Learning

Question 1

Classical and Operant Conditioning:
Define classical conditioning, association, extinction, spontaneous recovery, stimulus generalisation, stimulus discrimination, aversion therapy

Answer 1

Classical conditioning: whereby an animal or other organism can passively learn to show a naturally occurring reflex action, such as salivation, in response to any stimulus - learning through association; also known a Pavlovian conditioning

Association: a learnt connection between two (or more) objects or events - especially significant in classical conditioning

Question 2

Classical and Operant Conditioning
Define and explain neutral stimulus (NS), conditioned stimulus (CS), unconditioned stimulus (UCS), the unconditioned response (UCR), and the conditioned response (CR) in relation to each other

Answer 2

The Neutral Stimulus (NS) - The name given to the conditioned stimulus before it becomes conditioned (e.g. the bell)

The Conditioned Stimulus (CS) - The stimulus which is neutral at the start of conditioning. It wouldn’t normally produce the UCR, but does after repeated associations with the UCS (e.g. the bell)

The Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS) - Any stimulus that considerably produces a naturally occuring/automatic response (e.g. food)

The Unconditioned Response (UCR) - A response which occurs automatically when the UCS is presented (e.g. salivation)

The conditioned response (CR) - The learn response that is produced by the CS (e.g. salivation in response to the bell)

Question 3

Classical and Operant Conditioning:
What is operant conditioning?
What is ABC operant conditioning and give example.
Discriminative Stimulus?

Answer 3

Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which behaviour becomes controlled by its consequences (e.g. training animals to complete an action based on getting a reward)

ABC of operant conditioning - three phase model - an assumption that the antecedent make the conditions right for the behaviour to follow and be encouraged or discouraged by its consequences.
A: Antecedent - the environment
B: Behaviour
C: Consequences
Example: In a classroom environment, when students talk, they get their peg-names moved to the angry face

Discriminative Stimulus: in operant conditioning Skinner’s term for the pre-condition that indicates that the behaviour will be reinforced

Question 4

Classical and Operant Conditioning
The Little Albert Experiment…

Question 5

Classical and Operant Conditioning:
Distinguish between negative and positive reinforcement and punishment

Question 6

Social Learning Theory
What is observational learning and what are the four principles

Answer 6

Obersvational learning is a form of social learning where a person learns y watching the behaviour demonstrated by another. It’s the tendency to observe and mimic others is observational learning.

Four principles:
1. Learning occurs by observing the behavior of others and the consequences of those behaviours.
2. Learning can occur without their being an immediate change in behaviour - it can remain latent
3. Cognition plays a role in observational learning because the learner has awareness and expectations of future reinforcemens or punishments, and these can influence whether the learnt behaviour will be demonstrated.
4. Observationa learning is a link beween the behaviourist theories of learning (classical condition and operant conditioning) and congnitive learning theories.

Process of Observational Learning
1-4 is latent (knowledge/information/habit exists but hasn’t yet been developed)
1. Attention -
2. Retention -
3. Reproduction -
4. Motivation
5. Reinforcement

Question 7

Describe the Social Learning Theory

Answer 7

Describe the way in which people acquire certain behaviours by watching and learning from role models - initial focus of observational learning. When the observer demonstrates the learnt behaviour by imitating it - this is referred to as modelling.

Question 8

Vicarious reinforcement

Answer 8

A theory that individuls are more likely to engage in behaviour or activity if they witness another individual being rewarded for that activity or behaviour

Positive vicarious reinforcement - where an individual witnesses another being rewarded for a behaviour and decides to act in the same way. (e.g. good people get lollies, bad people be good to get lollies)

Negative vicarious reinforement - where an indiviudal witnesses another being punished for a behaviour so discontinues that behaviour themselves (e.g. bad people get their pegs moved down, so people stop being bad to not get their pegs moved down)

Question 9

Bandura