Lecture 2

Question 1

Learning Theory is based on:

Answer 1

1. Associationism
2. Reductionism
3. Positivism
4. Materialism

Question 2

Due to the work of Descourtes, the British Empiricists and Darwin…

Answer 2

It is believed that the mechanistic laws of nature (natural laws, physics) can explain both the voluntary and involuntary behaviour of both humans and other animals., and that non-human animals had consciousness too.

Question 3

What are the current assumptions of Learning Theory?

Answer 3

1. The processes underlying learning are the same in humans and other animals (The laws of associationism)
2. The conditions controlling learning are the same in humans and other animals
   3: The behaviours selected for study are arbitrary, the same processes are involved regardless of the specific behaviour.

Question 4

What are the conditions controlling learning?

Answer 4

Stimulus intensity, stimulus duration, reinforcement schedules, et cetera.

Question 5

Why not study learning in humans? Why use animals?

Answer 5

1. People are unreliable - don’t show up for experiments.
   2: People are biased - try to please or displease the experimenter, try to figure out the experiment
   3: Ethical issues - unethical to control an infants environment for years.
   4: experimental control - people have complex learning histories
   5: Certain research questions are better suited to using other animals.

Question 6

Choice of experimental subject…

Answer 6

Should not matter if the assumptions of learning theory are correct.

Question 7

Define Learning

Answer 7

The process by which new knowledge is acquired, it is the result of experiences, often observed in overt behaviour. Learning is Association Formation.

Question 8

How do we study learning?

Answer 8

The internal processes of learning can not be seen, therefore we study the results of learning, then we infer something about the process.

Question 9

How do we study the results of learning?

Answer 9

We need a method that will enable us to unambiguously see the results of learning, we use Classical Conditioning.

Question 10

What is Classical Conditioning?

Answer 10

A paradigm/procedure tat allows us to unambiguously see the results of learning.

Classical conditioning is not a type of learning, it is a procedure to study learning

Question 11

Learning is __________

Answer 11

Associationism

Question 12

Classical Conditioning is a ________

Answer 12

Procedure/Paradigm

Question 13

List the Requirements of the Classical Conditioning paradigm

Answer 13

1. Unconditioned stimulus
2. Unconditioned response
3. Conditioned stimulus
4. the stimuli are presented to the organism in a specified order, or temporal arrangement
5. Conditioned Response
6. The presentation of the US is independent of CR occurrence
7. The definition of a CR is restricted to a response that appears in the same effector system as the UR

Question 14

Define Unconditioned stimulus (US)

Answer 14

A stimulus which reliably produces a specific, measurable response from the organism. (Food –> saliva

Question 15

Define unconditioned responses (UR)

Answer 15

The reliable response to the US (salivation to food). The UR is relative to the US

Question 16

Define Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

Answer 16

A stimulus that does not initially produce a response resembling the UR under study. (the sound of a bell will not naturally produce salivation)

Question 17

Define temporal arrangement

Answer 17

The specified order that the stimuli are presented to the organism.

Question 18

Define Conditioned response

Answer 18

A response similar to the UR which develops to the CS (saliva to the bell).