Topic 4: Learning Flashcards
What is learning?
- enduring change due to response of an experience
- change/adaptation to behaviour
- can change the way we perceive, think, feel, act
- cannot be observed directly = inferred from behaviour observed
What are the 3 main types of learning?
- classical conditioning
- operant conditioning
- modelling/observational learning (cognitive-social)
What is classical conditioning (CC)?
learning of a new association/relationship between two previously unrelated stimuli
What is only applied to CC?
reflexes and autonomic responses
What is the process of CC?
stimulus elicit sensory/behavioural response + automatic reflexive response = behavioural response outside out conscious awareness
Who is associated with CC?
Ivan Pavlov - salivating dogs - Pavlovian Conditioning John Watson (behaviourism) - little Albert - reflexive emotional response
Model of CC
Prior:
UCS (meat) - UCR (salivation)
NS (bell) - No UCR (no salivation)
During:
NS (bell) - UCS (meat) - UCR (saltivation)
After:
CS (bell) - CR (salivation)
What is operant conditioning (OC)?
learning of a new association between behaviour and its consequences = voluntary response
reinforcement + punishment
OC and reinforcement
INCREASES likelihood of future behaviour
+ reinforcement = pleasant stimulus
- reinforcement = removal of aversive stimulus
OC and punishment
DECREASES likelihood of future behaviour
+ punishment = aversive stimulus
- punishment = removal of pleasant stimulus
Who is associated with OC?
B.F Skinner - skinner box; rats and reward system
Problems of punishment
learner may not understand which behaviour is being punished, fear the ‘punisher’, may not undo existing rewards for a behaviour, punitive aggression = future aggression
Schedules of reinforcement
how often and when we receive reinforcement
Continuous reinforcement
behaviour reinforced every time it occurs, best used during initial learning
Intermittent/partial reinforcement
behaviour reinforced part of the time, more difficult to extinguish
Ratio schedule
fixed ratio - reinforcement after certain # of responses = high response rate
variable ratio - reinforcement after varying # of responses = higher response rate, resilient against extinction
Interval schedules
fixed interval - reinforcement after specific time period has passed = low response rate
variable interval - reinforcement after first response and then varying time periods = stable response rate
Real world OC examples
behavioural modification (remedial education, therapy for ASD) behavioural therapy (quitting smoking)
What is cognitive-social learning?
role of thought + social learning on behaviour
observational & modelling
What is observational learning?
learn by observing behaviour of others (models), with/out CC and OC
What is modelling?
reproduce/copy another’s behaviour
imitation depends on prestige of model, likeability, attractiveness, whether model is rewarded/punished for behaviour (vicarious conditioning)
Who is associated with cognitive-social learning?
Albert Bandura - bobo doll experiment
Stimulus generalisation and discrimination (CC)
if a response is conditioned to one stimulus, the organism may also respond to a similar stimulus (generalisation) but not to a disimilar stimulus (discrimination)
Eg: little albert conditioned fear of rats generalised to other furry white objects
Habituation
DECREASE in behavioural response when stimulus is presented repeatedly
