University of Pennsylvania
Psychology 121: Learning
Professor: Dr. Rescorla


Course Description

Psychology 121: Learning
Dr. Rescorla
1997
This course is intended to do two things: (a) acquaint students with our current knowledge about elementary learning processes and (b) expose students to the logic of carrying out empirical investigation of an important psychological phenomenon. It emphasizes current theoretical and experimental investigations of simple learning processes. The major topics covered include habituation, sensitization, Pavlovian conditioning, and instrumental learning. Most of the research covered focuses on learning and acquired motivational processes as exemplified primarily in nonhuman organisms, although some applications to human behavior are made.
The textbook for the course is David A. Lieberman Learning: Behavior and Cognition, 1993, Wadsworth (2nd edition). There is also bulk pack with additional required readings, available from Campus Copy. The articles in the bulk pack are examples of the professional literature in this area, but they are accessible to students gaining their first acquaintance with the material.
The course requirements consist of two hour examinations and a final examination. These examinations emphasize the ability to think creatively and analytically with the course material. Simple memorization of the content covered in the text or lectures will not yield a satisfactory examination performance. Rather it is necessary to develop skill in the analysis and design of experiments.

You can arrange appointments by calling the College Office. I plan to eat lunch in an accessible place every Friday. I will announce where and when later. I welcome your joining me.


Syllabus

Below is an outline of the major topics covered in the course. The attached sheet lists the readings by week.
I. Introduction: Basic Learning Situations (Jan 13 - Jan 24)
A. Individual Stimulus Learning
B. Pavlovian Conditioning
C. Instrumental Learning
II. Learning about individual events (Jan 27 - Feb 3)
A. Selected Examples
B. Habituation
1. Empirical Relations
2. Theories
C. Some applications
III. Learning about relations among events: Pavlovian Conditioning
A. Conditions for the formation of associations
1. Contiguity (Feb 5)
2. Challenges to contiguity (Feb 7 - Feb 10)
3. Selectivity of associations (Feb 12 - 21)
4. Constraints on learning (Feb 26 - 28)
B. Content of learning (March 3 - 7)
C. Mapping of learning into performance (March 17)
D. Some particular cases
1. within-compound learning (March 19)
2. hierarchical organization (March 21)
IV. Learning about relations between behavior and events: Instrumental behavior
A. Positive Reinforcers
1. Stimulus-response approach (March 24 - April 9)
a. theories of reinforcement
2. Response-outcome approach (April 11 - April 14)
B. Avoidance Learning (April 16 - 18)
C. Extinction (April 21-25)
Examinations (Tentative dates)
Hour Exam: February 24
Hour Exam: March 28
Final Examination: May 2, 11:00 a.m.

Reading Assignments

January 13-17
Lieberman, Chapter 1
January 20-24
Rescorla & Holland (bulk pack)
January 27-31
Flaherty (bulk pack)
Castellucci and Kandel (bulk pack)
Lantz (bulk pack)
February 3-7
Lieberman, Chapters 2-4
Rescorla, "Pavlovian conditioning and... (bulk pack)
February 10-14
Lieberman, pp. 146-165
Couvillon and Bitterman (bulk pack)
February 17-21
Gluck and Bower (bulk pack)
Lieberman, pp. 443-452
Lieberman, pp. 511-523
February 24-28
Lieberman, pp. 360-373
Garcia and Koelling (bulk pack)
March 3-7
Lieberman, 166-190
Rescorla, "The contents of learning" (bulk pack)
March 17-21
Siegel, Hinson, and Krank (bulk pack)
Rescorla "It's not what you think" (bulk pack)
March 24-28
Lieberman, Chapter 6
Premack (bulk pack)
March 31-April 4
Lieberman, Chapter 11
April 7-11
Rescorla, "Associative structures in instrumental..." (bulk pack, pages 1-7)
Rescorla, " Hierarchical Associative relations..." (bulk pack)
April 14-18
Lieberman, pp. 330-357
Lieberman, pp. 248-270
April 21-25
Lieberman, pp. 270-283

Miscellaneous Announcements

Class Time: MWF 10-11
Place: Stiteler Hall, Room B-26
First day of class: Monday, January 13th

Bulkpacks are now available at The Campus Copy Store, located at 39th and Walnut.

A copy of the bulkpack and the textbook are on reserve in Rosengarten Library.

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Created January 1997 by Felicia Hurewitz/ fel@psych.upenn.edu