observant learning Flashcards
observant learning
responding is influenced by observation of models
ex: earning that occurs by watching and imitating the actions of others, rather than through direct experience or reinforcement.
process
attention
- behaviour and consequence
retention
- mental representation storage
- the idea that we have to mentally store the image we see in our mind such as someone who plays basketball well
reproduction
- ability to replicate or perform the behavior observed.
motivation
- depends on perceived playoff (self confidence)
what is bandura vs skinner’s views on role of reinforcement in behaviour
skinner and bandora has differing views on reinforcement in behaviour.
- bandura believed reinforcement was important for motivation to perform a behavior
- Skinner focused on reinforcement’s role in learning behavior, asserting that rewards or punishments strengthen or weaken behaviors based on their outcomes.
example of bandura’s views
A child watches an adult perform a task, such as solving a puzzle. The adult receives praise for completing it. The child learns how to solve the puzzle by observing the adult’s actions and is motivated to try it themselves, believing they will also be praised if they succeed.
Example of Skinner’s view (reinforcement in learning):
A child is rewarded with candy each time they clean their room. Over time, the child learns to clean their room more often because the reward reinforces the behavior.
media violence controversy
children, adults, and those in the 18-24 range have varied media habits
- extensive consumption is tied with health, academic, and other risks.
bobo doll experiment
conducted by Albert Bandura, demonstrated observational learning.
- In the study, children watched an adult act aggressively toward a Bobo doll.
- Afterward, the children were left in a room with the same doll, and many imitated the aggressive behavior they had observed. -This experiment highlighted that children can learn behaviors by observing others, without direct reinforcement, and that these behaviors can be mimicked later. The study reinforced Bandura’s theory of social learning, showing the role of modeling in behavior acquisition.
- this helps conclude the idea that being exposed to more violent media = increase in aggression
concerns for media violence
media violence leads to desensitization to real world aggression.
- how? decreased physiological reactions, altered perceptions, decreased suffering and sensitivity.
findings: increased media violence increases aggression across contests. correlation does NOT equal causation.
mirror neurons
Mirror neurons are brain cells that activate both when an individual performs an action and when they observe someone else performing the same action. mirror neurons help us understand and imitate the behaviors of others. They are thought to be crucial in learning by observation, as they allow us to “mirror” the actions of others, facilitating understanding and imitation, which is key in behaviors such as language acquisition, social interactions, and empathy
evaluative conditioning
refers to changes in the liking of a stimulus that result from pairing that stimulus with other positive or negative stimuli.
(think back to class discussion we had about partners seeing their partners with pictures of puppies!)
thorndike cat video
The Thorndike cat experiment demonstrates the Law of Effect, which is the idea that behaviors followed by satisfying outcomes are more likely to be repeated, while those followed by unsatisfying outcomes are less likely to occur again. In the experiment, Thorndike placed hungry cats inside a puzzle box. Initially, the cats tried various behaviors (scratching, clawing) to escape, but eventually, they accidentally triggered the mechanism to open the box. After several trials, the cats began to more quickly and efficiently press the lever to escape, as the satisfying outcome (food) reinforced the correct behavior. Over time, the cats’ responses became more refined, demonstrating how reinforcement strengthens the learned behavior
mirror neurons: What types of research were done with humans and animals?
These neurons were first discovered in the 1990s in monkeys, specifically in the premotor cortex, during research where electrodes recorded brain activity as monkeys reached for objects or watched others do so. In humans, research has utilized neuroimaging techniques like fMRI and EEG to identify similar neural networks in regions such as the motor and premotor cortex, as well as the inferior parietal lobe.
-These studies show that mirror neurons are involved in understanding others’ actions, intentions, and emotions, playing a potential role in social cognition, empathy, and learning through imitation.
-Animal studies further explored mirror neuron activity in observing vs. performing tasks, while human research linked these neurons to disorders like autism, where social processing may be impaired.
