Learning Principles Flashcards
Learning
Relatively permanent change in behaviour or knowledge, which results from practice or experience
Maladaptive Behaviours
- Substance Abuse Disorders (drugs etc.)
- Physiological changes that can lead to illness (tension headache)
- Avoidance behaviours (swallowing pills)
Adaptive Behaviours
- Exercise behaviour
- Social behaviour
Classical Conditioning
Learning through association
Learning process in which an originally neutral stimulus, by repeated pairing with a stimulus that normally produces a response, comes to produce a similar or identical response
WHO?
PAVLOV!
UCS
Elicits an unconditioned response (e.g. food (us) –> salivation (ucr) )
UCR
Elicited by an UCS without prior training or learning
CS
Previously neutral (bell) that comes to elicit a CR
CR
Elicited by a previously neutral stimulus that occurs as a result of pairing neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus
How do you get the best results?
CS – followed by –> UCS
Habituation
Decrease in behavioural response when a stimulus is presented repeatedly
Sensitisation
Increase in behavioural response when a stimulus is presented repeatedly
Stimulus Generalisation
Automatic extension of conditioned responding to similar stimuli that have never been paired with the unconditioned stimulus (The Case of Little Albert)
Stimulus Discrimination
Organism learns to respond differently to stimuli that differ from the CS on some dimension
Tendency for stimuli similar to a CS to stop eliciting a CR when they are not followed by an UCS
Counterconditioning
When one CR is extinguished, while another response is established
What is an example of counterconditioning?
Systematic Desensitisation
What is Systematic Desensitisation?
Trains the client to maintain a state of relaxation in the presence of imagined or real anxiety inducing objects or events
Steps of Systematic Desensitisation?
- Teach the client a relaxation technique (Bensons/Jacobsons)
- Assist client with construction of anxiety hierarchy
- Proceed through hierarchy using imagery
- Invivo desensitisation - doing things in real life
Operant conditioning
Learning through CONSEQUENCES
Probability a response is changed by a change in consequences
Is punishment or reinforcement more effective?
Reinforcement
What are the types of reinforcers?
Primary > events that are inherently reinforcing - satisfy biological needs - (innate) - (e.g. food, air, water, sleep, pain)
Secondary (conditioned) > learned
Positive Reinforcement
Presentation of a rewarding stimulus after a particular response to increase probability of behaviour recurring
(E.g. lollipop for good behaviour)
Negative Reinforcement
Behaviour becomes probable by stopping, removing or avoiding a negative outcome or aversive stimulus
(E.g. good grades - don’t need to get a summer job)
What are some Health related examples of Positive/Negative Reinforcement?
- Feeling good after exercise
- Taking an aspirin to stop a headache
What are the two schedules of reinforcement?
Continous > after every response
Partial > only part of the time
What are the four categories of partial reinforcement?
- Fixed Ratio
- Variable Ratio
- Fixed Interval
- Variable Interval
Fixed Ratio
Reinforcer delivered for the first response made after a fixed number or responses
(E.g. paid each time you do one chore)
Variable Ratio
Reinforcer delivered for the first response made after a variable number of responses whose average is predetermined
(E.g. slot machine pays off on average - don’t know what pull will pay)
Fixed Interval
Response rewarded only after an amount of time has elapsed
Variable Interval
Response rewarded after an unpredictable amount of time has passed
Positive Punishment
Add something aversive/unpleasant to decrease the probability of behaviour
(E.g. Smacking a child)
Negative Punishment
Taking something good or desirable away in order to reduce occurrence of behaviour
(E.g. lose licence)
What is proximity and why is it important?
Refers to time between punishment
(E.g. if you are drinking and having fun and the next morning you have a hangover, you are still probable to continue drinking because of the time difference)
Social Learning Theory (Modelling)
Learning through OBSERVATION
WHO?
Bandura
Learning through direct experience, however, we also learn by observational learning
Health compromising behaviours from Modelling
- Being more sociable after drinking
- Diving off a pier
- Smoking and having a good time
How can modelling be used in a professional setting?
- Improve health by motivating individuals to engage in behaviours that can improve/recover their health
- Lead to improvements in health by increasing self-efficacy
Can modelling be used to reduce fear and anxiety?
Yes!
Preparing children for surgery - placing them with other children o fate same age who is having the same surgery
Can modelling improve your confidence to perform behaviours?
Yes!
Older person following a hip replacement (surrounding them with seniors who have had the same operation)
