So the topic today is
about escape learning versus avoidance learning. And these two types
of learning fall under the category
of aversive control. And aversive control
is a term used to describe situations in
which a behavior is motivated by the threat of
something unpleasant. So let's say this
is you and you're studying the definition
of escape learning, which is when you perform a
behavior-- what the heck. A fire is breaking out. I'm sorry, you're going to
have to get out of this video. It's unsafe here. There's a fire breaking out. So thankfully there's an exit. Let's just get you out of here. And you're gone. So let's see if I can
put out these fires here so we can continue
on with our lecture. So thank goodness that
you got out safely. But let's bring you back
here so we can continue on. So as I was saying,
escape learning, also known as
escape conditioning, is when you perform
behavior to terminate an ongoing, unpleasant,
aversive stimulus. It's the kind of reaction you
have when you say to yourself, just get me the
heck out of here. There's an element of surprise
in escape conditioning because you're thrown
into a situation where you have to find
a way to get out. So in this case, when
the fire broke out you weren't expecting it. But you reacted appropriately
by escaping from the situation by using the exit door. So that's escape learning. Now, escape learning can
be converted into avoidance learning if some
sort of signal is given before the aversive or
unpleasant stimulus occurs. So using the fire
example, for instance, if you were standing
here listening to me talk and suddenly this
fire alarm started ringing off-- you would make
your way to the exit door and be long gone before
the fire's broke out. Put another way, you're
able to avoid the fire. So those are the two types
of aversive control, escape and avoidance.