3.8b & 3.9 - Operant Conditioning: Applications, Biological Limits, and Contrasts with Classical Conditioning & Social, Cognitive, and Neurological Factors in Learning

instinctive drift

tendency of learned behavior to gradually revert to biologically predisposed patterns (what is natural)

!!! Biological predisposition

hamsters: easy to dig for food (natural food-searching behaviors), but hard to wash face then get food!

cognitive map

mental representation of the layout of one’s environment

ex) map school in mind

latent learning

learning that occurs without reinforcement and isn’t immediately evident

ex) rats go thru maze, learn but don’t see, when present food at end they show they learned w/o reinforcement!

_{^{(learning happens subconsciously without obvious reinforcement and only becomes visible when needed; hidden/underlying!)}}

_{^{textbook: learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it}}

insight learning

solving problems through sudden insight (contrasts with strategy-based solutions)

_{^{-can think over and suddenly come up with solution w/o a model, consequence or association}}

observational learning

learning by observing others

ex) see sister flinch from hot stove, avoid stove

-modeling, vicarious reinforcement

modeling

process of observing and imitating a specific behavior

ex) Bobo doll experiment

_{^{-part of social learning theory}}

mirror neurons

neurons that some scientists believe fire when we perform certain actions or observe another doing so

-may enable imitation and empathy

-mentally simulate feelings/actions

ex) monkey see man lick ice cream, monkey’s neurons fire as if monkey moved when it didn’t

prosocial behavior

positive, constructive, helpful behavior

_{^{opposite of antisocial behavior}}

antisocial behavior

negative, destructive, harmful behavior

_{^{opposite of prosocial behavior}}

!!! Pavlov/Watson didn’t account for cognitive processes like thoughts, perceptions, and expectations (ex: expect arrival of UCS after CS; expect response will be reinforced/punished)

~if model’s actions/words are inconsistent, children most likely to imitate what is observed!!!