DRAFT: The Study of Learning & Behavior

What type of approach does the study of learning and behavior take?

It takes the natural science approach, which means that its focus is on the description and understanding of natural phenomena

What are the four assumptions of the natural science approach?

• Natural phenomena have causes

• Causes precede their effects

• The causes of natural events include only natural phenomena

• The simplest explanation that fits the data is best

What are the seven methods used to measure learning and behavior?

• Errors

• Topography

• Intensity

• Speed

• Latency

• Rate

• Fluency

What Does Topography Involve?

Changes in form or performance; either an increase or decrease in variability

When a rat uses a force to depress a lever, what is the measurement of learning that is being done?

An increase in force and effort exerted

What does Latency Involve?

Measurement of a delay or absence of a behavior

What is a Cumulative Record?

A machine where a pen is traced on a roll of paper based on the behavior of the subject; it measures the change in behavior over time

What does fluency involve?

A combination or errors and rate to measure learning; counts the # of correct responses per a set time

What are examples of a decrease in errors?

Playing an instrument, parallel parking

What are examples of more varied topography?

Making your Mom’s ‘recipe’, explaining a complex idea

What are examples of decreased intensity?

“Work Smarter, Not Harder”, making friends, learned helplessness

What are examples of slower speed?

Cleaning, finishing the job your boss assigned you

What are examples of longer latency?

Responding to the question “what’s wrong?”, and answering questions on exams with tricky wording

What are examples of increased rate?

Studying with flashcards, class attendance

What are examples of decreased fluency?

Forgetting the language you learned in high school, dog acquiring multiple commands

What are some sources of data that we study?

Anecdotes, case studies, descriptive studies, and experiments

What are anecdotes?

First- or second-hand report of personal experience

What are advantages of anecdotes?

They can provide ideas for case studies, descriptive studies, or experiments

What are limitations of anecdotes?

They are not systematic and are open to many interpretations

What are case studies?

Detailed study and description of a single case; usually used in clinical settings

What are advantages of case studies?

More systematic than anecdotes

What are limitations of case studies?

Time, lack of making generalizations, cannot answer questions of causation, and much of the data comes from reports rather than observations

What are Descriptive Studies?

Studies in which the researcher attempts to describe a group by obtaining data from its members

What are advantages of descriptive studies?

More explanatory power than case studies and larger sample of participants

What are some limitations of descriptive studies?

Can suggest hypotheses to explain a phenomenon, but cannot test them

What are between-subjects experiments?

An experimental design in which the independent variable is made to vary across two or more groups of subjects