Learning Principles

Question 1

Learning

Answer 1

Relatively permanent change in behaviour or knowledge, which results from practice or experience

Question 2

Maladaptive Behaviours

Answer 2

• Substance Abuse Disorders (drugs etc.)
• Physiological changes that can lead to illness (tension headache)
• Avoidance behaviours (swallowing pills)

Question 3

Adaptive Behaviours

Answer 3

• Exercise behaviour

- Social behaviour

Question 4

Classical Conditioning

Answer 4

Learning through association

Learning process in which an originally neutral stimulus, by repeated pairing with a stimulus that normally produces a response, comes to produce a similar or identical response

WHO?
PAVLOV!

Question 5

UCS

Answer 5

Elicits an unconditioned response (e.g. food (us) –> salivation (ucr) )

Question 6

UCR

Answer 6

Elicited by an UCS without prior training or learning

Question 7

CS

Answer 7

Previously neutral (bell) that comes to elicit a CR

Question 8

CR

Answer 8

Elicited by a previously neutral stimulus that occurs as a result of pairing neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus

Question 9

How do you get the best results?

Answer 9

CS – followed by –> UCS

Question 10

Habituation

Answer 10

Decrease in behavioural response when a stimulus is presented repeatedly

Question 11

Sensitisation

Answer 11

Increase in behavioural response when a stimulus is presented repeatedly

Question 12

Stimulus Generalisation

Answer 12

Automatic extension of conditioned responding to similar stimuli that have never been paired with the unconditioned stimulus (The Case of Little Albert)

Question 13

Stimulus Discrimination

Answer 13

Organism learns to respond differently to stimuli that differ from the CS on some dimension

Tendency for stimuli similar to a CS to stop eliciting a CR when they are not followed by an UCS

Question 14

Counterconditioning

Answer 14

When one CR is extinguished, while another response is established

Question 15

What is an example of counterconditioning?

Answer 15

Systematic Desensitisation

Question 16

What is Systematic Desensitisation?

Answer 16

Trains the client to maintain a state of relaxation in the presence of imagined or real anxiety inducing objects or events

Question 17

Steps of Systematic Desensitisation?

Answer 17

1. Teach the client a relaxation technique (Bensons/Jacobsons)
2. Assist client with construction of anxiety hierarchy
3. Proceed through hierarchy using imagery
4. Invivo desensitisation - doing things in real life

Question 18

Operant conditioning

Answer 18

Learning through CONSEQUENCES

Probability a response is changed by a change in consequences

Question 19

Is punishment or reinforcement more effective?

Answer 19

Reinforcement

Question 20

What are the types of reinforcers?

Answer 20

Primary > events that are inherently reinforcing - satisfy biological needs - (innate) - (e.g. food, air, water, sleep, pain)

Secondary (conditioned) > learned

Question 21

Positive Reinforcement

Answer 21

Presentation of a rewarding stimulus after a particular response to increase probability of behaviour recurring

(E.g. lollipop for good behaviour)

Question 22

Negative Reinforcement

Answer 22

Behaviour becomes probable by stopping, removing or avoiding a negative outcome or aversive stimulus

(E.g. good grades - don’t need to get a summer job)

Question 23

What are some Health related examples of Positive/Negative Reinforcement?

Answer 23

• Feeling good after exercise

- Taking an aspirin to stop a headache

Question 24

What are the two schedules of reinforcement?

Answer 24

Continous > after every response

Partial > only part of the time

Question 25

What are the four categories of partial reinforcement?

Answer 25

- Fixed Ratio - Variable Ratio - Fixed Interval - Variable Interval

Question 26

Fixed Ratio

Answer 26

Reinforcer delivered for the first response made after a fixed number or responses (E.g. paid each time you do one chore)

Question 27

Variable Ratio

Answer 27

Reinforcer delivered for the first response made after a variable number of responses whose average is predetermined (E.g. slot machine pays off on average - don't know what pull will pay)

Question 28

Fixed Interval

Answer 28

Response rewarded only after an amount of time has elapsed

Question 29

Variable Interval

Answer 29

Response rewarded after an unpredictable amount of time has passed

Question 30

Positive Punishment

Answer 30

Add something aversive/unpleasant to decrease the probability of behaviour (E.g. Smacking a child)

Question 31

Negative Punishment

Answer 31

Taking something good or desirable away in order to reduce occurrence of behaviour (E.g. lose licence)

Question 32

What is proximity and why is it important?

Answer 32

Refers to time between punishment (E.g. if you are drinking and having fun and the next morning you have a hangover, you are still probable to continue drinking because of the time difference)

Question 33

Social Learning Theory (Modelling)

Answer 33

Learning through OBSERVATION WHO? Bandura Learning through direct experience, however, we also learn by observational learning

Question 34

Health compromising behaviours from Modelling

Answer 34

- Being more sociable after drinking - Diving off a pier - Smoking and having a good time

Question 35

How can modelling be used in a professional setting?

Answer 35

- Improve health by motivating individuals to engage in behaviours that can improve/recover their health - Lead to improvements in health by increasing self-efficacy

Question 36

Can modelling be used to reduce fear and anxiety?

Answer 36

Yes! Preparing children for surgery - placing them with other children o fate same age who is having the same surgery

Question 37

Can modelling improve your confidence to perform behaviours?

Answer 37

Yes! Older person following a hip replacement (surrounding them with seniors who have had the same operation)