LeFrancois Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Evolutionary Psychology: Learning, Biology, and the Brain

Chapter Outline

Modified: 2008-10-24

I. This Chapter
- How does biology affect learning?
II. Learning Taste Aversions: Learning to avoid specific stimuli, often in one trial
- A. Conditioning Explanations for Taste Aversions
  - 1. Problems With Classical Conditioning Explanations of Taste Aversions
    - Single trial
    - Long latencies
    - Very selective learning and other stimuli do not show similar conditioning
  - 2. One-Trial Acquisitions of Taste Aversions
    - Many examples of one-trial learning (butterflies, rats)
  - 3. Delayed Conditioning of Taste Aversions
    - Long delay trace conditioning (remember 15 seconds?, hours!!)
  - 4. Latent Inhibition in Taste Aversion Learning
    - Will not eat same food later (rats, coyotes, humans)
    - Chicken Country in Stamps
    - Food neophobia
  - 5. Selectivity in Taste Aversion Learning
    - Important issue
    - NOT all stimuli can lead to taste aversion (Garcia & Koelling, 1965)
    - Quail data shows visual aversion data
- B. The Phenomenon of Blocking
  - Single stimulus predicts CR
  - Paired stimulus follows and one of the pairs is the original stimulus
  - Single stimulus presented (the other one in the pair) and no response occurs.
  - Blocking
- C. Explanations of Blocking
  - 1. The Rescorla-Wagner Model
    - Mathematical description of classical conditioning
    - Explains blocking
    - X and Y cause allergy, X causes allergy, hard to learn that Y causes allergy
  - 2. A Biological Explanation: Learning What Goes With What
    - Organisms learn expectations
    - Once a pairing is made, it is hard to displace
    - New learning is difficult if old learning already works
      - Think of word processing software
  - 3. Higher-Order Conditioning Higher order conditioning
    - Shows how "organism represents its structure of the world" (Rescorla)
  - 4. Conditioning as Biological Adaptation
    - Learning is an adaptive (and efficient) process
- D. Darwinian Natural Selection and Psychology
  - Long history of Darwinian influence in psychology of learning: Thorndike, Skinner
III. Evolutionary Psychology: Romanes, anti-tabula rasa metaphor (Locke), biological constraints
- A. Autoshaping
  - In pigeons, graphic
  - Why does pigeon start to peck?
  - Problem for conditioning theory
  - Pecking is food-related and a high-probability response
- B. Instinctive Drift (Breland and Breland) Marian Breland-Bailey
  - Misbehavior of Organisms (note pun), Skinner was not amused
    - pigs rooting
    - raccoons washing
    - chickens not running to first base
  - Animal Wonderland and IQ Zoo (Hot Springs) link
IV. Biological Constraints
- Some behaviors are easier to teach than others
  - Easy to teach cats and dogs to sit still
  - Hard to teach chickens to sit still, but easy to teach them to scratch
- Evolutionary linkage
  - Seligman-preparedness vs. contrapreparedness
    - rats and pigeons
    - humans

V. Sociobiology: A Precursor of Evolutionary Psychology

A. Inclusive Fitness and Altruism

Working for relatives is not really altruistic
Reciprocal altruism may be
Eugene

Eugene*

XXXX, Eugene Nov. 7, 1978. Born Sept. 4, 1871 West Point, Miss. Age 107 years. Beloved husband of Viola, dear father of W. C.(Louise), Robert (Lorine) of Arkansas, Johnnie (Corine) of Michigan, Doris (Paul) Boozer of Ohio, Mary Black and Mary (Roth) Bryant both of Iowa, Rosie Reed of Michigan, Alice (Abraham) Crawford. Also surviving 40 grandchildren, 55 great grand- children, 3 great great grand- children, other fond relatives. In state Fri. after 1 p.m. O'BEE FUNERAL HOME. 2400 W. Center St. Vigil 7-8 p.m. Funeral at Sat. 1 p.m. O'Bee Chapel, Burial Evergreen Cemetery.

Eugene's inclusive fitness*:

Relatives	r value	Product
7 sons and daughters	1/2	3.5
40 grandchildren	1/4	10
55 great grandchildren	1/8	6.875
3 great great grandchildren	1/16	0.1875
Total		20.5625
Replacement
2 sons and daughters	1/2	1
4 grandchildren	1/4	1
8 great grandchildren	1/8	1
16 great great grandchildren	1/16	1
Total		4

ZPG-Zero Population Growth or 2.1 children per couple.*

B. Some Reactions to Sociobiology
- Controversial when applied to humans
- Being replaced by evolutionary psychology

VI. Evolutionary Psychology: An Appraisal FAQ
- Classical conditioning is learning about expectations
- Evolution explains many examples of learning
  - Buss and jealousy graphic book review
- We carry our evolutionary heritage with us and it affects our learning
VII. Some Practical Applications: Biofeedback and Neurofeedback link
- A. Conditioning of Autonomic Responses
  - Originally thought that only classical conditioning of autonomic responses possible
  - Some demonstrations of automic control using operant conditioning techniques
  - Results not exactly similar to operant conditioning
- B. How Biofeedback Works
  - Many examples
  - Mechanism unclear
VIII. The Beginning of a Transition
IX. Learning and the Brain: Connecting learning to brain function is Holy Grail
- Take the Physio and Comparative course! This material ~~struck through~~ will NOT be on test.
X. Summary

Back to Main Learning Page