Biology, Cognition, and Learning Overview Module 22 of "Psychology in Modules" by David G. Myers and C. Nathan DeWall.
Biopsychosocial Influences on Learning
Biological: Genetic predispositions, unconditioned responses, adaptive responses, neural mirroring.
Psychological: Previous experiences, predictability of associations, generalization, discrimination, expectations.
Social-Cultural: Culturally learned preferences, motivation influenced by social modeling.
Biological Constraints on Conditioning
Classical Conditioning: Stronger conditioning when CS is ecologically relevant and predictably followed by US (Garcia & Koelling).
Operant Conditioning: Species' conditioning capacity is biologically constrained; instinctive drift occurs.
Conditioning in Cancer Patients: Nausea (CR) associated with waiting room (CS) due to drug treatment (US).
Cognition in Conditioning
Learning by Observation
Observational Learning: Higher animals imitate others; Bandura's Bobo doll experiment highlights vicarious reinforcement.
Mirror Neurons in the frontal lobe facilitate imitation and empathy; brain activity in pain experiences is similar in observers.
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