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Psychology: Learning Theory

1. Learning theory is the name given to a group of explanations (classical or operant conditioning), which explains behaviour in terms of learning rather than any inborn tendencies or higher order thinking.

   • Classical condition: when we associate things with the way we learn. For example, Ivan Pavlov conducted research on the salvation of dogs. He recorded how much they salivated each time they were fed. He noticed that the dogs starting salivating before they were fed. The dogs had associated the door opening with food so every time the door opened they expected to be fed.
   • Operant conditioning: when we are praised for doing somethi9ng good. If we do something good and it results in a "pleasant consequence" the behaviour gets "stamped in" or "reinforced" so it becomes highly likely we will repeat the behaviour again. The same goes for if we do something bad except it will result in a "unpleasant consequence" so we will be deterred from repeating that behaviour.