Psychology of Learning

EXP 4404  Fall 2009

 

Instructor:  Dr. Steve Kass, Professor of Psychology

Office: Pensacola Campus, Bldg 41/ room 230

Class Meets:  Tuesday & Thursday, 10:00 am to 11:15 am

Classroom: Bldg 58A, Room 106

Office Hours:  M & W: 8:30 – 10:30, T & R: 8:30 – 9:30.  Phone #:   474-2107

 

Credits:  3 Hours

 

Prerequisite: PSY 2012; Experimental psychology is highly recommended

 

Textbook: Learning and Behavior, 6th edition, by Paul Chance.  Including workbook and Sniffy the Virtual Rat, Lite software.

 

Course Description:

Principles and applications of learning theories, including conditioning and extinction, reinforcement and punishment, attention, memory, cognitive processes and physiological correlates of memory and cognition. It is preferred that the student has had several other psychology courses. This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive overview of the principles and theories of learning and memory.  Students will be expected to demonstrate proficiency in the use of these principles through exams, workbook assignments and laboratory reports.

 

Student Learning Outcomes:

Students who successfully complete this course should be able to:

-          Describe the classical conditioning paradigm and provide examples of its use

-          Describe the operant conditioning paradigm and provide examples of its use

-          Use the principles of learning to modify behavior (their own or that of another animal)

-          Explain the role of learning as an adaptive mechanism.

-          Describe and distinguish between the behavioral and cognitive approaches to understanding learning and memory.

-          Describe the various research methods used to develop models of conditioning and memory.

-          Describe the constraints imposed by biology on the nature of learning

 

Exams:  There will be 3 exams during the semester, with the third one being a cumulative final given during finals week.  Each exam will emphasize the application of text and lecture material (including movies, demos, etc.), rather than merely memorization of facts.  The format of each will be multiple choice. Half of the final exam questions will cover previously tested material and half will cover new material.  The final exam will be worth twice as much as either of the previous two exams. There will be absolutely no makeup exams without prior arrangements!

 

Lab Exercises:  Students will be expected to complete, and write lab reports about, two projects using Sniffy the Virtual Rat. For Project #1 you will classically condition a fear response in Sniffy to a light (ex 1-3), then using operant conditioning you will teach Sniffy to press a lever for food, extinguish that response, and measure spontaneous recovery of that behavior (ex 4-9). For Project #2 you will compare Sniffy’s behavior under various schedules of reinforcement and examine how partial reinforcement affects extinction (ex 10-15), then you will teach Sniffy a trick (ex 11-19).  You will be asked to document all of your activities by answering questions (to be provided), and printing the cumulative record (and/or other graphs) of Sniffy’s behavior in the Skinner box.  The lab reports must be typed (except where raw data has been written into a table).  See the Sniffy the Virtual Rat (Lite) Software manual for more details. 

            Project #1: Basics of Classical and Operant Conditioning (exercises 1-9)

            Project #2: Shaping Sniffy’s Behavior (exercises 10-19)

 

Workbook Exercises:  Students will complete 10 of the assigned workbook exercises, each completed exercise is worth up to 10 points (100 pts total). Students will only need to complete 10 exercises (additional completed exercises may serve as extra credit; 5 pts each).  Exercises must be turned in by the end of the class period that they are due.  Late assignments will NOT be accepted under ANY circumstances (automatic 0).  Electronic submissions will NOT be accepted. These exercises are designed to encourage students to read the chapter material before the class in which it is discussed and to attend class every day.  The exercises are to be completed in class (time permitting).  If an exercise cannot be assigned in class due to time limitations, then it will be assigned as homework (due the next class period).  The workbook items to be completed will be selected by me on the day that it is assigned and will correspond to the chapter that is covered that day.

 

Grading:  Grades will be based on the total points earned among students in the class. That is, the most total points earned by any one student will be considered 100%.  For you to receive an "A" your total points will need to be at least 93% of the highest total score.  Bonus points may become available throughout the semester.  Grades will not be provided via email or phone, you must meet me in person to receive your grades.

Exam #1             100

Exam #2             100

Final Exam         200

Sniffy Report 1    100

Sniffy Report 2    100

Workbook           100

Total                   700 pts

 

    Grade 

Average

   A

> 93

   A-

90 - 92

   B+

87- 89

   B

83 - 86

   B-

80 - 82

   C+

77 - 79

   C

73 - 76

   C-

70 - 72

   D+

67 - 69

   D

60 - 66

   F

< 60

 

Class Rules: 1. No spitting; 2. Turn off cell phones before entering class, no sending or receiving calls or text messages during class (automatic F if it occurs during an exam or class exercise); 3. Be on time to exams, you will be docked 1 pt for every 1 minute late and will not be permitted to take the test (automatic 0) if you are 10 minutes late; 4. If you do have to leave early for any reason, please minimize disruption to the class; 5. This is NOT an online class. Although attendance is not taken, it is mandatory to attend and participate in class (which includes completion of workbook assignments). All assignments must be turned in to me during the class period in which it is due.

 

Assistance:  If you have a need for any in-class accommodations, or special test-taking arrangements because of physical and/or perceptual limitations, please contact the instructor or the Psychology Department secretary before class begins or as soon as possible.

Tentative Schedule

 

Date                                                     Topic                                          Read

 

Aug 25           Introduction                                                                            ----

Aug 27           Learning to Change                                                             Chapter 1

Sep 1             Cont’d

Sep 3             The Study of Learning and Behavior                                      Chapter 2

Sep 8             Cont’d 

Sep 10           Pavlovian (Classical) Conditioning                                         Chapter 3

Sep 15           Cont’d

Sep 17           Pavlovian Applications                                                         Chapter 4

Sep 22           Cont’d

Sep 24           Sniffy Demonstrations/Review                                         Bring questions

Sep 29           Exam #1                                                                           Chapters 1-4

Oct 1             Reinforcement                                                                   Chapter 5

Oct 6              Cont’d

Oct 8              Schedules of Reinforcement                                                Chapter 6

Oct 13            Cont’d

                      Sniffy Lab Report 1 Due – Basics of Classical and Operant Conditioning (Sniffy Exercises 1-9)

Oct 15            Punishment                                                                       Chapter 7

Oct 20            Cont’d

Oct 22            Other Applications & Interpretations                                      Chapter 8

Oct 27            Sniffy Demonstration/Review                                            Bring questions

Oct 29            Exam #2                                                                            Chapters 5-8

Nov 3              Observational Learning                                                        Chapter 9

Nov 5              Cont’d

Nov 10            Hurricane/TS Ida  Class Cancelled

Nov 12            Generalization and Discrimination                                         Chapter 10

Nov 17             Cont’d

Nov 19            Memory and Forgetting                                                        Chapter 11

Nov 24            Cont’d

                      Sniffy Lab Report 2 Due - Shaping Sniffy’s Behavior (Sniffy Exercises 10-19)

Nov 26           No Class – Thanksgiving

Dec 1             The Limits of Learning                                                          Chapter 12

Dec 3             Cont’d/Review for final exam               

Dec 10           Final Exam (Cumulative) (8:30 – 11:00)                              Chps 1-12

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Note:  Schedule subject to change at instructor's discretion.