Learning Theories Flashcards
1) What is classical conditioning?
(Learning by ……………)
2) What are the components?
(UCS etc.)
1) Learning by association
2) UCS = Unconditioned Stimulus UCR = Unconditioned Response NS = Neutral Stimulus CS = Conditioned Stimulus CR = Conditioned Response
1) What is the study for classical conditioning?
2) APFC of the study (summarised)
1) Pavlov (1927) - Experiment with Dogs
2)
A- To investigate the salivation reflex and the role of conditioned reflexes in the eating behaviour of dogs
P- He put meat into the dog’s mouth to check salivation reflex. Built a soundproof chamber for the dogs and paired a metronome with food.
Salivation to the food is an unconditioned response but salivation to the metronome is a conditioned response.
F- Salivation started after 9 seconds, by 45 secs, 11 drops of saliva had been collected.
He found that the dog had to be alert and no other stimuli could be present to distract the dogs.
C-
1) Strength of Pavlov’s Study
2) Weakness of Pavlov’s study
1) Highly controlled experiment.
He found any stimuli would produce conditioned responses so he had to control all extraneous variables. Therefore the results are reliable and easy to replicate in the future. Results would be able to be compared as all the variables would be the same.
Pavlov and his team repeated many classical conditioning experiments on dogs and so his results can be taken to be reliable. He continually found that conditioned stimuli would produce conditioned responses, using a buzzer, the metronome and other stimuli.
2)Lack of validity
The dogs were in chambers and there were no other stimuli present so ‘real-life’ behaviour isn’t looked at.
The results are not valid
Brain activity could not be measured
Pavlov was unable to measure brain activity in any direct way and had to assume what was happening in the cerebral cortex from his experiments.
He felt he had shown inbuilt pathways that led from unconditioned stimulus to unconditioned response and he felt he showed new associations, which would be new pathways, between conditioned stimuli and conditioned responses.
However he could not study the exact mechanism as we can today, such as using fMRI scanning.
1) Strength of Pavlov’s Study
2) Weakness of Pavlov’s study
1) Highly controlled experiment.
He found any stimuli would produce conditioned responses so he had to control all extraneous variables. Therefore the results are reliable and easy to replicate in the future. Results would be able to be compared as all the variables would be the same.
2)Lack of validity
The dogs were in chambers and there were no other stimuli present so ‘real-life’ behaviour isn’t looked at.
The results are not valid
1) What is operant conditioning?
(Learning by …………)
2)What are the components?
1) Learning by consequence
2)
Positive + Negative Reinforcement - In order to repeat the behaviour
Positive + Negative Punishment - In order to stop the behaviour from being repeated
1) In Operant conditioning, what are the schedules of reinforcement?
1)
Continuous reinforcement - Every time the desired action is shown, it is reinforced. This helps create a strong association between the behaviour and the response.
Fixed Ratio - Every set amount of times the behaviour is shown, it is reinforced ( after 5 times the dog sits)
Variable Ratio - After a varying amount of times the behaviour is shown, it’s reinforced (every 5 times the dog sits, then 3 times, then 10 times etc.)
Fixed Interval - After a set duration of time has passed, the behaviour is reinforced. ( after every 1 minute etc.)
Variable interval - After a varying duration of time has passed the behaviour is reinforced ( after 30 secs, then 2 mins, then 10 secs)
1) What is Social Learning Theory?
(Learning by …………..)
2) What are the components?
1) Learning by observation
2) Attention, Retention, Reproduction, Motivation
Role Models, Vicarious Reinforcement
1) What are the studies of Social Learning Theory?
CARD NOT COMPLETED
1) Bandura 1961, 1963 and 1965
1) What is the classical Study?
2) What type of conditioning can it be used to support?
3) APFC (summarised)
1) Watson and Rayner - Little Albert
2) Operant conditioning
3)
A- To investigate if it’s possible to induce fear in a human child and whether the fear will be transferred to other objects
P- Albert was selected as he was normal and had no obvious fears. He showed no fear when first presented with a rat, rabbit, dog, cotton wool and hairy mask.
He started crying whenever a steel pole was hit behind him causing a loud noise, scaring him.
Albert was shown the rat 3 times while the steel bar was being hit behind him and Albert began to get scared.
F- When the rat was presented alone, Albert whimpered. The second time, he cried.
A month later, they tested Albert and he has the same response, just slightly weaker.
C- The study confirmed that a phobia of an object that wasn’t previously feared could be learned, supporting W&R original aim/ They saw the responses learnt could last a long time.
1) Strength of Classical Study
2) Weakness of Classical Study
(hint: W&R)
1) Highly controlled study. Albert was specially selected for lack of fears which could’ve affected the results if he had previous fears. The design makes it likely that the changes in Albert’s behaviour were due to the conditioning, rather than extraneous variables supporting this stimulus- response link.
2) Only one participant. Results may’ve been affected by his unique characteristics and as there were no other children, he might’ve been an unusual child but we can’t tell. Therefore the results can’t be generalisable to adults or women.
1) What is a phobia?
1) An anxiety disorder, which interferes with daily living.
An instance of irrational fear that produces a conscious avoidance of the feared object or situation
Systematic Desensitisation
-Uses reverse (counter) conditioning to replace a maladaptive response (fear) to a situation or object by eliciting a healthier response
1-Patient is taught a deep muscle relaxation technique
2-Patient creates a fear hierarchy starting at the stimuli and building up in increased fear
3-Patient works their way through the fear hierarchy
Strengths of Systematic Desensitisation (SD)
- Supporting evidence
- Capafons et al found a significant reduction in their measurements of participants’ fear of flying following up to 15 lessons of SD.
- Strength as it shows SD can be highly effective for treating phobias such as fear of flying
- Ethical Form of treatment
- Use of fear hierarchy and relaxation techniques ensure the client isn’t exposed to high anxiety situations
- Can be self-administered
- Treatment is appropriate for phobias and requires considerably less effort than other therapies
Weakness of Systematic Desensitisation (SD)
- Requires clearly identifiable source of phobia
- Fear of the dark or dangerous animals aren’t affected by SD as they may be too ingrained in our survival instincts
- This treatment is only effective with removing fear in phobias which aren’t linked to our evolutionary past
Flooding
-Stampfl bombarded his phobia patients with detailed descriptions of the situations they feared for 6-9 hours. Afterwards, the fear was lost.
-Based on two components:
-Unavoidable exposure- Introducing fear in most immediate and unavoidable way
-Extinction- Associating the thing you fear with something neutral
-Work through the body’s “alarm phase” which
leaves patient emotionally drained but unafraid.
