Learning Flashcards
Define learning
relatively permanent change to behaviour occuring as result of experience
How does learning occur in classical conditioning?
Through forming associations between two unrelated stimuli
What two studies focus on classical conditioning?
Pavlov’s dogs
Little Albert
Outline the neutral, unconditioned and conditioned stimuli in Pavlov’s dogs.
NS: bell
UCS: food
CS: bell
Outline the unconditioned and conditioned responses in Pavlov’s dogs.
UCR and CR: salivation
How does the NS become the CS in classical conditioning?
Repeated pairing of the two.
List two criticisms of Pavlov’s experiments
Can’t be generalised to humans
Phsycial/psychological harm to dogs
Define stimulus generalisation
When similar stimuli both generate the conditioned response
Define extinction
Decrease in strength of a CR in response to a CS
What is it called when conditioning becomes extinct experimentally?
Extinguishing
What is it called when there is a reappearance of CR in response to the CS after extinguishing?
Spontaneous recovery
Who studied Little Albert?
Watson and Rayner
What was the aim of Little Albert
To investigate classical conditioning and stimuli generalisation in children
Identify the NS and UCS of Little Albert
NS: white rat
UCS: loud noise
Identify the UCR and CR of Little Albert
UCR/CR: crying
How does pairing effect the NS in Little Albert
It turns the NS into the CS
How does stimuli generalisation occur in Little Albert?
Similar stimuli (santa clause beard, rabbit) cause the conditioned response
List two criticisms of the Little Albert study
Psychological trauma
Not fully informed consent from mother
How does learning occur in operant conditioning?
Thru consequence
What is Thorndikes Law of Effect
Behaviour leading to pleasant responses is repeated
Who studied the Superstitious Pigeons?
Skinner
What were the results of the superstitious pigeons experiment?
Supersitious behaviour developed, they carried out unrelated behaviours with belief that it was influencing the consequence.
List two criticisms of the Skinner box experiment
Doesn’t explain learning in higher animals
Ethical issues in relation to animals
Giving student detention is an example of?
A positive punisher
