Biology, Cognition and Learning

Overview of Learning Theories

• Focus on the integration of biological, cognitive, and sociocultural influences in learning.

Biological Influences on Learning

• Learning is influenced by genetic disposition and biological programming.

• Key biological factors contributing to learning:

  • Genetic Disposition: Refers to inherited traits that influence how we learn.

  • Unconditioned Responses: Automatic reactions to stimuli that do not require prior learning.

  • Adaptive Responses: Responses that have evolved to help organisms survive.

  • Neural Mirroring: Brain activity that reflects the actions and emotions of others.

• Garcia and Kulig's Rat Taste Aversion Research

  • Demonstrates biological preparedness for certain learning associations.

  • Illustrates that conditioning is stronger with ecologically relevant stimuli.

  • Example: Nausea conditioning in cancer patients during chemotherapy treatment.

  • Conditioning Process:

    • Unconditioned Stimulus (US): Chemotherapy

    • Unconditioned Response (UR): Nausea from treatment.

    • Conditioned Stimulus (CS): The waiting room where treatments occur.

    • Conditioned Response (CR): Nausea felt upon entering the waiting room due to past conditioning.

• Personal example of conditioned response: After chemotherapy, the speaker developed an aversion to Campbell's mushroom soup due to its association with nausea.

Operant Conditioning and Biological Limits

• Instinctive Drift: The phenomenon where animals revert back to biologically predisposed behaviors after being trained.

  • Example with horses: Natural ability to navigate obstacles improves training outcomes.

• Animals learn behaviors that reflect their biological and psychological predispositions.

Cognitive Influences on Learning

• Cognitive learning involves acquiring mental information that guides behavior.

• Cognitive mapping is the mental representation of environments learned through experience.

  • Example: Rats learning a maze demonstrate cognitive maps and latent learning without immediate reinforcement.

• Skinner's views on cognition in learning:

  • Disregarded cognitive factors in the operant conditioning process, although evidence suggests cognitive aspects influence learning effectiveness.

Observational Learning and Social Learning Theory

• Albert Bandura's Contribution: Pioneering work on modeling behavior and observational learning via the Bobo doll experiment.

  • Key findings: Children imitate observed behaviors, especially when models are not punished.

• Importance of modeling in learning:

  • Vicarious Reinforcement: Learning through observing the consequences others receive from their actions.

  • Children See Children Do: Shows how children mirror behaviors they observe in adults, highlighting the role of social modeling in behavior acquisition.

Neural Basis of Imitation

• Mirror Neurons: A neural network implicated in imitation and understanding others' actions.

  • Empathy and observational learning are thought to derive from specific brain areas related to emotions and physical sensations.

Pro-Social and Anti-Social Behavior through Observation

• Pro-Social Behavior: Positive, constructive, helpful behavior influenced by observational learning.

  • Children respond to modeling from their parents, leading to internalized moral values.

• Anti-Social Behavior: Negative behavior influenced by observational learning.

  • Example: Children of abusive parents tend to exhibit aggressive behavior, and repeated exposure to violent themes desensitizes reactions to aggression.

Media Influence and Aggression

• Experimental studies link media violence to increased aggression and decreased empathy in viewers.

• APA Task Force on Violent Media (2015):

  • Reported relationships between violent video game use and increased aggressive behavior/thoughts and decreased pro-social tendencies.

  • Caveats: Critics point out potential methodological weaknesses, such as reliability and effect size in studies.

  • Cultural context's role: Comparison of media violence impact in the U.S versus Japan suggests cultural factors may mediate behavioral outcomes.

• American Academy of Pediatrics (2009) Recommendations:

  • Advised pediatricians on the potential effects of media violence on behavior and emotional health of children, including desensitization and increased fear of harm.

Conclusion

• Reflection on the intertwining effects of biological, cognitive, and sociocultural influences in learning as presented throughout the chapter, along with the need to consider the implications of these influences in real-world contexts.

• Encouragement for self-reflection on personal experiences relating to learning and influences observed in society.