3 approaches to learning - Conditioning

3 approaches to learning - Conditioning

1. BEHAVIOURISM: WATSON

   • 1. Introspection was too unscientific
     • 2. Too much emphasis was being given to innate factors, underestimating the role of environment
   • Felt Classical Conditioning embraced psychology: Process was measurable while taking environment (stimulus) into consideration
   • Human behaviour is a product of a persons historical conditioning
     • LITTLE ALBERT = not afraid of the rat until Watson banged 2 pieces of metal together behind the child when reaching to pick up the rat. Little Albert subsequently feared the rat (P174)
       • SIEGEL (1984): Taking drugs in an unfamiliar place can cause death as taking them in familiar surroundings acts to protect. (P175)

2. PAVLOV: PHYSIOLOGIST

   • Reflex is an automatic response to a stimulus - meat juice placed in a dogs mouth produces salivation reflex
     • Study into psychic secretion followed when he discovered the emergence of the scientist was enough to produce salivation reflex in dogs
       • CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
         • Produced neutral stimulus (bell) just before known trigger, pairing it with natural stimulus. After several times of pairing the stimuli, the neutral stimulus was able to cause secretion of saliva (S-R)
           • 1. Bell = CONDITIONAL STIMULUS (CS)
           • 2. Response to bell = CONDITIONAL RESPONSE (CR)
           • 3. Reflex that links bell with salivation = CONDITIONAL REFLEX
           • Food = UNCONDITIONAL STIMULUS (UCS): Example of innate behaviour - response is biological
           • Salivation triggered by food = UNCONDITIONAL RESPONSE (UCR)

3. SKINNER: BEHAVIOURIST

   • INSTRUMENTAL CONDITIONING: form of conditioning where outcome depends on animals behaviour
     • TOLMAN (1932): trained rats in one box then changed box for a different shape. Showed rats still went in same general direction
     • GOLDMAN (1973): variation of Skinner box by changing number of pellets released to show evidence of expectancy. Showed higher levels of stress hormones when they got less
   • SKINNER BOX: Maze where rats are rewarded by pressing a lever
     • OPERANT CONDITIONING
     • Food: POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT
     • SHAPING: Building up the reward slowly until rat knows it needs to fully press lever to get food
     • LAW OF EFFECT: responses with favourable consequences will be learned
       • NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT: something terminated by behaviour where frequency of behaviour is increased (IE press lever to stop loud noise)
       • PUNISHMENT: Stimulus that decreases likelihood of behaviour (IE starting loud noise by pressing lever)