Learning Flashcards
Define learning and state the types of learning and define them
- Learning is the acquisition of knowledge or skill that is not the result of maturation.
- It can take place through association, understanding or observation.
- Associative learning includes classical and operant conditioning.
- Cognitive learning involves understanding and uses cognitive strategies to process information.
- Observational learning involves modelling.
Name and explain the types of associative learning
Classical Conditioning CC (Respondent Learning)
: Classical conditioning involves repeated administration of a new stimulus together with an unconditioned stimulus (UCS)
•
Operant Conditioning OC (Instrumental Learning):
Who described classical conditioning and when did he do so and what did the experiment he did comprise of
Described by Pavlov (1849-1936) in 1927 •Trained dogs to salivate in response to a light or bell by associating it with food. The UCS (food) is known to elicit a specific unconditioned response (UCR), salivation.
How does classical conditioning work and give an example
This repeated association results in the new stimulus (bell) being able to produce the same response(salivation), eventually without the UCS (Food).
•The new stimulus(bell) is the conditioned stimulus( CS) and the learned response it produces(salivation) is now termed conditioned response( CR), once the association has been acquired.(if you can associate the food w the bell then the bell becomes conditioned stimulus and makes the food conditioned instead of unconditioned)
•The forming of an association is an automatic behaviour (passive process) and does not require understanding. It can be regarded as a means of extending a response from one stimulus to another.
Example-Eg: In Pavlov’s experiments the dogs’ response of salivating to food was extended to a bell.
•
What are the stages in classical conditioning
Acquisition stage: The period of pairing required between an UCS and a CS for the association to be learned and the conditioned response to occur. Acquisition of CR is selective
•Stimulus preparedness: Certain stimuli are more likely to
become a CS than others
•Simultaneous conditioning, the CS and UCS are applied together (CS continues until response occurs). This is less effective than delayed conditioning
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
•Delayed conditioning: in this the start of the CS precedes the start of UCS (optimal delay is less than 1 s).
•Trace conditioning, in this the UCS ends before the CS begins. It is the least effective example- food is eaten then the bell is rang
•Extinction: The gradual disappearance of CR when there is repeated presentation of CS without UCS
•Second –order conditioning : Learning to respond to a new CS through association with the original CS (but not the original UCS)
Example-you use a drum then you bring a bell then the dog salivates soon you’ll only use the drum without the bell and the dog will salivate so the bell is the original CS
If a stimulus similar to the CS is used, the response is generalized and enables learning of similarities. Response generalization diminishes in proportion to the degree of dissimilarity between the new stimulus and the original CS.
True or false
True
Define discrimination and incubation
•Discrimination: the ability to recognize and respond to the differences between similar stimuli and can be produced by differential reinforcement.
Example- if you play a note on the piano (or any sound similar to a bell)that is similar to the bell and the dog salivates with time the dog will be able to recognize the difference between the bell sound by the piano(or any sound similar to a bell) and the bell sound from an actual bell so when the sound that is similar to the bell is played the dog won’t salivate
•For emotional reactions, repeated brief exposure to the CS can result in a large increase in the strength of the CR. This is termed incubation.
Example- when someone does something to you saa but you never react it accumulates and one time that the person will do something then all the accumulated emotions will just burst out
In 1920 what did Watson and Rayner do concerning classical conditioning
1920, Watson and Rayner used CC to induce a white-rat phobia in Little Albert (11-month-old boy) by associating a loud noise with every presentation of the rat. This was then repeated with a white rabbit, and eventually the boy’s fear was generalized to any furry object.
State Skinners theory based on Thorndikes law of effect , when both theories came about and explain the experiment done by Skinner
Skinner (1904–1990) proposed an associative learning theory based on Thorndike’s (1874–1949) law of effect. This states that if a voluntary behaviour (operating on trial and error) is rewarded it will be repeated, and vice versa.
•A hungry rat placed in a Skinner box (contains a lever which releases food pellets) learns to press the lever in order to receive food. In this way the CR (pressing the lever) is reinforced. Operant conditioning is thus an active form of learning (the rat must act in order for conditioning to occur).
State the types of operant conditioning and explain
Primary reinforcement rewards basic drives (e.g. nourishment, sex) and is independent of prior learning. No one needs to tell you to do the things before you do it. No one asks you to drink water before you do so cuz naturally you know you drink water when you’re thirsty. You don’t need to learn that you drink water when you’re thirsty
•Secondary reinforcement rewards learned drives (e.g. money, praise) and is more subjective. You know you’ll get something from it so you do it
Explain positive and negative reinforcement
OPERANT CONDITIONING
•Positive Reinforcement: This is the type by which a reward reinforces a response and increases the likelihood of its occurrence.
•
Negative Reinforcement: The type whereby an unpleasant condition
is removed and again increases the likelihood of the response.something bad happens or something is taken from you to make you continue doing the right thing
State the three kinds of aversive conditioning and explain em
•Punishment is an aversive consequence that is intended to reduce the likelihood of recurrence, and is most effective when given promptly
Punishment is one of three kinds of aversive conditioning. The other two are
•
avoidance conditioning, in which the conditioned response prevents an adverse event occurring (seen in obsessive–compulsive disorders).
•
escape conditioning, in which the CR provides escape from the adverse event (seen in phobias; extremely resistant to extinction).
When escape conditioning is performed in the imagination aversive conditioning is termed ?
Covert sensitization
What kind of conditioning is seen in phobias and what type is seen in OCD
Escape conditioning
Avoidance conditioning
Explain chaining and shaping
In chaining, a desired behaviour is broken down into a series of simpler steps which are then taught separately and eventually linked together.
Example what’s done in KG they’re taught letters then how to put letters together to make words then words to sentences
•
Shaping is also based on operant conditioning, and involves reinforcing successively closer approximations to a desired behaviour so that it is eventually achieved satisfactorily. Like chaining, it can be useful for people with learning difficulties.
Example-autism-saying they should do something even if they don’t do what you said you say they’ve done well small small then one time they’ll do what you said they should do properly
