Cognitive Psychology - Learning Flashcards
Learning - definition
Process through which experience modifies pre-existing behaviour and understanding. It allows us to adapt to changing environments.
We learn primarily by experiencing events, observing relationships between those events and noting the regularity in the world around us.
Stimuli
The changing world means we’re constantly bombarded with stimuli (sounds, sights, info).
Novel (new) stimuli attracts our attention while we descrease our response to unchanging/constant stimuli over time (habituation).
Habituation
Most simple form of learning.
It’s the process of adapting to stimuli that don’t change (e.g. wearing glasses, or the constant sound of a clock ticking).
It’s non-associative learning as it results from the impact of one stimulus, instead of association between stimuli.
Classical Conditioning
Learned associations by observing relationships
Neutral stimuli and unconditioned stimuli paired to form an association
Pavlov’s Experiment (1904)
Conditioning.
He noticed that salivation (first stage of digestion) sometimes occurred in dogs when there wasn’t any food, but when they saw the food bowls, etc.
Experiment:
First phase: when meat powder was placed on the dog’s tongue they salivated - natural reflex. He also checked that the dogs did not salivate when it heard a tone - neutral stimulus.
Second phase - tone sounds, then meat powder given. Repeated - training
Third phase - tone sounds but no meat.
Results:
For some time, the tone only created salivation. But, this rapidly decreased as no food was incoming. Spontaneous recovery, however - reconditioning worked faster.
Stimulus Discrimination
An organism learns to differentiate among similar stimuli - e.g. new parents learnt to discriminate own baby’s cries and wake up, but not for all cries.
Factors influencing learning of conditioning responses
> Timing - forward conditioning (neutral stimulus first) best. Backward conditioning (unconditioned stimulus first) possible but slower and may single absence of UCS
Signal strength - stronger CR, stronger UCS
Attention to stimulus - biggest focus will be associated with stimulus
Second-order conditioning
Second-order conditioning
When something (A) is associated with something (B) that is associated with something else (C), a link can be made between A and C
Applications of classical conditioning
Development of intense, irrational fears of objects or situations (phobias). Systematic desensitization uses CC principles to treat these fears.
Operant Conditioning
Skinner
When an organism learns a response by operating on the environment
Instrumental Conditioning
Thorndike’s Law of Effect
If a response is made to a particular stimulus is followed by satisfaction, that response is more likely to occur the next time the stimulus is present
Reinforcer
Stimulus event that increases probability that operant behaviour will occur again
Positive reinforcer - stimulus that strengthens response if following response (a desirable outcome)
Negative reinforcer - unpleasant stimulus that, if removed, strengthens response that removes stimulus
Basic components of operant conditioning
Operant (response that has some effect on the world)
Reinforcer (positive or negative)
Thorndike’s Puzzle Box
Cage with platform attached to trapdoor. Animal presses platform, trapdoor opened. Treats inside trapdoor. Cat pushes lever, opens trapdoor and gets treats (and gets out).
Conclusion: law of effect
Skinner’s Shuttle Box
Dog has to jump barrier to escape electric shock. A tone is sounded just before shock. Dog starts jumping at the tone and avoids the shock.
Martin Seligman - dog restrained for first shocks, when released it won’t escape»_space; Learned helplessness
