learning approach

Question 1

What is the learning approach otherwise known as?

Answer 1

The behaviourist approach

Question 2

What are the three main components to the learning approach?

Answer 2

Classical conditioning, Operant conditioning and social learning theory.

Question 3

Which psychologist is associated which classical conditioning?

Answer 3

Ivan Pavlov (1927)

Question 4

Which psychologist is associated with operant conditioning?

Answer 4

Burrhus Skinner (1938)

Question 5

Which psychologist is associated with social learning theory?

Answer 5

Albert Bandura (1961)

Question 6

what is the basic principle of classical conditioning?

Answer 6

• We are all born with natural reflexes.
• these are made up of a stimulus and a naturally associated response.
• when other stimuli is continuously associated with this stimulus then eventually the new stimulus triggers the same response.
• the response has been learned( conditioned).

Question 7

How did Pavlovs work with dogs show classical conditioning?

Answer 7

• he noticed when investigating salivary responses in dogs that the dogs started to salivate when they saw the technician who fed them before food was presented.
• he tested this
• before conditioning the dogs salivated when they saw food but had a neutral response when they heard a bell.
• the bell was paired with the food and was rung every time food was presented producing salivation
• after conditioning the dogs salivated when they heard the bell before food was presented and this conditioned stimulus had produced and conditioned response.

Question 8

how can classical conditioning be shown in letters?

Answer 8

UCS= UCR
NS=NR
UCS + NS= UCR
CS( WAS NS) = CR

Question 9

What did skinner use to test operant conditioning?

Answer 9

rats

Question 10

what did skinner say caused whether or not a behaviour was repeated or not?

Answer 10

the nature of this behaviours consequences , ie was it reinforced.

Question 11

whats the basic assumption of the learning theory? learning is a result of …?

Answer 11

experience

Question 12

what was Skinners box experiment?

Answer 12

he developed a cage called skinners box. rats inside moved and when they accidently pressed a food pellet they received a food pellet. After a short while the rats began pressing the lever more to get more food. if the food stopped coming the rat abandoned the lever.

Question 13

what was the reinforcement in skinners experiment?

Answer 13

the rat receiving the food pellet

Question 14

two types of reinforcement?

Answer 14

positive and negative

Question 15

what is positive reinforcement?

Answer 15

a behaviour produces a pleasant response

Question 16

what is negative reinforcement?

Answer 16

removing something unpleasant- so they go back to a pre adverse state

Question 17

As reinforcement increases the reoccurrence of the behaviour ….?

Answer 17

increases

Question 18

Two types of punishment?

Answer 18

positive and negative

Question 19

what is positive punishment?

Answer 19

adding something unpleasant as a consequence

Question 20

what is negative punishment?

Answer 20

taking away something pleasent

Question 21

strengths of classical conditioning?

Answer 21

• Lead to the development of treatments for phobias by eliminating the conditioned response e.g. systematic desensitisation
• examples can easily be seen in real life
• supported by research e.g. Pavlov’s dogs

Question 22

Weaknesses of classical conditioning?

Answer 22

-Tested on animals- may be unethical as they cannot give informed consent and also cannot necessarily be generalised to human behaviour
-Different species face different challenges to survive so have different capabilities to learn through classical conditioning so a relationship between CS and UCS may be more difficult to establish
-Seligman said that animals are prepared to learn associations to help their survival.
Ignores the role that biological processes and cognitive framework has on behaviour.

Question 23

Strengths of operant conditioning?

Answer 23

• Relies upon an empirical method- uses controlled conditions to discover causal relationships
• He could accurately measure the effects on the rats behaviour to establish a cause and effect relationship.

Question 24

Weaknesses of operant conditioning?

Answer 24

Skinners study was done on animals so show little about human behaviour
Humans have free will whereas animals do not ( have behaviour determined by positive or negative reinforcement) so results cannot be generalised
Skinner argued that free will is an illusion and in fact it is external influences that guide our behaviour.
Ignores the role that biological processes and cognitive framework has on behaviour.

Question 25

what is social learning theory?

Answer 25

learning through observing others and imitating behaviours that are rewarded

Question 26

what are the 5 steps to the learning theory?

Answer 26

Modelling, Imitation, Identification, Vicarious reinforcement and the role of mediational processes.

Question 27

What study demonstrates social learning theory?

Answer 27

Bandura et al. ( 1961) bobo doll

Question 28

what is vicarious reinforcement?

Answer 28

learning that is not a result of direct reinforcement of behaviour, but through observing someone else being reinforced for that behaviour.

Question 29

wwwapc for Banduras bobo doll experiment ?

Answer 29

• Bandura et al
• 1961
• a lab experiment
• aimed to investigate the effect of social learning theory and reinforcement on behaviour
• children observed either an aggressive or non aggressive model ( half in each group) playing with a large bobo doll. Aggressive models hit the doll and were verbally aggressive to it. Afterward the children were taken to a room full of toys one of which was a bobo doll. Children who observed the aggressive model were also physically and verbally aggressive towards the doll ( about one third) whereas children who had seen the non aggressive model were not aggressive towards the doll.
• Children are more likely to behave in a certain way if they have seen that behaviour modelled and reinforced by someone else.

Question 30

What is modelling?

Answer 30

a form of learning where individuals learn a particular behaviour by observing another individual performing that behaviour. The individuals are the models.

Question 31

what is imitation?

Answer 31

the action of using someone of something as a model and copying their behaviour

Question 32

what is identification?

Answer 32

is a form of influence where an individual adopts a attitude or behaviour because they want to be associated with a particular person or group

Question 33

what are mediational processes?

Answer 33

the internal mental processes that exist between environmental stimuli and the response made by an individual to those stimuli.

Question 34

Strengths of Social learning?

Answer 34

• has useful applications e.g. Akers 1998 says the probability of someone engaging in criminal behaviour if they are exposed to models who commit criminal behaviour.
• Ulrich, violence in adolescence was from association with delinquent peer groups where violence is modelled and rewarded.
• Research supports identification - as its easier for the observer to see themselves doing the same things as the model

Question 35

Weaknesses of social learning?

Answer 35

• problem of causality - we don’t know if people are predisposed to certain behaviours anyway
• problem of complexity- ignores other influences on behaviour