What Is Learning?
Learning refers to a relatively enduring change in behavior or knowledge as a result of experience.
Key Areas of Focus:
Classical Conditioning: Associating Stimuli
Operant Conditioning: Associating Behaviors and Consequences
Observational Learning: Imitating the Actions of Others
Learning occurs in various settings, not just classrooms, and encompasses all ages.
Conditioning: Process of learning associations between environmental events and behavioral responses.
Key Theme: Classical conditioning is about learning associations between stimuli.
Discovered classical conditioning and its processes involving reflexive responses and the formation of associations.
Definition: A basic learning process involving repeated pairing of a neutral stimulus with a response-producing stimulus.
Mechanism: The stimulus does not produce new behavior but causes an existing behavior to occur through association.
Before Conditioning:
Neutral Stimulus (NS): The metronome (no response).
Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): Dog food (elicits an Unconditioned Response (UCR) of salivation).
During Conditioning:
NS (metronome) paired immediately before UCS (food).
Result: UCR of salivation occurs.
After Conditioning:
NS becomes a Conditioned Stimulus (CS) and elicits a Conditioned Response (CR) of salivation even without food.
Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): A natural stimulus that reflexively elicits a response.
Unconditioned Response (UCR): An unlearned reflexive response to UCS.
Conditioned Stimulus (CS): A previously neutral stimulus that, after conditioning, elicits a reflexive response.
Conditioned Response (CR): A learned reflexive response to CS.
Timing: Most effective when CS is presented just before UCS.
Stimulus Generalization: Learned response occurs to similar stimuli.
Stimulus Discrimination: Learned response is specific to a particular stimulus rather than similar stimuli.
Humans are biologically prepared to develop fears of stimuli that posed threats historically.
Evolved adaptations in the brain enhance sensitivities to particular stimuli like snakes and spiders.
Key Theme: Operant conditioning involves learning voluntary behaviors shaped by consequences.
Thorndike studied how voluntary behaviors are influenced by consequences using trial and error.
Law of Effect: Behaviors followed by satisfying outcomes are more likely to be repeated.
Focused on observable behavior and introduced the concept of operants.
Developed the Skinner Box as a method to study behavior in controlled environments.
Operant Conditioning Definition: Involves changing the probability of a response by manipulating consequences.
Reinforcement: The process of increasing the likelihood of a behavior due to a stimulus or event following a response.
Positive Reinforcement: Addition of a rewarding stimulus to increase behavior.
Negative Reinforcement: Removal of an aversive stimulus to increase behavior.
Positive vs. Negative Reinforcement:
Positive: E.g., Studying leading to making the Dean's list.
Negative: E.g., Studying to avoid losing a scholarship.
Primary Reinforcer: Naturally reinforcing (e.g., food, water).
Secondary (Conditioned) Reinforcer: Gains reinforcing value through association with primary reinforcers.
Definition of Punishment: Presentation or removal of a stimulus to decrease a behavior's occurrence.
Positive Punishment: Addition of an aversive stimulus after a behavior.
Negative Punishment: Removal of a reinforcing stimulus following a behavior.
New behaviors can be developed through shaping, which involves reinforcing successive approximations toward a desired behavior.
The Partial Reinforcement Effect states that behaviors conditioned using partial reinforcement are more resistant to extinction.
Different schedules of reinforcement can produce different patterns of behavior.
Fixed-ratio (FR), Variable-ratio (VR), Fixed-interval (FI), and Variable-interval (VI).
Operant conditioning principles can reduce problem behaviors and promote learning in various fields such as education, therapy, and workplace productivity.
Key Theme: Observational learning involves learning through observing the actions of others, as proposed by Albert Bandura.
High social status of the model, past rewards for similar behaviors, and comfort levels with the situation can affect imitation.
The brain's hardwired capacity for imitation is linked to mirror neurons, which activate during both performing and observing actions.
Observational learning can extend to media, influencing social behaviors positively or negatively (e.g., anti-drug campaigns).
Learning involves various processes, including classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning, each with distinct mechanisms and applications influencing behavior.