Week 6: Cognitive Learning Flashcards
What did early behaviourists believe about learning?
Early behaviourists believed that learning through operant and classical conditioning could be explained without reference to internal mental processes.
How has the study of learning broadened today?
Today, psychologists acknowledge the role of mental processes and have broadened the study of learning to include cognitive processes such as thinking, knowing, problem solving, remembering, and forming mental representations.
What are cognitive processes?
Cognitive processes are mental processes such as thinking, problem solving, and remembering.
Who studied observational learning?
Albert Bandura.
What is observational learning?
Observational learning is learning by observing the behaviour of others and the consequences of that behaviour; it is also known as modelling.
Do we need to experience rewards and punishments directly to learn?
According to Albert Bandura, many of our behaviours or responses are acquired through observational learning, meaning we do not need to experience rewards and punishments directly.
What is a model in observational learning?
A model is a person who demonstrates a behaviour or whose behaviour is imitated, such as parents, movie stars, or sports personalities.
What factors affect the effectiveness of a model?
The effectiveness of a model is related to the model’s status, competence, and power, as well as age, sex, attractiveness, and ethnic status.
What influences whether learned behaviour is performed?
Whether learned behaviour is performed depends largely on whether the observed models are rewarded or punished for their behaviour and whether the individual expects to be rewarded for the behaviour.
How can observational learning improve performance?
Observational learning is improved when several sessions of observation precede attempts to perform the behaviour and are then repeated in the early stages of practicing it.
What can observational learning help us acquire?
Observational learning can help us acquire new responses or strengthen or weaken existing responses.
In what situations is observational learning helpful?
Observational learning is helpful in unusual situations where individuals might take cues from others.
How can inhibitions be affected by observational learning?
Inhibitions can be weakened or lost as a result of observational learning, such as seeing others drink or smoke in high school, but they can also be strengthened through observational learning.
Can fears be acquired through observational learning?
Yes, fears can be acquired through observational learning.
What did Bandura suspect about aggressive behaviour?
Bandura suspected that aggressive behaviour is particularly subject to observational learning and that aggression and violence in media tend to increase aggression in children.
What did Bandura’s experiments demonstrate about children and aggression?
Bandura demonstrated that children are influenced by exposure to aggressive models, with exposure to humans on film portraying aggression being the most influential.
How do children process information about consequences compared to adults?
Children do not process information about consequences the same way adults do; preschoolers learn that violence is morally unacceptable, while school-aged children may judge violence based on provocation.
