Learning Theory

Question 1

2 types of learning processes

Answer 1

Classical conditioning and operant conditioning

Question 2

What is Classical conditioning

Answer 2

How our behaviour becomes associated with stimuli in the environment;
Stimuli response associations;
Dogs will naturally respond by salivating when given food;

Question 3

Pavlovian conditioning (classical conditioning)

Answer 3

Dogs started to salivate in response to other stimuli presented just before their food (bell to signal feeding time);
Dogs don’t naturally salivate to the sound of bells - they had learned a new behaviour

Question 4

3 stages of classical conditioning

Answer 4

1. Before learning 
Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) gives unconditioned response (UCR);

2. During learning 
Conditioned stimulus (CS) + UCS gives UCR;

3. After learning
   CS gives Conditioned response (CR)

Question 5

Temporal contiguity

Answer 5

Relationship between CS and UCS - how closely in time the two are presented;
Close temporal contiguity is a critical factor for conditioning;
Variations in it affect strength of conditioning;

Question 6

Generalisation in Classical conditioning

Answer 6

CR transfers to other stimuli similar to the original CS without further conditioning;
The more similar the novel stimuli to the original CS, the more likely it is for generalisation to occur;
Increasingly different CS will lead to discrimination;
Has adaptive (survival advantages);

Question 7

Extinction (‘Unlearning”)

Answer 7

Learned behaviours become weaker until no longer produced;

Occurs when CS is repeatedly presented without UCS;

Question 8

Application of classical conditioning

Answer 8

Behaviour therapy:
Understand how behaviours are learned;
Understand how behaviours are maintained;
Modify or change behaviours;

Understanding psychopathology and treating disordered/ maladaptive behaviour - conditioning of emotional reactions and physiological responses

Question 9

Phobias

Answer 9

Classically conditioned fears to previously neutral stimuli;

Question 10

Conditioned phobias and avoidance

Answer 10

Patients don’t put themselves in a position where behaviour will extinguish (as they will avoid exposure to their aversive stimuli);

Question 11

Flooding

Answer 11

Based on extinction;
Placed in most feared situation;
Flooding is the least preferred option;

Question 12

Counter conditioning

Answer 12

Extinguishing response to a particular stimulus by reinforcing a competing response;
Replaces maladaptive behaviours;

Question 13

Understanding behaviour (classical conditioning)

Answer 13

Phobias;

Anticipatory nausea/ vomiting in cancer patients due to chemotherapy

Question 14

Changing behaviour (Classical conditioning)

Answer 14

Counter-conditioning;
Flooding;
Systematic desensitisation;

Question 15

Changing behaviour - systematic desensitisation

Answer 15

Construct hierarchy of events related to original stimulus which elicits maladaptive response;
Eg. Nausea in chemotherapy patients;
1. Driving to clinic;
2. Entering treatment room
3. Seeing clinic nurse;

Train patients to associate alternate response with these events

Question 16

Behaviour therapy applications

Answer 16

Virtual reality -
Graded exposure and habitualisation to vivid experience through artificially created env - no costs of real exposure;
Particularly effective in post-traumatic stress disorder; anxiety disorder (and phobias)

Question 17

What is operant (Instrumental) conditioning?

Answer 17

Learning associations between behaviour and its consequences;
How consequences affect behaviour;
Learning a response by operating on env;

Question 18

Example of operant conditioning

Answer 18

Skinner box -

Chamber with lever that an animal presses to release food or turn on/off electric shock;

Question 19

A-B-C of operant conditioning

Answer 19

Antecedent stimulus - conditions/ situation in which the behaviour occurs;
B - behaviours (operants) - behavioural response;
Example: rat presses lever;

C- consequence - what happens as a result of operant behaviour;
Example: food is given;

Question 20

Consequences of behaviour

Answer 20

Reinforcement and punishment

Question 21

What is reinforcement? Types of reinforcement

Answer 21

Strengths behaviour - more likely to occur in future;

Positive - presentation of desirable stimulus - praising good behaviour;
Negative - removal of undesirable stimulus - toothache relieved by going to Dentist;

Question 22

Punishment

Types of punishment

Answer 22

Weakens behaviour. Less likely to occur in future

Positive punishment - presentation of undesirable stimulus - smacking for bad behaviour;
Negative - removal of desirable stimulus - response cost - removal of TV for bad behaviour;

Question 23

Temporal contiguity in operant behaviour

Answer 23

Important and makes it more effective

Question 24

Generalisation in operant conditioning

Answer 24

Conditioned behaviour transfers to antecedent situations or stimuli that are similar to the original one;

Occurs without further conditioning after generalisation;

Question 25

Extinction in operant conditioning

Answer 25

Gradual decrease in behaviour until no longer produced;
When behaviour no longer associated its consequence;
Eg. Rat presses lever no longer produces food;

Question 26

Shaping in operant conditioning

Answer 26

Reinforcement of successive approximations to the desired behaviour;
Break desired behaviour into a series of simpler steps;
Start training simple and build up gradually to more complex ones;

Question 27

Consequences of positive and negative punishment

Answer 27

Positive -
Less effective;
May arose negative emotions/aggression;
May not generalise to other situations/behaviours - doesn’t teach desired behaviour;

Negative punishment -
Based on extinction by removing reinforcing consequences that maintain a response;
Less likely to arise negative emotions/physical aggression;

Question 28

Application of operant conditioning

Answer 28

Understand how behaviours are learned and maintained;

Modify or change behaviours;

Question 29

Behaviour modification (operant conditioning)

Answer 29

Increase frequency of existing adaptive behaviours;
Decrease frequency of existing maladaptive behaviours;
Teach new appropriate behaviours;

Question 30

Clinical application (operant conditioning)

Answer 30

Anorexia nervosa - through cognitive behiourl therapy;
Autism - use of ABA (applied behavioural analysis) techniques to improve children’s language and communicative behaviours;
Shaping to build more complex behaviour

Question 31

Behaviour management programmes for children

Answer 31

To increase desirable behaviour;
Decrease undesirable;
Positive reinforcement, negative;
Extinction for undesirable behaviour;
Negative punishment for undesirable behaviour;
Reduce parental use of positive punishment;

Question 32

Discrete trial training in autism

Answer 32

Breaks down learning opportunities into well controlled, discrete teacher-student interactions;