Learning Psych 101

Lecture 9

Define Learning

process of adapting to changes in environment

Role of culture in Learning

larger influence on what we learn vs how we learn - EX: role of culture in perception

Sensitisation

a non-associative learning process where repeated exposure to a threatening stimulus leads to an increased response over time.

• protects you from dangerous stimuli in the world

Habituation

a non-associative learning process where repeated exposure to a non-threatening stimulus results in a decreased response over time.

• tunes out irrelevant stimuli and helps you focus on relevant stimuli

Define Behaviourism and its key features

John Watson, B.F. Skinner

the study of observable behavior, rejects introspection.

Key features include conditioning, reinforcement, and the idea that behaviour is learned through interaction with the environment.

Classical conditioning - definition, basic components and key principles

Classical conditioning = A learning process where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus, eliciting a conditioned response.

basic components - unconditioned stimulus, unconditioned response, conditioned stimulus, conditioned response.

key principles:

• the strength of the unconditioned stimulus (fewer trials lead to stronger conditioning)

• the valence of the unconditioned stimulus (negative or positive)

• timing of the conditioned stimulus presented before the unconditioned stimulus

Classical conditioning - Extinction

the process by which a conditioned response decreases/disappears when the conditioned stimulus is presented w/o the unconditioned stimulus repeatedly.

ex: Little Albert = evidence that fears can be classically conditioned

Classical conditioning - therapeutic application (1)

Exposure therapy - a behavioural treatment for phobias that involves gradual exposure to the feared object or context without any danger, allowing the patient to confront and reduce their fear response.

Generalisation

the tendency for a conditioned response to be responding to stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus.

ex: Dog salivates to a slightly higher pitch tone

this leads to more flexible and adaptive behaviour

Discrimination

The ability to distinguish between different stimuli and respond only to the specific conditioned stimulus, while not responding to similar stimuli.

• ex: Dog does not salivate to human speech sounds

• This process helps in refining the conditioned response.

Operant conditioning - definition and basic principles

Definition: A learning process through which the strength of a behaviour is modified by reinforcement or punishment, focusing on the consequences of actions to shape behaviour.

Basic principles: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment and negative punishment - the use of rewards and consequences to influence behavior.

Reinforcement (definition and role)

Reinforcement is a process in operant conditioning that increases the likelihood of a behaviour.

• This can occur through positive reinforcement, where a desirable stimulus is presented, or negative reinforcement, where an aversive stimulus is removed.

Punishment (definition and role)

Punishment is a process in operant conditioning that decreases the likelihood of a behaviour.

• It involves applying positive punishment or removing a preferred stimulus (negative punishment) to reduce undesired behaviour.

Reinforcement schedules

fixed ratio schedule - Every nth correct behaviour

fixed interval schedule - Every nth-length time interval

advantages - good at the start to teach

disadvantages - Predictable! - Drop in performance following reinforcement

variable ratio schedule - Every nth behaviour, on average

variable interval schedule - Every nth-length time interval, on average

advantages - Enduring behaviours! - Hard to extinguish because reinforcement unpredictable

disadvantages - Slower to learn! - Less effective at the start

applications of operant conditioning

ABA - Therapeutic approach rooted in behaviourist principles of learning

• Use CC and OC to decrease maladaptive behaviours and increase adaptive behaviours

• Autism Spectrum Disorder

Animal training - using rewards and punishments to shape behaviour

ex: teach dog to not bite

role of biology in learning

Biological factors, such as genetics and brain structure, influence learning processes and memory retention. These elements can affect how individuals acquire, process, and retain information. ex: neurotransmitter levels and brain plasticity.

role of cognition and learning

Cognitive factors, such as beliefs, attitudes, and mental processes, significantly influence how individuals learn and understand new information.

• These elements shape problem-solving skills, decision-making, and the ability to apply knowledge in various contexts.

Define Observational learning

A learning process where individuals acquire new behaviors by watching and imitating others, often involving modeling and reinforcement.

imitation and social learning

social cognitive theory: we imitate behaviours, but we do more than that • Apply knowledge from a model to our actions in the future

ex: bobodoll

vocal learning

Learn to make vocalizations (sounds) from others

• Rare ability in animals!

ex: songbirds learn how to sing from their mother song birds and • Humans: No speech input = no language!