Modes of Learning
Associative learning: When an animal makes an association
between a stimulus and an outcome. Two forms are:
Classical (Pavlovian) conditioning: an animal associates a
biologically relevant stimulus (e.g., food) with a previously irrelevant
stimulus. For example, a dog presented the sound of a bell rung
alongside the presentation of food, will come to salivate at the sound
of the bell in the absence of food. Another example would be that a
raccoon learns that garbage cans contain food.
Operant (instrumental) conditioning : the behavior of an animal is
controlled by the consequences of that behavior. Typically, this
behavior develops through sequential reinforcement (e.g., a raccoon
learns how to open the garbage can to get food and is rewarded).
Positive reinforcement: Behavior is rewarded and then
increases.
Negative reinforcement : Behavior is increased through avoidance
of an unpleasant stimulus. (Also known as instrumental conditioning.)
Punishment or Inhibitory learning: Behavior is decreased
through avoidance of an unpleasant stimulus. This contrasts with
negative reinforcement, where the behavior increases.
Reinforcement learning: From machine learning: The
learner is not told which actions to take, but instead must discover
which actions yield the most reward by trying them. This is synonymous
with trial and error learning . As in optimal foraging in ecology,
the focus is on the balance between exploration (of unfamiliar
objects/places) and exploitation (of current knowledge).
Habituation: after repeated exposure, an animal decreasingly
responds to a stimulus. The stable end state is the animal’s level of
tolerance of a stimulus and the outcome is higher tolerance.
Sensitization: after repeated exposure, an animal increasingly
responds to a stimulus. The stable end state is the animal’s level of
tolerance of a stimulus, and the outcome is decreased tolerance.