PSYCHOLOGY: LEARNING

learning - the process of acquiring knowledge, skills, behaviours through experience

behaviourist approach to learning - theories that propose learning occurs by interacting with the external environment

classical conditioning (respondent conditioning) - a simple form of learning that occurs through the repeated association of two different stimuli to produce naturally occurring involuntary responses

stimulus - any event that triggers a response from an organism (e.g. food)

response - a reaction to a stimulus (e.g. salivating in response to food)

three-stage model of classical conditioning - before conditioning, during conditioning, after conditioning

neutral stimulus (NS) - stimulus that initially produces no response

unconditioned stimulus (UCS) - stimulus that produces a naturally occurring involuntary response

unconditioned response (UCR) - involuntary response that occurs when the UCS is presented

conditioned stimulus (CS) - stimulus that is neutral at the beginning but through repeated association with the UCS, triggers a similar response to the UCR

conditioned response (CR) - learned response caused by the CS

acquisition - the overall process during which an organism learns to associate two events (the NS and the UCS) to produce an involuntary, naturally occuring response (complete when the CS alone produces the CR)

extinction - the gradual decrease in the strength or rate of a CT that occurs when the UCS is no longer presented

spontaneous recovery - the reappearance of a CR when the CS is presented, following a rest period - when no UCS is presented - after the CR appears to have been extinguised (does not always occur)

stimulus discrimination - occurs when a person or animal responds to the original CS only, but not to any other stimulus that is similar to the CS

stimulus generalisation - the tendency for a stimulus that is similar to the original CS to produce a response that is similar to the CR

operant conditioning - type of learning where the consequences of beahviour determine the likelihood that it will be performed again in the future (involves voluntary responses)

Three-Phase-Model: antecedent (A) - what happens before the behaviour

Three-Phase-Model: behaviour (B) - action that occurs due to the antecedent

Three-Phase-Model: consequence (C) - result of the behaviour

antecedent (discriminative stimulus) - the stimulus (envrionmental stimulus, not personal) that preceds a specific behaviour, singalling the probably consequence for the behaviour and therefore influences the occurrence of the behaviour

behaviour - the voluntary action that occurs in the presence of the antecedent stimulus

consequence - the environmental event that occurs immediately after the behaviour and has an effect on the occurrence of the behaviour (reward; strengthens behaviour & more likely to occur again, punishment; weakens behaviour & less likely to occur again)

reinforcement - when a stimulus strengthens or increases the frequency or likelihood of a response that it follows

reinforcer - any stimulus (action or event) that strengthens or increases the likelihood of a response

positive reinforcer - a stimulus that strengthens a response by providing a pleasant or satisfying consequence

positive reinforcement - giving or applying a positive reinforcer after the desired response has been made

negative reinforcer - an unpleasant or aversive stimulus that, when avoided or removed, strengthens or increases the frequency of a desired response

negative reinforcement - the removal, reduction or avoidance of an unpleasant stimulus

punishment - the delivery of an unpleasant consequence or removal of a pleasant consequence following a response

positive punishment - presentation (or introduction) of an unpleasant/aversive stimulus, therefore decreasing (or weakening) the likelihood of a response occurring again

negative punishment - removal (or loss) of a stimlus and therefore decreasing (or weakening) the likelihood of a response occurring again

observational learning - learning involving watching the behaviour of a model and the associated consequence of that behaviour

socio-cognitive approaches to learning - theories that propose learning takes place in a social setting and involves various cognitive processes

model - (in relation to observational learning) the individual who is performing the behaviour that is being observed

stages of observational learning - Attention. Retention. Reproduction. Motivation. Reinforcement (A.R.R.M.R)

models are more likely to be imitated if they are considered - attractive, similar to the learner, trustworthy, capable, admired, powerful or high in status

attention - involves the learning actively watching the model

retention - involves the learning storing mental representation of the behaviour

reproduction - when the learner has the mental and physical ability to perform the behaviour

motivation - when the learner has a desire to imitate the behaviour

reinforcement - when the learner experiences a postiive outcome after performing the behaviour, which makes them more likely to repeat it in the future

types of motivation - intrinsic motivation & extrinsic motivation

intrinsic motivation - occurs from within the individual (e.g. desire to perform well on an exam)

extrinsic motivation - occurs from factors external to the individual (e.g. desire to receive praise from your teacher for doing well on an exam)

types of reinforcement - self-reinforcement & external reinforcement & vicarious reinforcement

self-reinforcement - occurs when a behavour is reinforced through factors internal to the individual (e.g. feeling proud of yourself)

external reinforcement - occurs when the behaviour is reinforced by factors external to the individual (e.g. receiving an award)

vicaruous - living through someone else

vicarious conditioning - indivdual watches a model’s behaviour being either reinforced or punished and subsequently behaves in the same or a modified way, as a result of what they observed

vicarious reinforcement - occurs when a behaviour is reinforced by observing the reinforcement of another person performing the same behaviour, which can enhance the individual’s motivation and make them more likely to reproduce the behaviour again the future despite not being directly reinforced themselves

vicarious punishment - occurs when the likelihood of an observer performing a particular behaviour decreases after having seen a model’s behaviour being punished

social learning theory - social behavior is learned by observing and imitating the behavior of others

systems of knowledge - (in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander approaches to learning) knowledge and skills are based on interconnected social, physical and spiritual understandings, and in turn inform survival and contribute to a strong sense of identity

multimodal - using a variety of methods

country - (in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures) traditional lands of a particular language or cultural group including both geographical boundaries and the spiritual, emotional and intellectual connection to and within it

culture - each indigenous clan/mob have different personalised systems of thinking, doing and knowing, based on sharing culture and adapting to the environment around them

spiritual and ancestral knowledge - e.g. dreamtime stories

highly connected - e.g. if learning to hunt kangaroos you would need to know about how to survive as well as weapons, behaviour patterns, feeding, development, predators, etc

oral cultures - knowledge is ‘written’ in and on Country and may be shared through Songlines, an English term used to refer to sung stories that hold knowledge of Country

kinship sustems - relationships people have with each other, the knowledge they are responsible for, and the entities within Country they have a responsibility to care for

8 ways (educational framework) - story sharing, learning maps, non-verbal, symbols & images, land links, non-linear, deconstruct/reconstruct, community links → SS.LM.NV.SI.LL.NL.DR.CL

story sharing - tell a story (8 ways) - connecting through the stories shared - approaching learning through narrative

learning maps - make a plan (8 ways) - we picture our pathways of knowledge - explicity mapping/visualising processes

non-verbal - think and do (8 ways) - we see, think, act, make and share without words - applying intra-personal and kinaesthetic skills to thinking and learning

symbols & images - draw it (8 ways) - we keep and share knowledge with art and objects - using images/metaphors to understand concepts and content

land links - take it outside (8 ways) - we work with lessons from land and nature - place-based learning, linking content to local land and place

non-linear - try a new way (8 ways) - we put different ideas together and create new knowledge - producing innovations and understanding by thinking laterally

deconstruct/reconstruct - watch first, then do (8 ways)- we work from wholes to parts, watching and then doing - modelling and scaffolding, working from wholes to parts, begins with the whole structure, rather than a series of sequenced steps

community links - share it with others (8 ways) - we bring new knowledge home to help our mob - centring local viewpoints, applying learning for community benefit

story sharing example (8 ways) - yarning (conversation) allows learning to be built on real-world experiences rather than TV etc.

learning maps example (8 ways) - creating a map to show how the human world, physical world and sacred world are connected

non-verbal example (8 ways) - traditional dances where movements reflect the patterns of animals, can be used to relate to and connect with others

symbols & images example (8 ways) - can use symbols to represent landmarks, animals or objects (may also involve the use of metaphors)

land links example (8 ways) - when learning abou photosynthesis go out into nature, rather than reading a book

non-linear example (8 ways) - instead of learning about oneplace, you could study a tool that was used in Rome, China and Australia and then compare it to something used today

deconstruct/reconstruct example (8 ways) - read a passage in a new language and then break it down by examining the words and sentences in it

community links example (8 ways) - class may put together a book of stories which is published and made available in the local library

learning is… - interconnected and takes place within community, where family and kin learn from eachother, creating a more holistic process of learning