L7: The Relevance of Learning Theory to Psychotherapy Flashcards
Def of Learning
the acquisition of new behavior patterns.
Methods of learning include:
- simple forms (habituation and sensitization)
- more complex types (including classical conditioning and operant conditioning).
Learning methods are the basis of behavioral treatment techniques such as:
- systematic desensitization
- aversive conditioning
- flooding
- biofeedback
- token economy
- cognitive behavioral therapy.
Describe Habituation (desensitization)
repeated stimulation results in a decreased decreased response.
Example of Habituation (desensitization)
a child who receives weekly allergy injections cries less and less with each injection.
Describe Sensitization
repeated stimulation results in an increased increased response
Example of Sensitization
child who is afraid of spiders feels more anxiety each time he encounters a spider
Principles of Classical conditioning
- In classical conditioning, natural or reflexive response (behavior) is elicited by a learned stimulus (a cue je, from an internal or external event).
- This type of learning is called Associative learning.
Associated neuroanatomy to Classical conditioning
hippocampus particularly important in associative learning
cerebellum participates in classical conditioning, specifically in associations involving motor skills.
Elements of classical conditioning
- unconditioned stimulus
- unconditioned response
- conditioned stimulus
- conditioned response
unconditioned stimulus
is something that automatically, without having to be learned, produces a response (e.g., the odor of food).
unconditioned response
is a natural, reflexive behavior that does not have to be learned (e.g., salivation in response to the odor of food).
conditioned stimulus
is something that produces a response following learning (e.g., the sound of the lunch bell).
conditioned response
is a behavior that is learned by an association made between a conditioned stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus (e.g., salivation in response to the sound of the lunch bell).
Types of response
- acquisition
- extinction
- stimulus generalization
Describe acquisition
the conditioned response (e.g., salivation in response to the lunch bell) is learned.
Describe extinction
the conditioned response decreases (L) if the conditioned stimulus (e.g., the sound of the lunch bell) is never again paired with the unconditioned stimulus (e.g., the odor of food).
Describe Aversive conditioning
- An unwanted behavior (e.g., setting fires) is paired with a painful or aversive stimulus (e.g., a painful electric shock).
- An association is created between the unwanted behavior (fire-setting) and the aversive stimulus (pain) and the fire-setting ceases.
Describe stimulus generalization
a new stimulus (e.g., a church bell) that resembles a conditioned stimulus (e.g., the lunch bell) causes a conditioned response (e.g., salivation).
Learned helplessness
Imprinting
- is the tendency of organisms to make an association with and then follow the first thing they see after birth or hatching (in birds)
- does not occur in people.
Token economy
Biofeedback
