Learning unit 2

Conditioning

• Classical conditioning: A procedure during which an animal or person learns to associate a reflex response with a new stimulus.
• Unconditioned stimulus (UCS): the stimulus that produces a reflex response, such as the food for Pavlov's dog
• Unconditioned response (UCR): the reflex response to an unconditioned stimulus, such as Pavlov's dog's salivation
• Conditioned stimulus (CS): a new stimulus presented with the UCS, such as the bell in Pavlov's experiment
• Conditioned response (CR): the response that is learnt; it now occurs when the CS is presented, such as Pavlov's dog's salivation

Watson and Rayner

• Aim: To see if the emotional response of fear could be conditioned in a human being
• Method: Albert was 11 months. He seemed to like a white laboratory rat and had no fear of any white furry objects. In the conditioning trials the rat was shown to Albert and, as he reached for it, a metal bar was hit very hard with a hammer, behind Albert's back. This was done several times.
• Results: After seven times, when the rat was presented again, Albert screamed and tried to get away. He did this even though the bar was not hit by the hammer and there was no loud noise. Albert also screamed when he was shown a Santa Claus mask and a fur coat.
• Conclusion: Watson and Rayner showed that fear responses could be learnt and even very young children can learn in the way suggested by classical conditioning.
• Evaluation:

Practical applications

Law of effect

Operant conditioning

• Operant conditioning: learning due to the consequences of behaviour, through positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement.

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• Punishment: a stimulus that weakens behaviour because it is unpleasant and we try to avoid it.
• Reinforcement: a consequence of behaviour that encourages or strengthens a behaviour. This might be seen as reward.
• Positive reinforcement: a reward or pleasant consequence that increases the likelihood that a behaviour or action will be repeated.
• Negative reinforcement: when an unpleasant experience is removed after a behaviour or action has been made. This increases the likelihood of that behaviour or action being repeated.

Treatment of phobias

• FLOODING
• EVALUATION

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• SYSTEMATIC DESENSITISATION
• EVALUATION

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• AVERSION THERAPY
• EVALUATION

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• TOKEN ECONOMY
• EVALUATION

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