a maximum of 100 points. You must be present in class to receive credit for an in-class assignment. Out of class assignments will be due at the next class period. Class assignments will be unannounced and interspersed throughout the semester (and #2what schedule might this be? and #3 Why might I use this kind of schedule?).
Extra Credit:
A maximum of 5% extra credit may be earned by completing research article summary reviews on articles related to the topics covered in class (that is, the articles must be about learning topics that are identified in the syllabus). Each article summary is worth a total of 5 points. You may complete a total of 5 artical summary reviews, for a maximum of 25 points.(#4 Why would I want you to earn extra credit by reading articles related to course content?).
Final Grades:
Grades will be based on the following:
Tests(100 points each)300 points
Class assignments(10 points each) 100 points
Total points 400 points
Final grades will be point based. Grades will be assigned for points earned as follows:
A: 368-400 points
B: 336-367.99 points
C: 280-335.99points
D: 200-279.99 points
F: 199.99 pointsor below (and #5What kind of reinforcer are points and grades?)
Academic Dishonesty
Any cheating will not be tolerated. Cheating or plagiarism will result in an F in the course and referral to the Student Code Enforcement Review Board (SCERB) for disciplinary action.
Cheating INCLUDES (but is not limited to): plagiarism of both published and unpublished written work, having another individual take or assist you with an online exam, taking an exam for or assisting another individual with an online quiz, performing or completing a class assignment or quiz for another individual or having another individual perform or complete a class assignment or quiz for you.Cheating is thus defined generally as representing work that is NOT your own as your work or allowing your work to be represented as another’s' so that individual receives academic credit.
Violators of this policy will receive a failing grade on that assignment or quiz, a possible failing grade for the course, and referral to the department chair and the SCERB for disciplinary action.
(#6What kind of consequence is given for cheating; and #7Will this eliminate
or just reduce cheating and why?).
Special Problems
If you have a disability, if English is your second language, or need other special considerations, please see me as soon as possible (that's before the first test!) to work out any special arrangements that might be needed. If you fail a test, please see me as soon as possible. I cannot help you if you do not contact me for help!
Any student needing to arrange a reasonable accommodation for a documented disability and/or medical/mental health condition should contact Student Access and Accommodation Services at 350 Fell Hall, (309) 438-5853, or visit the StudentAccess.IllinoisState.edu. Other useful information about accessibility and working with Student Access and Accommodation Service can be found at http://studentaccess.illinoisstate.edu/faculty_staff/academic/.
Weekly Schedule
Outlined below are the reading assignments and lecture topics by lecture day. Please note that these are subject to change. Watch the website and listen for class announcements regarding changes. You will be held responsible for any changes to duedatesor reading assignments.
Date / Lecture Topic / Reading Assignment8/21/2017 / Intro to Class and What is learning? / Chapter 1
8/23/2017 / A brief history of Behavioral Research /
8/28/2017 / Innate Behavior and Habituation / Chapter2
8/33/2017 / Biological boundaries of Behavior /
9/4/2017 LABOR DAY NO CLASS
9/6/2017 / Introduction to and Parameters of Classical Conditioning
9/11/2017 / Theories of Associative Learning
/ Chapter 3
9/13/2017 / Theories of Associative Learning / Chapter 4
9/18/2017 / Rescorla Wagner Model of Classical Conditioning
9/20/2017 TEST #1
9/25/2017 / Operant versus classical conditioning: Law of Effect / Chapter 5
9/27/2017 / Applications of operant conditioning
10/2/2017 / Reinforcement schedules and factors affecting reinforcement schedules / Chapter 6
10/4/2017 / Choice and the Matching law
10/9/2017 / Self-control and Delayed Discounting /
10/11/2017 / Expectancy and Reward: Classical conditioning + Operant Conditioning / Chapter 7
10/16/2017 / Disequilibrium Models
10/18/2017 / Behavioral Economics /
10/23/2017 / Stimulus control / Chapter 8
10/25/2017 / Errorless learning and theFeature Negative Effect
10/30/2017 TEST #2
11/01/2017 / Extinction and behavioralmomentum
11/6/2017 / Avoidance and learned helplessness!
/ Chapter 9
11/8/2017 / Punishment / Chapter 10
11/13/2017 / Imitation and Modeling I
11/15/2017 / Imitation and Modeling II
11/20and 11/22Thanksgiving Break
11/27/2017 / Animal Cogntion I / Chapter 11
11/29/2017 / Animal Cogniton II
12/4/2017 / Animal Cogniton III / Chapter 12
12/6/2017 / Three levels of Selection: A starting point at our ending point /
Final Exam (Test #3) time and date will be announced
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