Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Psychology Year 1 > Learning Theories > Flashcards

Learning Theories Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Psychology 101 flashcards GRE® Psychology flashcards AP® Psychology flashcards
1
Q

Classical Conditioning

What is an unconditioned stimulus?

A

a stimulus that produces a response without any learning taking place.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Classical Conditioning

What is an unconditioned response?

A

an unlearned response to an unconditioned stimulus.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Classical Conditioning

What is a neutral stimulus?

A

a stimulus that does not produce the target response. It becomes a conditioned stimulus after being paired with the unconditioned stimulus.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Classical Conditioning

What is a conditioned response?

A

the response elicited by the conditioned stimulus. a new association has been learned so the NS produces the UCR which is now called the CR.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Classical Conditioning

What is a conditioned stimulus?

A

a stimulus that only produces the target response after it has been paired with the UCS.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Classical Conditioning

What is spontaneous recovery?

A

extinct responses can reappear without new pairings with the UCS. usually these are weaker than the original ones.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Classical Conditioning

What is stimulus generalisation?

A

sometimes we are conditioned to one stimulus but it can cause a response to other similar stimuli.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Classical Conditioning

What is extinction?

A

when the CS and UCS have not been paired for a while and the CS cease to elicit the CR.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Classical Conditioning

What is reductionism?

A

refers to a theory that seems to over simplify human behaviour or cognitive processes and in doing so neglects to explain the complexities of the mind.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is Classical Conditioning?

A

learning by association. occurs when a neutral stimulus is repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus. the neutral stimulus eventually produces the same response as the unconditioned stimulus (the unconditioned response) so becomes the conditioned stimulus which elicits a conditioned response.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is a strength of classical conditioning?

A

It is supported by studies conducted on humans and animals. Pavlov demonstrated classical conditioning of salvation responses in the studies of dogs. Watson and Rayner demonstrated that a fear response could be conditioned in a human baby. This is important because it means there is firm evidence supporting the existence of classical conditioning in human and animal learning.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is an opposing view of classical conditioning?

A

A weakness is that it can only explain how a limited range of behaviours can be acquired. Classical conditioning only explains the acquisition of simple reflex responses like salivation, anxiety and sexual arousal. It cannot account for more complex chains of learned behaviour. For example, classical conditioning could explain how we come to fear dogs not the maintenance of this fear overtime. Therefore classical conditioning is an incomplete explanation of learning.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is a differing approach to classical conditioning?

A

Some of Pavlov’s details of classical conditioning are open to question. For example, Pavlov believed that the essential factor linking NS to UCS was contiguity, Rescorla (1968) found evidence that contiguity is less important than contingency.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is an application of classical conditioning?

A

Has therapeutic applications such as systematic desensitisation and flooding. A further example of a therapy based on classical conditioning is aversion therapy. This is used, for example, to treat people who have unwanted behaviour such as experiencing sexual arousal to a photograph of a young child. A painful electric shock (UCS) is paired with the child’s photograph (NS). The shock produces an UCR of discomfort. The NS will become a CS and also produce a sensation of discomfort.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What were the aims of Pavlov’s experiment (1927)?

A
  • to explain the role of conditioned reflexes in the eating behaviour of dogs.
  • to explore how salivation becomes associated with new stimuli apparently unrelated to food and the properties of this association.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What was the procedure of Pavlov’s experiment (1927)?

A

1) collecting saliva from the salivary glands of an immobalised dog.
2) measured the salivation by the volume or number of drops in a cannula.
3) took place in a soundproof chamber in order to minimise the effects of extraneous variables.
4) measured salivation response to the NS (a metronome) then paired this with the UCS of food 20 times.
5) varied the presentation of the NS.
6) extinction or spontaneous recovery was investigated by presenting the NS, now a CS, without the UCS.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What were the findings of Pavlov’s experiment (1927)?

A
  • NS did not elicit a salivation response whereas the UCS did.
  • after pairings of the NS and the UCS, the NS did elicit salivation.
  • no salivation was produced in response to NS after backwards pairing.
  • the salivation reflex only became associated with the NS of the dog was alert and undisturbed.
  • extinction can be seen as the salivary volume decreasing after repeated presentation of the CS without the UCS.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What was the conclusion of Pavlov’s experiment (1927)?

A

a link is made in the brain between a UCS and NS that occurs just before the UCS. Pavlov called this signalisation.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Evaluating Pavlov’s experiment:

Generalisability

A

a weakness.
conducted on dogs and there is an issue generalising the results of animal studies to humans.
structurally different brains- may respond differently.
humans have a larger cerebral cortex and this permits greater complex cognitive processing including conscious choice.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Evaluating Pavlov’s experiment:

Reliability

A

used standardised procedures.
the study was carefully documented.
the study was repeated many times over 25 years using different dogs and different neutral stimuli all producing the same results.
different researches observed the dog and measured the saliva.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Evaluating Pavlov’s experiment:

Application

A

clinical applications in understanding eating disorders.
obesity can be partially understood in terms of conditioned responses.
Jansen et al suggested that overweight children have acquired very strong associations between food and cues that predict the arrival of it and the salivation response.
significant in developing therapies such as systematic desensitisation.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Evaluating Pavlov’s experiment:

Validity

A

tested the neutral stimulus.
conducted the experiment in a sound proof lab to remove potential effects of extraneous variables.
used an external collection of the saliva for accurate measurements.
clear that the conditioning produced these results not any extraneous variables.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Evaluating Pavlov’s experiment:

Ethics

A

took place before BPS ethical guidelines were introduced.
for research to be conducted on animals to be considered ethical, the significant impact and benefits of the study must outweigh the harm.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

what is informed consent?

A

the process of informing a research subject of the risks, benefits and expected outcome of the study they have agreed to take part in.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Operant Conditioning

What is shaping?

A

a process of modifying behaviour by reinforcing successive approximations to a desired behaviours.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Operant Conditioning

What is positive reinforcement?

A

occurs when something nice is introduced following a behaviour.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Operant Conditioning

What is punishment?

A

takes place when an event follows a behaviour and this decreases the probability that the behaviour will be repeated.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Operant Conditioning

What is a primary reinforcer?

A

takes place when the thing that acts as a reinforcer has biological significance such as food, shelter, sex.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What is Operant Conditioning?

A

learning that occurs when a behaviour is followed by an event and the nature of this event increases or decreases the probability of this behaviour being repeated.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Operant Conditioning

What is a secondary reinforcer?

A

takes place when the thing that acts as a reinforcer has become associated with something of biological significance e.g money which is associated with buying food.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

Operant Conditioning

What is positive punishment?

A

occurs when something unpleasant is introduced following a behaviour.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

Operant Conditioning

What is reinforcement?

A

it takes place when a behaviour is followed by an event which increases the probability of that behaviour being repeated.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

Operant Conditioning

What is behaviour modification?

A

the use of operant conditioning techniques to change the frequency of desired behaviours e.g in therapeutic settings.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

Operant Conditioning

What is negative punishment?

A

occurs when something nice is removed following a behaviour.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

Operant Conditioning

What is negative reinforcement?

A

occurs when something unpleasant is removed following a behaviour.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

Operant Conditioning?

What are schedules of reinforcement?

A

a plan of how often and when reinforcement will be provided.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

Operant Conditioning

What is a variable ratio reinforcement schedule?

A

a reinforcer is given after an unpredictable number of behaviours that varies around a mean value.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

Operant Conditioning

What is a fixed ratio reinforcement schedule?

A

a reinforcer is given after a set/specified number of behaviours.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

Operant Conditioning

What is a variable interval reinforcement schedule?

A

the time between reinforcers varies around a mean length of time.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

Operant Conditioning

What is a fixed interval reinforcement schedule?

A

the time between reinforcers is kept constant.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

What are the strengths of operant conditioning?

A

supported by studies conducted on both humans and animals.
skinner conducted experiments on animals using an operant chamber.
there are consistent findings regarding the ability to modify behaviour using reinforcement and punishment.
chase et al has shown that brain systems that relate to reinforcement in humans.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

What are the weaknesses of operant conditioning?

A

it only explains how existing behaviours are strengthened or weakened not where behaviours originate.
although operant conditioning explains a much wider more complex chains of behaviour than classical conditioning, it is still an incomplete explanation of the acquisition of all new behaviour.
operant conditioning is only a partial explanation for learning.
operant conditioning is open to abuse.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

What are the applications of operant conditioning?

A

has been applied to education and childcare.
systems of reinforcement are used in schools, nurseries and other settings involving children to reinforce desirable behaviour through positive reinforcement e.g. star charts.
operant conditioning is practical not just theoretical.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
44
Q

What are the strengths of schedules of reinforcement?

A

supported by studies conducted on humans and animals.
experiments have compared the effects of different partial reinforcement schedules on animal and human learning with consistent results.
Latham and Dossett found that mountain beaver trappers responded better to variable ratio pay than fixed ratio pay.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
45
Q

What are the weaknesses of schedules of reinforcement?

A

properties of human reinforcement do not give a complete explanation of human motivation.
reinforcement properties provide an account of extrinsic motivation which describes the effect of external factors e.g. when offered a reward.
human behaviour is also a result of intrinsic motives e.g. interest and enjoyment.
only a partial explanation for human behaviour.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
46
Q

What are the applications of schedules of reinforcement?

A

behaviour modification systems have been used to treat mental health health disorders such as schizophrenia.
Lovaas therapy involves intensive reinforcement such as shaping in order to normalise some aspects of behaviour in children with ASD.
has practical benefits to clients.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
47
Q

Social Learning Theory

What is attention?

A

the cognitive process of focusing on a stimulus (modelled behaviour).

48
Q

Social Learning Theory

What is modelling?

A

the imitation of the behaviour of a role model.

49
Q

Social Learning Theory

What is imitation?

A

copying behaviour previously observed in others. is a selective process with only models with key characteristics are likely to be imitated.

50
Q

What is social learning theory?

A

a way of explaining behaviour that includes both direct and indirect reinforcement, combining learning theory with cognitive factors.

51
Q

Social Learning Theory

What is observation?

A

to watch or listen to behaviour in others.

52
Q

Social Leaning Theory

What is vicarious reinforcement?

A

not directly experienced but occurs through someone else being reinforced for a behaviour and increasing the probability of the imitation of that behaviour.

53
Q

Social Learning Theory

What is retention?

A

the cognitive process of storing the modelled behaviour in memory.

54
Q

Social Learning Theory

What is reproduction?

A

the recall and enactment of the modelled behaviour in response to appropriate circumstances.

55
Q

Social Learning Theory

What is motivation?

A

the force that drives a person to enact a behaviour as a result of vicarious reinforcement.

56
Q

What are the strengths of social learning theory?

A

supported by studies conducted on both human and animals.
Bandura’s studies demonstrated that children would imitate an aggressive model who demonstrated aggression against a Bobo doll, especially if the model was the same sex and rewarded.
Nicol and Pope showed that chickens would selectively imitate high status same sex models in a pecking pad for food.
supports Bandura’s theory that behaviour can be acquired by observation and imitation and the chance of imitation is affected by vicarious reinforcement and the characteristics of the model.

57
Q

What are the opposing views of social learning theory?

A

genetic factors are important as well as environmental influences.
Kendler showed that identical twins are more similar in their levels of aggression than non-identical twins.
individual differences are genetically influenced.
SLT is not a complete acquisition of behaviour.

58
Q

What is the differing approach to social learning theory?

A

Bandura did not completely ignore biological factors.
he claimed that behaviours are not only determined by social learning.
it is the way that it is expressed that is learnt not the actual aggressive urge.

59
Q

What is an application of social learning theory?

A

it explains the potential effects of media violence on aggression.
children may imitate aggressive behaviour modelled in violent films and video games.
e.g. some commentators blame James Bugler’s murder on the two killers watching Child’s Play 3.
SLT is significant due to the contribution in shaping society’s view about the consequences of modelled behaviour.

60
Q

What was the aims of Bandura’s study 1961 on transmission of aggression through imitation?

A

to see whether aggressive behaviour could be acquired by observing modelled aggression.

61
Q

What was the procedure of Bandura’s study 1961 on transmission of aggression through imitation?

A

72 children observed aggressive or non aggressive model, or control, then opportunity to aggress.

62
Q

What was the findings of Bandura’s study 1961 on transmission of aggression through imitation?

A

Children who witnessed aggressiveness modelled specific behaviours.
Boys were more likely to imitate aggression shown by a same sex model and more likely to imitate physical aggression although not verbal aggression.
70% of children who observed non aggressive behaviour displayed no aggression.

63
Q

What was the conclusions of Bandura’s study 1961 on transmission of aggression through imitation?

A

behaviour such as aggression can be acquired by imitation of models.
imitation is more likely when the modelled behaviour is gender typical and the model is the same sex as the observer.

64
Q

Evaluating Bandura’s 1961 study:

Generalisability

A

a weakness.

all children were taken from the same nursery therefore the sample used in the study was taken from one culture.

65
Q

Evaluating Bandura’s 1961 study:

Internal validity

A

a strength.
the design of the experiment reduced the impact of extraneous variables.
children taking part in each condition were matched for aggression reducing the impact of individual differences.
the non aggressive conditions allowed researchers to control for spontaneous aggression.
observing the children one at a time controlled for conformity effects.
we can be reasonably sure that the observed aggression was a result of imitation.

66
Q

Evaluating Bandura’s 1961 study

External validity

A

a weakness.
conducted under artificial conditions.
did not represent a real life setting.
the experimental procedure lacks external validity.

67
Q

Evaluating Bandura’s 1961 study:

Applications

A

further understanding of the risks to children’s development posed by violent parents even when the violence is not directed towards the children themselves.
the study also suggests that boys are especially at risk if imitating physical aggression modelled by adult males such as their father which has important applications in policy around custody and parent contact where fathers have a history of violence.

68
Q

Evaluating Bandura’s 1961 study:

Ethics

A

there was a level of distress involved when the children were deliberately frustrated in order to increase the likelihood of aggression.
there was no opportunity for the children to withdraw from the study or be withdrawn by their parents.

69
Q

What was the aim of Bandura’s study 1963 on film-mediated aggressive models?

A

to test whether filmed/cartoon model will have same effect on aggression as a live model.

70
Q

What was the procedure of Bandura’s study 1963 on film-mediated aggressive models?

A

96 children observed randomly allocated to one of four conditions: live aggression, filmed realistic aggression, cartoon aggression and no aggression (control group).

71
Q

What was the findings of Bandura’s study 1963 on film-mediated aggressive models?

A

no difference between aggression of children in three conditions.
the three experimental groups all displayed increased aggression.

72
Q

What was the conclusion of Bandura’s study 1963 on film-mediated aggressive models?

A

exposure to any modelled aggression increases likelihood of aggression.

73
Q

What was the aim of Bandura’s study 1965 on influence of model’s reinforcement?

A

to test whether reinforcement and punishment of the model affects acquisition of aggression.

74
Q

What was the procedure of Bandura’s study 1965 on influence of model’s reinforcement?

A

66 children randomly selected to one of three groups all involving watching a film of an adult aggressing towards a Bobo doll: model rewarded condition, model punished condition, no consequence condition.

75
Q

What was the findings of Bandura’s study 1965 on influence of model’s reinforcement?

A

punishment condition- less aggressive.

promise of reward- increased aggression for all.

76
Q

What was the conclusions of Bandura’s study 1965 on influence of model’s reinforcement?

A

vicarious punishment reduces aggression.

the promise of reinforcement is more powerful influence on aggression.

77
Q

Evaluating Bandura’s Studies 1963 and 1965:

Generalisability

A

only showed short term effects and aggression only shown towards a doll.
the findings cannot explain aggression in everyday life and therefore can not be applied to the wider population.

78
Q

Evaluating Bandura’s Studies 1963 and 1965:

Internal Validity

A

a strength.
the design of the experiment reduced the impact of extraneous variables.
children taking part in each condition were matched for aggression reducing the impact of individual differences.
the non aggressive conditions allowed researchers to control for spontaneous aggression.
observing the children one at a time controlled for conformity effects.
there is certainty that the observed aggression was a result of imitation.

79
Q

Evaluating Bandura’s Studies 1963 and 1965:

Validity

A

a weakness.
elements of the procedure could have cued children as how they were expected to behave.
Noble reports that children may have believed that they were expected to be aggressive towards the Bobo doll as why else would an adult model that behaviour.
the experimental procedure may lack validity and it is uncertain to what extent the results reflect learning or are affected by demand characteristics.

80
Q

Evaluating Bandura’s Studies 1963 and 1965:

Ethics

A

exposing the children to aggression and deliberately frustrating them may be seen as unethical
as they are children, they may not be able to express concerns or the want to withdraw from the study.

81
Q

Phobias

What is maintenance?

A

if a phobia was acquired by classical conditioning it would decline overtime unless another process maintains it (operant conditioning).

82
Q

Phobias

What is acquisition?

A

the process of developing a phobia. is theoretically natural. learning is an explanation for acquisition.

83
Q

Phobias

What is Mowrer’s two- process model?

A

phobias are acquired by a process of classical conditioning and are then maintained through operant conditioning.

84
Q

How are phobias acquired through classical conditioning?

A

NS initially creates no fear.
UCS already triggers a fear response.
through association the NS becomes a CS producing a CR of fear.
e.g. if a wasp stings you then the painful sting (UCS)is paired with the sight and sound of wasps which initially are NS but become a CS and provoke a CR of fear.

85
Q

How are phobias maintained by operant conditioning?

A

when someone with a conditioned phobia responds by avoiding fear-provoking stimulus, their anxiety lessens and this provides negative reinforcement for the avoidance behaviour.

86
Q

How does social learning theory explain the acquisition of phobias?

A

suggested by Cook and Mineka.
they demonstrated that infant rhesus monkeys who watched adult monkeys displaying fear of fear-relevant stimuli such as toy snake and crocodiles acquired fear of those toys.

87
Q

What are the strengths of learning theory explanations of phobias?

A

supporting evidence from human and animal studies.
Watson and Rayner’s study on Little Albert- evidence for the acquisition of fear responses in humans though the classical conditioning of a rat phobia.
Cook and Mineka- they demonstrated that infant rhesus monkeys who watched adult monkeys displaying fear of fear-relevant stimuli such as toy snake and crocodiles acquired fear of those toys.

88
Q

What are the opposing views to the learning theory explanation of phobias?

A

the acquisition of fears cannot be explained by learning alone- not a complete explanation.
phobias are acquired of thing that have been a source of danger in the evolutionary past such as snakes or the dark but however not of other dangers like cars and guns even though these are more hazardous.
some people acquire phobias without any conditioning or modelling.

89
Q

What is the differing approach to the learning theories explanation of phobias?

A

other ways to explain phobias e.g. psychodynamic theory.
Freud explained phobias in terms of displacement and when a person experiences anxiety arising from a complex situation that is hard to deal with, they cope by displacing the anxiety onto a similar object. This reduces the anxiety in general.
this explanation is applied in clinical cases where patients have multiple symptoms and a history of trauma.
learning theory is not the best explanation for every case of phobias.

90
Q

What are the applications of the learning theories explanation of phobias?

A

applications in therapy.
systematic desensitisation and flooding.
illustrates the practical value of learning explanations for phobias.

91
Q

Treatments of phobias

What is systematic desensitisation?

A

a behavioural therapy designed to reduce an unwanted response, such as anxiety, to a stimulus.
involves constructing an anxiety hierarchy of situations related to the phobic stimulus and teaching the client relaxation techniques and then exposing them to phobic situations.
the client works their way through the hierarchy whilst maintaining relaxation associating the situations with calm rather than fear.

92
Q

Treatments of phobias

What is flooding?

A

a behavioural therapy in which a phobic client is exposed to an extreme form of a phobic stimulus in order to reduce anxiety triggered by that stimulus.
without the option of avoidance behaviour, the client quickly learns that the phobic stimulus is harmless and will calm down as the body can no longer maintain the extreme anxiety.

93
Q

What are the strengths of systematic desensitisation?

A

effective in the treatment of specific phobias.
Gilroy et al compared clients receiving SD for a spider phobia with a control group.
at both 3 and 33 months after treatment, the SD group were les fearful than the control group.

94
Q

What are the weaknesses of systematic desensitisation?

A

may not be effective in all cases.
e.g. clients with multiple phobias or other systems linked to a history of trauma many benefit from different therapies that allow them to explore their experiences or alter thought patterns as well as changing behavioural symptoms.
SD only tackles behavioural systems.

95
Q

What are the strengths of flooding?

A

it is quicker and as effective as other alternatives.
studies comparing flooding to cognitive therapies have found that flooding is highly effective and quicker than alternatives.
this quick effect means that clients are free of their symptoms as soon as possible and treatment is cheaper.

96
Q

What are the weaknesses of flooding?

A

flooding may not be effective for social phobias.
this may be because social phobias have cognitive aspects.
flooding only tackles behavioural responses.
an unpleasent experience and a traumatic procedure.

97
Q

What is the classic study for learning theories?

A

Watson and Rayner (1920) on conditioned emotional reactions in Little Albert.

98
Q

What was the aim of the classic study?

A

to demonstrate the acquisition of fear response through classical conditioning.

99
Q

What was the procedure of the classic study?

A

11 month old boy presented with white rate paired with an unexpected loud noise over 5 sessions.
session 1: presented a white rat and while reaching out to it a loud bar was struck just behind his head.
session 2: returned a week later, exposed five more times to the pairing, presented with wooden blocks yo which he showed no fear ( he wasn’t just getting more scared generally).
session 3: further five days later, responses to the rat and a range of other objects were assessed.
session 4: five days after that he was taken to a new environment, assessed for responses to the various objects.
session 5: he was tested one month later.

100
Q

What were the findings of the classic study?

A

Albert showed a fear of rats and similar white furry animals (stimulus generalisation).
sessions 4 and 5 revealed that Albert’s fear reactions to white furry objects remained but became less extreme when he was in a different environment and after time.

101
Q

What was the conclusions of the classic study?

A

phobias can be acquired by classical conditioning and can undergo stimulus generalisation.

102
Q

Evaluating the classic study:

Generalisability

A

a weakness.
used only one participant.
no accountability for individual differences.
Albert was described as rarely being afraid or crying but he may have been unusual.
not representative of the population.
results may have been affected by participant variables.

103
Q

Evaluating the classic study:

Reliability

A

has high reliability due to the standardised procedure therefore the study could be replicated.
however due to the distressing unethical nature of the experiment it has not been repeated on larger sample sizes.

104
Q

Evaluating the classic study:

Application

A

clinical applications in understanding the acquisition of phobias.
has led to the development of effective therapies and has helped shape clinical practise.

105
Q

Evaluating the classic study:

Validity

A

a strength.
carefully designed procedure so that the impact of extraneous variables was reduced.
Albert was selected for his emotional stability- his individual characteristics less likely to effect the results.
procedure took place in a well controlled room to prevent any influence from other stimuli.
responses to wooden blocks were checked to ensure the reaction to the phobic objects were not just a general increase in anxiety.
demonstrates that changes in behaviour were due to classical conditioning rather than extraneous variables.

106
Q

Evaluating the classic study:

Ethics

A

degree of distress involved for Albert.
beyond what you would normally expose a child too.
they did not extinguish the fears so it is possible that they remained with him.

107
Q

What is the contemporary study?

A

Becker at al (2002) study on eating behaviours following prolonged exposure to television.

108
Q

What was the aim of the contemporary study?

A

to investigate the impact of Western style television on eating behaviour and body satisfaction in Fijian girls.

109
Q

What was the procedure of the contemporary study?

A

1995- 63 girls questioned when TV was introduced.
1998- 65 different girls after the introduction of TV.
the questionnaire called EAT 26 was used.
the questionnaire included 26 items about eating disorders.
a score of 20 was high.

110
Q

What were the findings of the contemporary study?

A

1) the % of subjects with an EAT 26 score of more than 20 had more than doubled.
2) the proportion of the sample that used self-induced vomiting as a means of weight control had increased from 0% to 11.3%.
3) body dissatisfaction has also increased, with significantly more 1998 responders reporting that they thought they should eat less.

111
Q

What were the conclusions of the contemporary study?

A

the introduction of TV influenced change to eating attitudes in women, which ran counter to the traditional attitudes towards eating and body image that had previously dominated within that culture.

112
Q

Evaluating the contemporary study:

Generalisability

A

a weakness.
an unrepresentative sample.
findings may not generalise due to the traditional and distinctive Fijian attitudes.
Fijian cultural norms and those portrayed on Western TV were much greater than most countries.

113
Q

Evaluating the contemporary study:

Reliability

A

a strength.
reliable procedure - studies have shown good reliability for the EAT-26 the main measure of eating behaviour used in the study.
e.g. Rivas found good internal reliability - there was a correlation of +0.9 for each item and the overall results.

114
Q

Evaluating the contemporary study:

Application

A

applications for tackling eating disorders.
advise TV programmes and advertising and to understand the value of ‘larger size’ models.
also applied to treatments for eating disorders- if behaviours can be learned through modelling, they can be unlearned in the same way.

115
Q

Evaluating the contemporary study:

Validity

A

weakness of this study is the validity f natural experimnets where the independent variable is not being manipulated.
lots of changes in Fijian society would have occurred alongside the introduction to television - it is difficult to be certain that TV is the direct cause of the changes in behaviour.
the use of independent group design is problematic- the two cohort were not identical so a repeated measure design may have been more appropriate as it erases potential cohort effects on the data.

116
Q

Evaluating the contemporary study:

Ethics

A

the psychologist team were not specialists in eating disorders so were not competent to diagnose anorexia.
it is highly unethical to give participants the impression that they had a clinical disorder rather than some unhealthy dieting habits.
misleading patients like this show a lack of social responsibility.

Psychology Year 1 (4 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions