Hockenbury Discovering Psychology 5th txtbk

CHAPTER5LearningThe Killer AtticPROLOGUESANDY’S PARENTS, ERV AND FERN, latched the trapdoor shut and dragged thewere married for more than 50 years. ladder back down to the basement.Sometimes it seems truly amazing thatErv, who had crawled to the other sidethey managed to stay together for so long, of the attic to oil the fan, never heard theas you’ll see from this true story.attic trapdoor shut. It was very hot in theIt was a warm summer morning inwell-insulated, airless attic, so he tried toChicago. Erv and Fern drank their coffee and work fast. After oiling the fan, he crawledmade plans for the day. The lawn needed back to the trapdoor—only to discover thatmowing, the garage needed cleaning, and it was latched shut from the outside!someone had to go to the post office to buy “Fern,” he hollered, “open the door!” Butstamps. Fern, who didn’t like driving, said Fern was already back outside, mowingthat she would mow the lawn if Erv would away, and couldn’t hear Erv over the noisego to the post office. Erv, who didn’t like of the lawn mower. Erv, dripping withyard work, readily agreed to the deal.sweat, kept yelling and pounding on theAs Erv left for the post office, Fern started trapdoor.cutting the grass in the backyard. When Erv Outside, Fern was getting hot, too. Shereturned, he parked the car around the cornerunder some large shade trees so that it lawn mower idling. He offered Fern a coldstopped to talk to a neighbor, leaving thewould stay cool while he puttered around in beer, and the two of them leaned over thethe garage. Walking through the front door fence, laughing and talking. From a small,to drop off the stamps, he noticed that the sealed attic window, Erv watched theattic fan was squeaking loudly. Switching it whole scene. Jealousy was now added tooff, Erv decided to oil the fan before he his list of discomforts. He was also seriouslybeginning to think that he mighttackled the garage. He retrieved the stepladderand oil from the basement, propped the sweat to death in the attic heat. He couldladder under the attic’s trapdoor, and gingerlycrawled up into the attic, leaving the supermarket checkout line: LAUGHING WIFEalready see the tabloid headlines in thetrapdoor open.DRINKS BEER WHILE HUSBAND COOKS INMeanwhile, Fern was getting thirsty. As ATTIC!she walked past the garage on the way Finally, Fern went back to mowing, wonderingwhat in the world had happenedinto the house, she noticed the car was stillgone. “Why isn’t Erv back yet? He must to Erv. Meanwhile, up in the attic, Erv washave stopped somewhere on the way back drenched with sweat and his heart wasfrom the post office,” she thought. As she racing. He promised God he’d nevergot a glass of water, she noticed thecomplain about Chicago winters again. Atstepladder and the open attic door. Mutteringthat Erv never put anything away, Fern back to the house. Hearing the backlast, Fern finished the lawn and walkeddoor>Chapter Outline• Prologue: The Killer Attic• Introduction: What Is Learning?• Classical Conditioning:Associating StimuliIN FOCUS: Watson, ClassicalConditioning, and Advertising• Contemporary Views of ClassicalConditioningIN FOCUS: Evolution, BiologicalPreparedness, and ConditionedFears: What Gives You theCreeps?• Operant Conditioning:Associating Behaviorsand ConsequencesIN FOCUS: Changing the Behaviorof Others: Alternatives toPunishmentCRITICAL THINKING: Is HumanFreedom Just an Illusion?• Contemporary Views of OperantConditioning• Observational Learning: Imitatingthe Actions of OthersFOCUS ON NEUROSCIENCE: MirrorNeurons: Imitation in the Brain?CRITICAL THINKING: Does Exposureto Media Violence CauseAggressive Behavior?• Closing ThoughtsENHANCING WELL-BEING WITHPSYCHOLOGY: Using LearningPrinciples to Improve Self-Control• Chapter Review183