Psychology — Learning Theory

Classical conditioning (Pavlov):

Neutral stimulus paired with unconditioned stimulus → becomes conditioned stimulus

UCS (food) → UCR (salivation)

CS (bell) + UCS → CS alone → CR (salivation)

Extinction: CS without UCS → CR weakens

Spontaneous recovery: extinct CR returns after rest

Operant conditioning (Skinner):

Positive reinforcement — add reward → behavior increases

Negative reinforcement — remove unpleasant stimulus → behavior increases

Positive punishment — add unpleasant stimulus → behavior decreases

Negative punishment — remove reward → behavior decreases

Schedules of reinforcement:

Fixed ratio: reward after set number (fastest response, rapid extinction)

Variable ratio: reward after unpredictable number (most resistant to extinction — slot machines)

Fixed interval: reward after set time

Variable interval: reward after unpredictable time

Memory stages: Sensory → Short-term (7±2 items, ~30 sec) → Long-term (unlimited)

Reference:

Wikipedia: Learning

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning