Approaches -> Learning Approaches Flashcards
Classical Conditioning
classical conditioning is learning through association.
A stimulus produces the same response as another stimulus because they have been consistently presented together.
Pavlov (1927)
credited with discovering the process of classical conditioning.
dogs would not only salivate when food was placed in their mouths, but also when certain stimuli appeared.
This led Pavlov to explore how the dogs had learnt that these stimuli meant food was on the way.
Before Conditioning
Food was an unconditioned stimulus that produced the reflex of salivating, which is an unconditioned response. The bell was a neutral stimulus that produced no conditioned response.
During Conditioning
The unconditioned stimulus (food) was repeatedly paired with the neutral stimulus (bell). Eventually the dog associated the bell with food.
After Conditioning
The bell was a conditioned stimulus that produced salivating in the dogs as a conditioned response
Operant Conditioning
If the consequence of a behaviour is positive then the behaviour is likely to be repeated. If the consequence is negative then the behaviour is much less likely to be repeated.
Responses are reinforced
Reinforcement
Reinforcement is something in the environment that strengthens a particular behaviour (i.e. makes that behaviour more likely to happen). There are two types of reinforcement;
Positive Reinforcement
Occurs when behaviour produces a consequence that is satisfying or pleasant for the organism.
Negative Reinforcement
Occurs when behaviour removes something aversive (unpleasant) and returns the organism to the pre-aversive state.
Punishment
Punishment occurs when a behaviour leads to an unpleasant consequence. This decreases the likelihood that the behaviour will occur again.
Positive Punishment
This is when something unpleasant is added to a person’s life that was not there before.
Negative Punishment
This is when something pleasant is removed from a person’s life. For example, confiscating a student’s mobile phone.
Skinner
Skinner conducted a study on rats in a device called the Skinner Box.
The rat might accidentally press the lever and be rewarded by a food pellet which would drop into the Skinner box (positive reinforcement).
The rat could also learn that by pressing the lever they could avoid something unpleasant, by pressing the lever the rat could avoid receiving an electric shock (via the electrified floor). This is an example of negative reinforcement
Strength of Skinner
developed laws and principles
raises ethical concerns
&
enhanced the scientific status of Psychology
Weaknesses of Skinner
environmentally reductionist & deterministic
&
uses non-human animals
Modelling
– In order for social learning to take place role models must carry out the behaviour to be learnt. This could be a live model or from media.
Imitation
– A lot of the behaviour people acquire is learnt though imitating the behaviour that is modelled by others.
Identification
– We are more likely to imitate the behaviour of a model who we admire or who is similar to us in some way (e.g. same age). In order to identify with the model, observers must feel that they are similar enough to the model that if they performed the same behaviour, the consequence would be the same for them as it was for the model.
Vicarious Reinforcement
– Individuals learn by observing the behaviour of others and the reward and punishment they receive. People to not need to experience rewards or punishments directly in order to learn from them. People may learn behaviours, but not perform them because they have also learned that the behaviour is likely to be punished if displayed.
Mediational Processes
Attention
Retention
Imitation
Reproduction
Bandura (1961)
The children had to observe a model acting either aggressively or non aggressively with a bobo doll.
33% of children who observed and heard verbal aggression repeated what they had seen and heard. However 0% of children in the non aggressive group displayed verbal aggression. Boys were more aggressive than girls, and imitation of aggression was greatest when the model was the same gender as the observer (identification).
Strengths of SLT
evidence-based approach.
&
reduces self-blame
opportunity for people to change
Weaknesses of SLT
too simplistic,
biologically determined
&
environmentally deterministic
