Learning theory Flashcards
Non-associative learning
- only seen in lower animals
- simple learning
- single events are used in learning patterns
Habituation
- example of non-associative learning
- repeated stimulation leads to a reduction in response over time and the organism ‘learns’ the stimulus
- response rate overall decreases
Sensitization
- increase in response to a stimulus as a result of repeated presentations of that stimulus
- overall response rate increases
- non-associative learning
Pseudoconditioning (cross-sensitization)
- the emergence of a response to a previously neutral stimulas simply as a result of exposures to a different but powerful stimulus
- non-associative learning
3 types of non-associative learning
- habituation
- sensitization
- pseudoconditioning
Associative learning
- learning that occurs through the association of 2 events
Classical conditioning
- type of associative learning
- repeated association between 2 events
- the learning organism is passive and is respondent but not instrumental (does not actively operate on its environment)
Operant conditioning
- type of associative learning
- learning results as a consequence of one’s actions -‘operations’
- the learning organism actively operates on the environment
Social learning theory
- type of associative learning
- combines both classic and operant models of learning and includes cognitive processes and social interaction to be relevant in human learning
3 types of associative learning
- classical conditioning
- operant conditioning
- social learning theory
Classical conditioning procedure
- produced by repeatedly pairing a neutral conditioned stimulus (CS) e.g bell and an unconditioned stimuls (UCS) e.g food
- this naturally evokes an unconditioned response (UCR) e.g salivation
- eventually the neutral stimulus alone evokes the desired response
Pavlov’s dogs
-example of classical conditioning
Acquisition
- development of the association between he conditioned response and the unconditioned response resulting in the conditioned response
- needs an average of 3-15 pairings
- if significant emotional involvement is present then acquisition can occur with 1 pairing
Delayed or forward conditioning
- the CS (bell) presented before the UCS (food)
- the CS and UCS pairing continues until the UCR (salivation) occurs
Backward conditioning
- UCS (food) presented before the CS (bell)
- not useful in animals
- used in advertising
Simultaneous conditioning
- UCS and CS are presented together
- often the case in real life
Trace conditioning
- CS is presented and removed before the UCS is presented
- conditioning depends on the memory trace
- delay of 0.5ms is proposed to be optimum for trace conditioning
Temporal contiguity
- time between stimulus and response
- Pavlov
- Rescorla showed that predictability is more important than temporal contiguity in humans
Higher order conditioning
- refers to the use of an already conditioned stimulus (CS) as UCS) for the next level of conditioning and eliciting a CR for another stimulus (CS2)
- 2nd order conditioning and higher are possible but animals do not respond higher than 4th order
Higher order conditioning example
- sound of box rattling illicits salivation in Sabs
- door opening ==> box rattle==> salivation
- door opening==> salivation
Little Albert
- Watson and Raynor
- produced a phobia in little Albert by exposing him to a loud noise in the presence of a white rat
- became phobic of the white rat and when white furry objects seen
- showed spread of associative learning from one stimulus to another
Stimulus generalisation
-spread of associative learning from one stimulus to another
Discrimination
- learned responses are made only to specific stimuli and not to other similar stimuli e.g spiders but not insects
Extinction
- reduction/disappearance of the learned response when the UCS-CS pairing is not available anymore
- faster extinction may mean weaker learning
- extinction does not mean loss of learning, only suppression of the behaviour response
Counter conditioning
-a form of classical conditioning where a previously conditioned response is replaced by a new response that may be more desirable e.g therapy