Learning

Question 1

Give both definitions of learning

Answer 1

= changed behaviour as a result of experience = changed storage of information in the brain

Question 2

Law of contiguity (Classical conditioning)

Answer 2

when two things commonly occur together, the appearance of one will bring the other to mind - Aristotle

Question 3

Pavlovs dog - Explain

Answer 3

Dogs reflex = salivation when food touches oral mucous membranes but Dogs began to salivate at other times – when Pavlov entered the room, or when they heard his footsteps … when a bell rang

Question 4

Which cortical ‘centres’?

Answer 4

• bell activates auditory centre
• food activates food centre to produce salivation
• repetition = association between activation of the 2 centres
• over time simply ringing the bell produces salivation

Question 5

classical conditioning in medicine

clues: chemotherapy

explain the example

Answer 5

classical conditioning of anticipatory nausea and vomiting in cancer chemotherapy patients (Stockhorst et al., 2006)

• observed in ~25% of patients

nausea/vomiting = unconditioned responses to unconditioned stimulus (chemo drugs) which become conditioned responses to going to hospital

Question 6

Systematic desensitisation - outline the steps

Answer 6

psychological treatment for phobias

e. g. fear of injections
- patients develop a list of increasingly scary situations
- they are taught a relaxation technique
- start with the least scary situation begin the relaxation process
- gradually move through to establish a conditioned link between the feared object and relaxation

Question 7

Operant condtioning

definition?

how does it work?

Answer 7

= reinforcement and punishment

during reinforcement and punishment, behavior is changed by the experience of the association between the response and the consequence.

• Withdrawal of reward works.

Question 8

Explain skinner box

Answer 8

rats placed in the ‘Skinner Box’ learnt that if they pressed the lever, they would receive food (i.e. lever pressing is reinforced)

primary reinforcers are those needed for survival

e.g. water, food, sex

secondary reinforcers acquire power through experience

e.g. money, praise, attention

Question 9

Application of operant conditioning

Answer 9

to improve at any task we need feedback on performance

– preferably immediately and frequently

e. g. “star charts” for children
e. g. performance-related pay
e. g. change in appearance with exercise

extinction of undesired behaviour - if reinforcers are no longer present or are removed

punishment of undesirable behaviour – e.g. smacking

Question 10

Imitation and observation

Answer 10

we learn not just from reward and punishment, but from observing and imitating others

observed in animals

– e.g. apes with tools

altruistic behaviour

• donating to charity, helping change a tyre
• tip jar/busker’s case

but - we do not imitate/model all behaviour

• we do not imitate/model anyone’s behaviour

Question 11

Characteristics which triggers imitation behaviour

Answer 11

status

crossing against red light

others more likely to follow “respectable” model

friendliness

children more likely to imitate adults who had previously been friendly

power

children more likely imitate adult who they believed would be teacher

similarity

children’s preparation for surgery / hospitalisation

influence of doctors, parents, etc. as role models

Question 12

explain modelling and aggression

Answer 12

nursery children who observed aggressive adult

more likely to be aggressive (Bandura et al., 1961)

note: many other influences on aggressive behaviour
e. g., active participation in violent video games

Question 13

explain modelling and helping

Answer 13

we are less likely to help if we observe others not helping – e.g. epileptic seizure