Behaviorism - Learning Through Conditioning Flashcards
(22 cards)
How is behaviour learned through conditioning?
All behaviours are learned via environmental interactions through a process called conditioning. Behaviour is simply a response to environmental stimuli. People are conditioned to behave or ‘respond’ by the people or events they experience. Learning occurs as a result of environmental forces acting upon a person.
How do learning theories assist counsellors approach in facilitating new, helpful behaviours in clients?
These theories assist counsellors to understand the relationship between a clients current ideas and behaviours, and the environmental experiences (people and events) they have encountered. If these experiences resulted in the learning of maladaptive behaviours, a counsellor can assist a client to ‘unlearn’ these behaviours through the development of new, more helpful behaviours and perspectives.
What do learning theories seek to do?
Learning theories seek to describe, explain, and predict behaviour.
What is ‘stimuli’?
Stimuli are things in the environment that we experience
What are the weaknesses of Behaviourism?
This theory does not take into account the contributions that people make to their own development and ignores less observable aspects that are also highly influential such as thoughts and emotions.
What are the two types of conditioning?
1: Classical
2: Operant
What is Classical Conditioning?
((Stimulus and response theory)
Some elements of human behaviour can be explained as a learned association between a stimulus and a response.
When the UCS and the NS are presented together very close in time, the subjects UCR is triggered by the UCS, but because the NS is also present, the response becomes associated with the NS as well. This generates a conditioned stimulus and a conditioned response
What is a stimulus?
An object or even in the environment
What is a response?
A subjects reaction to environmental stimuli
What is an unconditioned stimulus?
UCS
A stimulus that elicits an unconditioned response
What is an unconditioned response?
(UCR)
An innate behaviour or reflex in response to an UCS. Automatic and unlearned.
How does learning occur in Classical Conditioning?
Learning happens when a different kind of stimulus occurs very close in time to a UCS. This is known as pairing.
What is pairing?
When a neutral stimulus is paired with an UCS very close in time.
What is a neutral stimulus?
An event or object that does not elicit an UCR
What is a conditioned stimulus?
This is what the previous NS is called once it has been paired with the UCS enough to generate the response.
What is a conditioned response?
This is the same as the UCR except that it is now occurring in response to the CS
What are the three phases of Classical Conditioning?
1: Before Conditioning
UCS -> UCR
NS - no response
2: During Conditioning:
NS paired with UCS -> UCR
3: After Conditioning:
CS -> CR
What three actors can strengthen a conditioned response?
1: the frequency of the pairing. Generally, the more often the CS is paired with the UCS, the stronger and more reliable the CR will be.
2: The intensity of the UCS: More intense UCS’s will result in quicker acquisition of the CR.
3: the timing of the NS and the UCS: the closer in time that the NS and the UCS are presented, the more quickly the NS will become a CS.
The NS should be presented before the UCS.
Conditioned responses are not always permanent. What two factors influence this!
1: extinction
2: spontaneous recovery.
What is extinction?
The weakening of the CR when the CS is repeatedly presented without the UCS
What is spontaneous recovery?
This is the return of the CR after extinction has occurred.
What are the applications for counselling?
- to help the counsellor understand how a behaviour or other response developed.
- to help clients learn different ways of responding.
Classical conditioning can be used to facilitate Change e.g rapid desensitisation
