Learning

Learning

1. What is classical conditioning?

   • One of the earliest explanations of how animals and humans can learn was proposed by Pavlov.
     • He noticed that the dog he was studying heard the food buckets being brought, it started to salicate. He knew that salivation is a reflec response; it is an automatic response that should usually occur when food is in the mouth
       • Pavlov realised that the dogs had learnt to salivate to a new event - the sound of the food buckets.
       • Pavlov set up a series of trials over the next few days. Each time the dog was fed, a bell was rung for a few seconds and the amount of saliva produced was measured.
         • Then the bell was rung for a few seconds and the amount of saliva produced on this trail was the same as when food was given.
   • Unconditioned is the term used to show that something is unlearned.
   • Conditioned means that something has been learned.
   • The procedure of classical conditioning demonstrates a special kind of learning. This is learning by association. During the conditioning trials, two stimuli are associated together.
   • Classical conditioning: a procedure during which an animal or person learns to associatea reflex response with a new stimulus
   • Classical conditioning schedule: the steps in the procedure to condition a new response
   • 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 salvation
   • Extinction: a conditioned response dies out
   • Spontaneous recovery: a conditioned response that has disappeared suddenly appears again
   • Watson and Rayner (1920)
     • AIM
       • To see if the emotional response of fear could be conditioned in a human being
     • METHOD
       • Albert was 11 months old. 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 Alberts 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 wasnt hit by the hammer and there was no loud noise. Albert also screamed when he was shown a santa clause 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
       • you might have said that this was not a very ethical thing for the researchers to do to a small child
       • this study only involved one child and maybe the researchers needed more evidence that fear can be learnt in this way. however, the study certainly seems to fit with what you might already know about any phobia that you might have
     • PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
       • in everyday life, advertising agencies recognise that if they can get us to build up a favourable association between the advert and the product, then we might buy that product more often

2. Definition: a relatively permanent change in behaviour due to experience

3. principles of operant conditioning

   • learning due to the consequences of behaviour, through positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement