Learning Approaches (Chapter 10) and biological limitations on learning

Question 1

What are the 3 ideas
1 all behavior learned;
2. need for empirical approach;
3. behavior is a function of the situation

Answer 1

1. all behavior can be learned
2. it has to be tested & verified
3. Behavior is a function of the situation (Idea that if you change the environment you change the behavior)

Question 2

What did John Watson said about the environment

Answer 2

Watson said that give him a dozen babies and he can make them into anything a doctor, lawyer, delinquent

Assumption that people have a black state and the environment can shaped them into anything

Question 3

What is Classical Conditioning (Pavlov):

Answer 3

based on temporal contiguity (association by time).

ex. Chloe and the Coffee Grinder Story Prof. John would always feed Chloe, after grinding his coffee in the morning eventually Chloe associated the sound of the coffee grinder with her feeding time

Question 4

US (unconditioned stimulus)

Answer 4

in classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally—naturally and automatically—triggers a response.

EX. FOOD triggers hunger

Question 5

Unconditioned response (ucr)

Answer 5

In classical conditioning, the unlearned, naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus (US),
such as salivation when food is in the mouth.

Question 6

(CS) Conditioned stimulus

Answer 6

in classical conditioning, an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response

(coffee grinder noise expectation of being fed )

Question 7

Generalization

Answer 7

responding similarly to a range of similar stimuli

confuses can opener with coffee grinder

Question 8

Discrimination:

Answer 8

STIMULI differ which is learnt over time!

differentiation of stimuli

Question 9

Extinction

Answer 9

the diminishing of a conditioned response

Question 10

Psychopathology: conditioned emotional reaction

Answer 10

Little albert was conditioned to fear rats’ researchers would strike a hammer little albert would be frightened by the sounds and the sound would only occur when he tried to reach for the rat

leading him to fear the rat

Question 11

Change via “behavior modification”: systematic desensitization (define and examples

Answer 11

extinction of unlearned fears and phobias which happens step by step

snake example

person has an phobia of snakes, in the first session, that person will imagine a snake in the next room; in the second session, there will be a snake next door; in the next session, there will be a snake in a cage in the same room; in the next session, the patient will touch the touch the snake; and in the next session, the patient will hold the snake. Slowly, the patient will unlearn the fear of snakes.

Question 12

Operant Conditioning (Skinner):

Answer 12

Behavior is learned based on its consequences (punishers and reinforcers)

reinforcement works better than punishments

Question 13

“people as rats,” reinforcer (reward), behavioral assessment

Answer 13

“People as rats” - the explanation for human behavior is the same motivation that rats have to push a lever, cognition not accounted for in human processes.*In contrast to Kelly, who believe people as scientists.

Question 14

sign

Answer 14

Sign is a measurement mode (trait theory goes back to freud) -behavior is an indicator of (sign)for a internal structure or process

Ex. I have a dream of a rat signifying betrayal this means i have an unconscious belief that a friend close to me will betray me

Question 15

sample

Answer 15

A sample of potentially interesting behavior. Examining the behavior of someone

Ex. what is it about the party that made you go
-Give behavior test such as typing test (no inferences are made

Question 16

what are 3 different types of conflict (e.g., approach-avoidance, approach-approach, avoidance-avoidance)

Answer 16

1. Approach-Avoidance: I want to ask the cute stranger but am afraid he will reject me so I avoid him

(reward -punishment)

2. approach-approach: two desirable options cannot decided for one

ex. Do I want to go out with Tommy or John do I want ice cream or cookies

(reward -reward)

3. Avoidance-Avoidance: You in a toxic relationship but you do not want to be lonely

(punishment-punishment) ·

Question 17

Biological preparedness and learning (e.g., critical period for language acquisition,)

Answer 17

Watson only focuses on the environment does not take into account Genetics
since there are some constrains on learning such as biological preparedness makes you genetically predispose to learn some associations, respond to certain stimulus, and have some traits

kids can easily learn languages from age 1-5

harder to learn after age 12

Question 18

one-trial learning, food aversions, difficult to learn or unlearn certain associations

Answer 18

one-trial learning (learn things really quickly for ex. If something is bad for you want to learn that quickly an example of one-trial learning is food aversions )

ex. can’t eat takis after vomiting

Fear of snakes seems biologically prepared in humans

Cross-over learning of the “unnatural” pairs (hard to learn)

Question 19

why are some associations easier to learn

Answer 19

Most organisms have biological preparedness, which is an evolutionary predisposition to developing associations between certain stimuli and showing a response. (think natural selection)

Biologically important to learn quickly to avoid foods that make you sick (system 1)

Much more difficult to learn to associate flavors with shocks, or lights/sounds with nausea

Question 20

token economy

Answer 20

Select target behaviors, make reinforcement possible on desired responses\

works Fine in mental-health wards

Works in prisons (cigarettes) works really well in Kindergartens (kids love stickers! M&Ms)

control broad aspects of human behavior

Question 21

Metaphors: S-R connections in behaviorism like telephone switch-boar

Answer 21

Behaviorism modeled their view from a telephone switchboard
A telephone switchboard connects calls metaphor is the idea that were direct connections
with the stimuli and the response

Question 22

Cognitive approach: humans encode, store, and retrieve information like computers do

Answer 22

Computers are processed are the same time metaphor from the cognitive approach is how
we operate on information