Ch7. ( Biological/cognitive factors and Observational Learning)

theorists state Learning is a byproduct of ……

interaction of Biological & Psychological & Social Cultural influence

Biological constraint of Classical Conditioning on animal:

biology and environment both limit ability to be conditioned

species predispositions prepare it to learn the associations that enhance its survival—a phenomenon called preparedness

Define preparedness:

Biological predisposition to learn associations that have survival value.

example of preparedness limiting conditioning in animals (rat):

-Rats avoided drinking h20 associating it with their nausea (actually bcuz of radiation)

if sickened even hours after tasting a flavour, the rats avoided that flavor

(Flavour is CS and sickness is CR)

Findings of John Garcia rat experiment

• sickened rats developed only aversions to tastes NOT sights / sounds.(proved FALSE any perceivable stimulus could serve as a CS.

• rats proved FALSE for conditioning to occur, the US must immediately follow the CS.

define Taste aversion: (John Garcia rat)

learned association between the taste of a food and illness such that the food is deemed to be the cause of the illness. The response is then to avoid the food.

(Humans have taste aversion too but birds use sight aversion)

Biological Limits on Operant Conditioning:

Biological constraints predispose organisms to most easily learn/retain associations/behaviours that reflect our biological and psychological predisposition (naturally adaptive to us)

ex: easily teach pigeons to flap wings to avoid a shock, and peck for food: flying with wings and eating with beaks are natural pigeon behaviors.

However, pigeons would have a hard time learning to peck to avoid a shock, or to flap their wings to obtain food

Marian & Keller Breland operant experiment and its biological constraint (pig)

Pigs trained to pick up coin in mouth and place in box began to Instinctively drift back to their natural way by using snouts to push, delaying the food reinforcer

define Instinctive drift

The tendency of learned behaviour to gradually revert to biologically predisposed patterns.

• occurred In Breland experiment as the pigs reverted to their biologically predisposed patterns.

Cognition’s Influence on Conditioning:

Robert Rescorla and Allan Wagner——

• The more predictable the association, the stronger the conditioned response ( animal develops awareness of how likely the US is to occur)

If a shock always is preceded by a tone and and then light, rat fears tone but NOT light. Although the light is always followed by the shock, it adds no new information; the tone is a better predictor

define cognitive map: (cognition and operant conditioning)

A mental representation of the layout of one’s environment.

experiment: rats developed a Cognitive map of a maze with no rewards and demonstrated latent learning in solving maze gets you food (didn’t need reinforcement)

define: Latent learning : (cognition and operant conditioning)

Learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it.

experiment: rats developed a Cognitive map of a maze with no rewards and demonstrated latent learning in solving maze gets you food (didn’t need reinforcement)

Define biological predispositions in CLASSICAL conditioning:

Natural predispositions constrain what stimuli and responses can be easily associated

Define cognitive processes in CLASSICAL conditioning:

Organisms develop expectation that CS signals arrival of US

Define biological predispositions in OPERANT conditioning:

Organisms most easily learn behaviours similar to their natural behaviour, unnatural behaviours instinctively drift back towards natural ones.

Define cognitive processes in OPERANT conditioning:

• Organisms develop expectation that a response will be reinforced or punished

• Exhibit latent learning without reinforcement

Define Observational Learning (modeling/ social learning):

Learning through the replicating others behaviour by observing and imitation

Albert Bandura: Learning is reinforcement, punishment AND OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING

explain Bobo doll experiment: (Observational learning)

in toy room Kid observes adult abuse doll for 10 min. Then kid is told he isn’t allowed to play with 90% of toys, now frustrated kid identically beats up doll

diff kid observes adult being scolded for abuse so frustrated kid doesn’t beat up doll

Findings of BOBO experiment:

Bandura—— we experience vicarious reinforcement or vicarious punishment, and learn to anticipate a behavior’s consequences in situations observed

fMRI scan proves brain reward activation

Define mirror neurons:

In frontal lobe, they fire when preforming imitation and observational learning & helps w/ empathy ,

behaviours are transmitted from generation to generation within local culture

experiment showing mirror neurons:

monkeys trained to only eat blue corn, another group for pink, retained for months later, then a monkey from blue migrated to pink and began eating only pink

Application of Observational Learning: PROSOCIAL EFFECT

Modeling of prosocial behaviours can have prosocial effects.

ex: businesses use training videos to demonstrate skills of a good worker

ex: Seeing someone being helpful to another makes us be more helpful

Models are most …. when their actions & words are …..

effective……consistent

(actions should line up with words)

Emily’s parents/ friends all drive over the speed limit, but they advise her not to.

Hannah’s parents/friends drive within the speed limit, but they say nothing to deter her from speeding.

•Will Emily or Hannah be more likely to speed?

Emily is more likely due to observing her rolemodels speed

Application of Observational Learning: ANTISOCIAL effects

aggression can be learned by observing

Why abusive parents have aggressive children, why children who are lied to become more likely to cheat and lie

social learning theory

attention (stimuli focus)———>retention——→ motor reproduction——>motivation( reward reinforce)