Learning. Chapter 6

Learning. Chapter 6

1. Classical Conditioning

   • The type of learning when a stimulus acquires the capacity to evolve a response that was originally evoked by another stimulus.
   • Ivan Pavlov was responsible for turning psychology from research focusing on introspection, to a more scientific approach. He showed how stimuli in the external world controlled our actions and behaviours.
     • Pavlov built a theory of learning that attempted to explain aspects of emotion, temperament, neuroses and language.
       • "Psychic reflex" came to be called the conditioned reflex
   • Unconditioned stimulus is a stimulus that evokes an unconditioned response without previous conditioning
     • Unconditioned response is an unlearned reaction to an unconditioned stimulus that occurs without previous conditioning
       • Conditioned stimulus is a previously neutral stimulus that has, through conditioning, acquired the capacity to evoke a conditioned response
         • Conditioned response is a learned reaction to a conditioned stimulus that occurs because of previous conditioning
   • Conditioned fear & anxiety
     • Classical conditioning plays a key role in shaping feaer
       • Suffering from phobias suggests the fears can be traced back to classical conditioning
         • Traumatic experiences associated with stimuli don't automatically lead to conditioned fears or phobias
     • Evaluative conditioning
       • Refers to the changes I the liking of a stimulus that result from pairing that stimulus with out positive or negative stimulus
       • A great deal of empirical evidence attests to the fact that evaluative conditioning can shape people's attitudes
       • Mysterious Case of Little Albert
         • Stimulus generalization
           • When an organism that has learned a response to a specific stimulus responds in the same way to new stimuli that are similar to the original stimulus
           • John B. Watson conducted the study of little albert

2. Operant Conditioning

   • A form of learning in which resesponses come to be controlled by their consequenc
   • Thorndike's Law of Effect
     • In the presence of a stimulus leading to a satisfying effect, the association between the stimulus and the response is strengthened
   • Skinners Demonstration
     • Skinner demonstrated that organisms tend to repeat those responses that are followed by favourable consequences
       • Skinner's concept of reinforcement. Reinforcement occurs when an event following a response increases an organism's tendency to make that response
   • Positive vs. negative reinforcement
     • Positive reinforcement occurs when a response is strengthened because it is followed by the presentation of a rewarding stimulus. ex. good grades, meals, paycheques
       • Negative reinforcement occurs when a response is strengthened because it is followed by the removal of an unpleasant stimulus. ex. removal of a shock, or pain.
   • Evolutionary & Biological Effects
     • Instinctive drift occurs when an animal's innate response tendencies interfere with conditioning processes.

3. Observational Learning

   • Observation learning occurs when an organism's responding is influenced by the observation of others, who are called models.
   • Basic Processes
     • Pay attention to other's behaviours and consquences
       • Retention. Store a mental representation in your memory
         • Reproduction. Your ability to enact a response based on your memory of the model
           • Motivation to reproduce an observed response
   • Media Violence Controversy
     • Bandura conducted a series of classical experiments on aggression referred to as the "Bobo doll" experiment
       • Bandura showed that children would imitate aggressive behaviour directed towards the doll. All children behaved aggressively if they were offered a reward for imitating the model's behaviour
   • Mirror Neurons
     • Activated by performing an action or by seeing another monkey or person perform the same action
       • Neurons have been found in the frontal and parietal lobe in humans