Perception Learning

Question 1

Outline a newborn’s sensory capabilities in the areas of touch, taste and hearing

Answer 1

1. Touch present at birth
   Reflexes, pain reactions
2. Taste
   - Clear differentiation between sweet, sour and bitter
3. Hearing
   Develops prenatally
   - Differentiation between voices

Question 2

Describe how vision develops in the first year

Answer 2

Increase in acuity
- at birth acuity is low
- at age 1 acuity increases rapidly
- Increase in depth perception (stereoptic viewing)

Question 3

Describe the process of habituation

Answer 3

1. Repeated presentation of same stimulus reduces babies’ interest towards stimulus
2. Dishabituation occurs when new stimulus is presented AND baby
   recognizes the difference between the two stimuli
3. Learning process, not just fatigue
4. Important dimension of individual differences

Question 4

Outline key elements in classical and operational conditioning

Answer 4

1. Classical: Association between stimulus and response
   - Unconditioned response: an automatic response to a stimulus.
   – example; dogs salivate for food
   - Conditioned response: a learned response to a previously neutral stimulus
   – example; ringing of the bell that creates salvation for food
2. Operational: Association between behavior and consequences
   - Positive reinforcement: rewarding a positive behaviour (ex; stickers after class)
   - negative reinforcement: taking something away to attempt to achieved a desired behaviour
   -example; taking phone away to do homework
   - punishment: taking toys away as a consequence

Question 5

Describe developmental trends in observational learning

Answer 5

1. Imitation present from birth
2. Deferred imitation develops around 6-8 months
3. Imitation of intentions (rather than actual behaviour): 18 months
   – Understanding of goals

Question 6

Stereoptic viewing:

Answer 6

the ability of the visual brain to register a sense of three-dimensional shape and form from visual inputs