1a: Learning Theory

Question 1

What is habituation

Answer 1

Decrease in strength of a response to repeated stimulus

Question 2

What is sensitisation

Answer 2

Increase in strenght of a response to repeated stimulus

Question 3

Define classical conditioning. Give 2 examples

Answer 3

When a neutral stimulus (NS) becomes paired with an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) to give a conditioned response (CR)

Pavlov’s dogs:
Tuning fork sound = Neutral stimulus (NS)
Food = UCS which produces a UCR (salivation)
Sound + Food -> Salivation (UCR)
Sound only -> Salivation
Sound becomes CS, salivation becomes CR

Little Albert
White rat = NS
Loud noise = UCS -> crying UCR
White rat + Loud noise -> Crying (UCR)
White rat only -> Crying
White rat becomes CS, crying becomes CR

Question 4

Define Operant conditioning

Answer 4

Behaviour that is learned and maintained by CONSEQUENCES

Question 5

Give examples of the types of reinforcement/punishment

Answer 5

Positive reinforcement = Giving a reward strengthens your behaviour (e.g. Money makes you work harder)

Negative reinforcement = Removing/avoiding something bad strengthens your behaviour (e.g. Avoiding sunburns makes you put on suncream more often)

Positive punishment = Giving a punishment weakens a behaviour (e.g. Giving detentions to students to prevent bad behaviour)

Negative punishment = Removing something from someone weakens their behaviour (e.g. Taking away computer makes me play less games)

Question 6

Which one is more potent - reinforcement or punishment?

Answer 6

Reinforcement - because it can teach NEW things

Punishment only makes certain responses LESS FREQUENT

Question 7

Explain the concept of reinforcement schedules, and give 4 types with examples

Answer 7

Continuous reinforcement produces more rapid learning than partial reinforcement. BUT continuously reinforced responses extinguish faster than partially reinforced responses.

1. Fixed interval - after fixed amount of time (e.g. getting paid per hour)
2. Variable interval - time varies randomly around an average (e.g. catching a fish ON AVERAGE once every 20 mins)
3. Fixed ratio - after fixed number (e.g. trick-or-treating one house at a time)
4. Variable ratio - random number of responses around an average (e.g. catching a prize on a claw machine ON AVERAGE once every 5 tries)

Question 8

Define Social Learning theory and give examples

Answer 8

Observational learning: Observe the behaviours of others, and their consequences

VIcarious reinforcement: If their behaviour is reinforced (rewarding) we tend to imitate that behaviour

We imitate behaviour if it is:

1. Rewarding
2. Of higher status
3. Similar to us
4. Friendly.

Bobo Doll experiment
Children observed adults being aggressive towards bobo doll. They imitated this aggressive behaviour when left alone.

Another example:
Perfume ads make us think using it will get us all dem ladies. Makes us want to imitate man in the ad. This makes us buy it and use the perfume.

Question 9

Explain anticipatory nausea in chemotherapy using classical conditioning theory

Answer 9

Chemo machine = NS
Chemo treatment = UCS, Nausea = UCR

After pairing:

Chemo machine = CS
Nausea = CR

So seeing chemo-related cues leads to anticipatory nausea

Question 10

Explain needle phobias using classical and operant conditioning

Answer 10

Needle/clinical setting = NS
Trauma/pain = UCS
Fear = UCR

After pairing:
Needle/clinical setting = CS
Fear = CR

Negative reinforcement
Avoiding injections reduces fear so tendency to avoid is INCREASED (i.e. reinforced)

Question 11

How would you make classical conditioning stronger?

Answer 11

1. Repeated CS-UCS pairing
2. Make UCS more intense
3. Sequence involves forward pairing (CS first, then UCS)
4. Time interval between CS and UCS is short