The Learning Approach

The Learning Approach

1. Behaviorist approach

   • behaviour learnt from experience
   • we are born w a blank slate - no genetic influence on behaviour

2. classical conditioning - learning by association

   • association made by previously NS and the reflex response
     • reflex response can be neg or posi
   • pavlov's dogs
     • before conditioning
       • food was UCS = UCR (dogs drooling)
       • neutral stimulus was bell = no response from dog
     • during/after conditioning
       • during- bell + UCS (food) = UCR (drool)
       • after -bell was conditioned stimulus = conditioned responese (drool)
   • stimulus generalisation = if stimulus has characteristics close to CS then association will be made to stimulus
     • lil albert scared of white fluffy things
   • Stimulus discrimination = where the association won't be made - stimulus and CS too different
     • lil albert not scared of big brown dog
   • time contiguity = association only happens between UCS and NS if they are present around same time as each other

3. Operant Conditioning - learning by consequence

   • positive reinforcement - doing an action gives u a good thing
     • do ur homework = good praise from teacher n good grades
   • negative reinforcement - doing an action to not receiving a nasty thing
     • doing homework = u dont get detention or angry teacher
   • positive punishment - doing an action and getting punished bad
     • speeding = a large fine
   • negative punishment - doing an action that causes u to lose something u like
     • on ur phone at night = phone taken away from u
   • skinner's research
     • pushed a lever to get food = posi reinforcement
     • avoided electric floor to not get shocked - negi reinforcement
   • evaluation
     • behaviourists use scientific methods and this seems to have crediblity in their methods
     • practical application to change behaviour from neg to posi such as in prisons n school
     • reductionist bc doesn't think about cognitive processes as it isn't observable
     • believes we don't have control over our behaviour - deterministic approach - problems legally
     • doesn't explain spontaneous behaviour v well
     • research uses animals - extrapoliation issues

4. Social Learning Theory - behaviour learnt from environment/observing others

   • considers cognitive approach
   • Bandura's research
     • we learn behaviour vicariously thro watching a role model
     • bobo doll - to see the effect of a continual influence n to see if gender of model effects observer
       • behaviour continues after a delay
         • children who observed agg behaviour acted agg n boys acted more agg than girls
       • can only see short term effects - diffi to test lt
       • bobo doll designed to hit - reduces validity of study
   • Key concepts
     • Imitation - when an indiv observes a behaviour from a role model n copies it
     • Identification - when an indiv is influenced by another bc they are someway similar to them or wish to be like them
     • Modelling - model is the person that influences a person , a person can model their behaviour
     • vicarious reinforcement - the reinforcement the observer sees the model receiving
   • Role of the mediating process
     • Attention - has to see the behaviour happening
       • Retention - has to remember it
         • reproduction - be able to physically reproduce it themselves
           • motivation - considering if they really do want to do it
   • Evaluation
     • explains imitation of certain behaviours (why would someone start smoking)
     • uses a variety of research methods so can be criticised for not being scientific