Conditioning and learning

Conditioning and learning

1. CLASSICAL CONDITIONING

   • a neutral stimulus that elicits a conditioned response
   • learning by association
   • acquiring of knowledge that certain events will follow other events
   • stages of learning
     • ARESG
       • Acquisition
       • reinforcement
       • extinction
       • Spontaneous recovery
       • generalisation
   • application
     • conditioned fatigue
     • taste aversion
     • therapeutic uses
       • systematic desensitisation

2. OPERANT CONDITIONING

   • learning by consequences
   • reinforcement and punishment
   • punishment should not be confused with a negative reinforcer
     • punishment = response followed by aversive stimulus
     • negative reinforcer = aversive event terminated following a response
   • reinforcement schedules
     • Ratios
       • fixed
       • variable
     • Intervals
       • fixed
       • variable
   • reinforcement types
     • primary
       • linked to survival and biological needs
     • secondary
       • reinforcing due to association with other reinforcers
   • clinical examples
     • people often get ill because of attention
       • reinforced by others