Chapter Introduction
MYTH OR SCIENCE?
Is it true …
That Pavlov taught dogs to drool at the sound of a bell by rewarding them with food?
That you can develop a long-lasting aversion to a food or beverage if you get sick after eating or drinking it?
That people are more likely to fear snakes, spiders, and heights than more realistic threats like speeding cars or lightning?
That punishment is an effective way to teach new behaviors?
That the most effective way to teach a new behavior is to reward it each time it is performed?
That viewing violent films or television is not related to actual violent or aggressive behavior?
5
Learning
Gallery Stock
The Killer Attic
PROLOGUE
IN THIS CHAPTER:
INTRODUCTION: What Is Learning?
Classical Conditioning: Associating Stimuli
Contemporary Views of Classical Conditioning
Operant Conditioning: Associating Behaviors and Consequences
Contemporary Views of Operant Conditioning
Observational Learning: Imitating the Actions of Others
PSYCH FOR YOUR LIFE: Using Learning Principles to Improve Your Self-Control
SANDY’S PARENTS, ERV AND FERN, were married for more than 50 years.
Sometimes it seems truly amazing that they managed to stay together for so long, as you’ll see from this true story.
It was a warm summer morning in Chicago. Erv and Fern drank their coffee and made plans for the day. The lawn needed mowing, the garage needed cleaning, and someone had to go to the post office to buy stamps. Fern, who didn’t like driving, said that she would mow the lawn if Erv would go to the post office. Erv, who didn’t like yard work, readily agreed to the deal.
As Erv left for the post office, Fern started cutting the grass in the backyard. When Erv returned, he parked the car around the corner under some large shade trees so that it would stay cool while he puttered around in the garage. Walking through the front door to drop off the stamps, he noticed that the attic fan was squeaking loudly. Switching it off, Erv decided to oil the fan before he tackled the garage. He retrieved the stepladder and oil from the basement, propped the ladder under the attic’s trapdoor, and gingerly crawled up into the attic, leaving the trapdoor open.
Meanwhile, Fern was getting thirsty. As she walked past the garage on the way into the house, she noticed the car was still gone. “Why isn’t Erv back yet? He must have stopped somewhere on the way back from the post office,” she thought. As she got a glass of water, she noticed the stepladder and the open attic door. Muttering that Erv never put anything away, Fern latched the trapdoor shut and dragged the ladder back down to the basement.
Erv, who had crawled to the other side of the attic to oil the fan, never heard the attic trapdoor shut. It was very hot in the well-insulated, airless attic, so he tried to work fast. After oiling the fan, he crawled back to the trapdoor—only to discover that it was latched shut from the outside! “Fern,” he hollered, “open the door!” But Fern was already back outside, mowing away, and couldn’t hear Erv over the noise of the lawn mower. Erv, dripping with sweat, kept yelling and pounding on the trapdoor.
Outside, Fern was getting hot, too. She stopped to talk to a neighbor, leaving the lawn mower idling. He offered Fern a cold beer, and the two of them leaned over the fence, laughing and talking. From a small, sealed attic window, Erv watched the whole scene. Jealousy was now added to his list of discomforts. He was also seriously beginning to think that he might sweat to death in the attic heat. He could already see the tabloid headlines in the supermarket checkout line: LAUGHING WIFE DRINKS BEER WHILE HUSBAND COOKS IN ATTIC!
Finally, Fern went back to mowing, wondering what in the world had happened to Erv. Meanwhile, up in the attic, Erv was drenched with sweat and his heart was racing. He promised God he’d never complain about Chicago winters again. At last, Fern finished the lawn and walked back to the house. Hearing the back door open, Erv began to yell and pound on the trapdoor again.
“Hey, Fern! Fern!”
Fern froze in her tracks.
“Fern, let me out! I’m going to suffocate up here!”
“Erv! Is that you? Where are you?” she called, looking around.
“I’m in the attic! Let me out!”
“What are you doing in the attic? I thought you were at the store!”
“What do you think I’m doing? Let me out of here! Hurry!”
Once Fern was reassured that Erv had suffered no ill effects from being trapped in the attic, she burst out laughing. Later that day, still grumbling about Fern’s harebrained sense of humor, Erv removed the latch from the attic door and replaced it with a handle. Ever since, whenever Erv went up into the attic, he posted a sign on the ladder that read MAN IN THE ATTIC! In fact, for years afterward, Erv got nervous whenever he had to go up into the attic.
For her part, Fern began carefully checking on Erv’s whereabouts before closing the attic door. But she still laughs when she tells the story of the “killer attic”—which she does frequently, as it never fails to crack up her listeners. Luckily, Erv was a good sport and was used to Fern’s sense of humor.
Erv and Fern both learned from their experience, as is reflected in the changes in their behavior. Learning new behaviors can occur in many ways, but it almost always helps us adapt to changing circumstances, as you’ll see in this chapter. 