Psychology in Everyday Life - Learning

Learning: Acquisition of new and enduring information or behaviors through experience.
Associative Learning: Linking certain events, distinguishing between two types:
- Classical Conditioning: Linking two stimuli to anticipate events.
- Operant Conditioning: Associating actions with consequences.

Key Concepts:
- Neutral Stimulus (NS): Does not elicit a response before conditioning.
- Unconditioned Stimulus (US): Triggers a natural response.
- Unconditioned Response (UR): Naturally occurring response to a US.
- Conditioned Stimulus (CS): Originally neutral that elicits a conditioned response.
- Conditioned Response (CR): Learned response to a CS.
Major Processes:
- Acquisition: Learning phase where NS and US are linked.
- Extinction: CR weakens when CS is presented without US.
- Spontaneous Recovery: CR reappearing after a pause.
- Generalization: Responding similarly to similar stimuli.
- Discrimination: Distinguishing between similar stimuli.

Basic Idea: Learning to associate behavior with its consequences.
Types of Reinforcement:
- Positive Reinforcement: Adding a desirable stimulus.
- Negative Reinforcement: Removing an adverse stimulus.
Types of Punishment:
- Positive Punishment: Adding an aversive stimulus.
- Negative Punishment: Removing a rewarding stimulus.
Reinforcement Schedules:
- Continuous and partial reinforcement methods affecting responses.

Biological Constraints: Certain behaviors are predisposed by biological factors.
Cognition and Learning: Latent learning exhibits cognitive processes; animals can learn without reinforcement.

Definition: Learning by observing others, involving processes such as modeling.
Effects of Role Models: Positive (prosocial) and negative (antisocial) impacts on behavior.
Mirror Neurons: Brain cells activated through observed behaviors, underlying social learning.