Behaviourist approaches to learning Flashcards
KKDP 1
Learning
Learning is commonly defined as a relatively permanent change in beha our that occurs as a result of experience
● Can occur intentionally
○ E.g: when someone takes piano lessons
● Can also occur unintentionally.
○ E.g: watching or hearing someone else play piano
● Can be active
○ E.g: reciting multiplication tables
● Can be passive
○ E.g: hearing about Australia’s performance in the Olympic Games
Behaviourist Approaches to Learning:
Beha viourist approaches to learning: theories that propose learning occurs by interacting with the external en vironment
● Focus on beha viours that can be directly observed and recorded.
Classical conditioning
A process of learning through the involuntary association between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus that results in a conditioned response
Stages of Classical Conditioning: Before Conditioning
Before conditioning is the first stage of classical conditioning, during which the neutral stimulus has no associations and therefore does not produce any significant response.
This first stage of classical conditioning involves the:
● Neutral Stimulus, which is the stimulus that produces no significant response prior to conditioning.
● Unconditioned Stimulus, which is the stimulus that produces an unconscious response.
● Unconditioned Response, which is a naturally occurring beha viour in response to a stimulus.
Stages of Classical Conditioning: During Conditioning
During Conditioning is the second stage of classical conditioning, during which the neutral stimulus is repeatedly paired with the unconditioned stimulus, producing the unconditioned response. During this stage, the neutral stimulus (NS) is repeatedly paired with the unconditioned stimulus (UCS), which in turn produces the unconditioned response (UCR).
● The NS is repeatedly paired with the UCS, which in turn produces the UCR.
● The NS is to be presented half of a second before the UCS.
Stages of Classical Conditioning: After Conditioning
A fter conditioning is the third stage of classical conditioning, during which the neutral stimulus becomes the conditioned stimulus, producing a conditioned response. This is the final stage of classical conditioning. By this point, the conditioned response has been learnt.
The neutral stimulus is now referred to as the conditioned stimulus, and its presentation alone will produce a conditioned response, which will be similar to the original unconditioned response.
The a er conditioning stage of classical conditioning involves the:
● Conditioned stimulus, which is the stimulus (originally the neutral stimulus) that produces a conditioned response a er being repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus.
● Conditioned response, which is the response that occurs involuntarily a er the conditioned stimulus is presented.
What to Remember about Classical Conditioning
It is passive:
The person/animal being conditioned does not have to consciously make any kind of conscious effort to learn.
It is involuntary:
It is a BIOLOGICAL process that includes automatic responses or REFLEXES
Operant Conditioning
● Unlike CC which is reflexive and involuntary, Operant Conditioning is a voluntary beha viour that acts upon the envi ronment in the same way each time.
● It is ACTIVE, the indi vidual is very much part of the learning process as they decide their beha viours.
Three-Phase Model of Operant Conditioning
Antecedent: Any en vironmental stimulus that triggers an action
Behavi our: Any action that occurs because of the antecedent
Consequence: Something that makes the beha viour more or less likely to occur again
Consequences in Operant Conditioning:
Reinforcement: always strengthens the likelihood of beha viour occurring again Punishment: always weakens the likelihood of behavi our occurring again
Types of Reinforcement
Reinforcer: Any stimulus (action or event) that strengthens or increases the likelihood of a response
● Positive Reinforcer (given a pleasant thing or experience) - reward that strengthens a response by pro ding a pleasant or satisfying consequence.
● Negative Reinforcer (an unpleasant thing is taken away) - the removal, reduction, or prevention of an unpleasant stimulus.
Types of Reinforcement
Punisher: any stimulus (action or event) that weakens or decreases the likelihood of a response (beha our). Punishers are any consequences that lead to a decrease in a given response
● Positive Punishment (receive something undesirable) - a beha our followed by a negative experience.
● Negative Punishment (something good is taken away. It will cost you something) - a form of punishment that entails something desirable being removed
What to Remember about Operant Conditioning
Negative = something is taken away - ‘minused’ Positive = something is given; ‘added’
