Chapter 4 - Learning Theory Perspectives Flashcards
(34 cards)
classical conditioning
can account for learning in humans, can also explain many of our emotions
> unconditioned stimulus & unconditioned response
> neutral stimulus
> conditioned stimulus and conditioned response
> generalizing
extinction
Behaviorist perspective on classical conditioning
(regarding psychopathology)
psychopathology as a learnt, maladaptive response to a situation that may have been generalized to other situations / similar stimuli –> abnormal development resulted from acquiring maladaptive response
Operant Conditioning (Skinner)
classical conditioning too simplistic, rather consequences of the response are crucial, as it affects the probability of the response being repeated
> positive reinforcement
> negative reinforcement
> random or partial reinforcement schedules
> shaping
Positive reinforcement
consequence of a behavior is to encourage the repetition of that behavior
negative reinforcement
consequences that discourage repetition of behavior
random/ partial reinforcement schedules
produce behavior very resistant to change
shaping
Through the process of successive approximation, behaviors that are getting closer to a target behavior are progressively rewarded with positive reinforcement
Stimulus-response Model (Dollard & Miller)
- Attempt to integrate Freud‘s psychoanalytic approach with learning theory
- Behaviour is not only a response to environmental stimuli BUT can also be response to inner stimuli (cues) -> Role of cognitive processing in learning theory
habit
association between stimulus and response
> can be positive or negative
primary drives
(Stimulus-repsone Model, Dollard + Miller)
innate drives, psychological drives associated with ensuring survival for the individual
> reduction of these drives: most powerful reinforcement (automatically + unconscious),
> rarely directly observed
> Primary reinforcers: food, water, sleep
Secondary drives
mainly learnt to help us cope with the primary drives
> secondary reinforcers: items or events that were originally neutral but have acquired a value as a reinforcer through being associated with primary drive reduction
Learning of habits (Stimulus-Response Model)
- initial drive
- cues to act (guidance on how to act)
- response to act (if response not satisfying: extinction)
- reinforcement
conflict situations
(Stimulus reponse theory)
- approach-approach conflict: two equally desirable goals
- avoidance - avoidance conflict: two equally undesirable alternatives
- approach -avoidance conflict: one goal with desirable and undesirable aspects
- double approach avoidance: multiple goals, some desirable, some undesirable
Dollard + Miller account of human developement
deterministic: behavior is motivated by the need to reduce our primary and secondary drives –> learning behavior in the process
Dollard + Miller Approach to mental health disorders
- psychopathology as learnt, unproductive and unhelpful habits or responses
> aim of treatment: remove ineffective habits and replace them with new/ more effective habits
1. Talking phase
2. Performance phase
Albert Bandura and Social Learning theory
- individual as an active player responding to both inner stimuli and the external environment, moving back and forward in a dynamic system
> reciprocal determinism
Reciprocal Determinism
- processes that drive behavior - individual as being influenced by personal factors, behavior and environmental factors
= reciprocal causation
Personal agency (Bandura)
belief that you can change things to make them better for yourself /others
Proxy agency (Bandura)
Individuals turn to other people to change some of the factors that influence their lives
- downside: people might help people who don’t have their best at heart
collective agency (Bandura)
group of individuals come together believing that they can make a difference to their own / and other’s life circumstances (better than proxy agency)
Learning with Bandura’s model
- for learning to be effective: have to be aware of consequences (forethought)–> affects how we choose to behave
Observational learning model (Bandura)
learning occurs by watching and following what other people do and imitating their behavior
(modeling);
> knowledge acquirement (what we learned) vs. performance (what we can do)
3 factors of the model (observational learning)
- characteristics of the model
- attributes of the observer
- consequences of imitating a behavior
Personality Development in Social Learning Theory
“Social” = about how we learn from other individuals;
> maintaining motivation as an important part
> internal self-regulatory processes (more = more motivation)
