MH Learning Leach

Learning Overview

• Learning is the process of acquiring new, relatively enduring information or behaviors through experience.

What is Learning?

• Defining Learning: Process of acquiring new skills, information, or behaviors.

• Types of Learning:

  • Habituation: Adapting to unchanging stimuli through repeated experience.

  • Evolution vs. Learning: Contrast between genetic adaptations over generations and individual experiences.

Behaviorism and Learning

• Behaviorists:

  • Focus on observable behaviors rather than internal processes.

  • Emphasize that knowledge is learned through interactions with the environment.

Classical Conditioning

• Definition: Learning occurs by associating environmental stimuli with behavioral responses.

• Key Concept: Learning happens when one event predicts another event.

• Pavlov's Contribution: Ivan Pavlov’s experiments laid the foundation of classical conditioning.

Pavlov's Apparatus

• Components of the Experiment:

  • Tube for collecting saliva from dogs to measure response.

  • Harness to restrict movement of the subjects.

Classical Conditioning Stages

Before Conditioning

• Unconditioned Stimulus (US): Meat powder that naturally triggers salivation (Unconditioned Response - UR).

During Learning

• Neutral Stimulus (NS): Initially, a tone that does not elicit salivation; paired with US to form association.

• Repeated Pairing: NS (tone) paired with US (meat powder) leads towards UR (salivation).

After Learning

• Conditioned Stimulus (CS): The tone that now elicits salivation alone, showing the association is learned.

• Conditioned Response (CR): Salivation in response to the CS (tone).

Summary of Conditioning Stages

• Before Conditioning:

  • US (food) leads to UR (salivation).

• During Conditioning:

  • NS (tone) does not lead to salivation.

• After Conditioning:

  • NS becomes CS when it leads to salivation, establishing a CR.

Importance of Timing in Conditioning

• Types of Conditioning:

  • Forward Conditioning: CS precedes UCS.

  • Delayed Conditioning: CS precedes UCS and remains present during UCS.

  • Simultaneous Conditioning: CS and UCS occur at the same time.

  • Backward Conditioning: UCS precedes CS.

Important Terms in Conditioning

• Acquisition: Initial learning of the conditioned response.

• Extinction: Gradual weakening of the conditioned response when the CS is presented without the US.

• Spontaneous Recovery: Reappearance of the conditioned response after a pause.

Additional Terms

• Stimulus Generalization: Responding to stimuli similar to the original CS.

• Stimulus Discrimination: Ability to differentiate stimuli based on specific characteristics.

Higher-order Conditioning

• A neutral stimulus can be made into a CS by being paired with an existing CS.

• Creates complex associations beyond the initial CS.

Learning Phobias

• Phobias can be acquired through classical conditioning principles.

• Ethical concerns arise in methods used to create phobias in humans (e.g., Watson's experiments).

The Little Albert Experiment

• Demonstrated classical conditioning in humans by associating a fear response with a previously neutral stimulus.

  • During Conditioning: US (loud noise) produces UCR (fear), paired with CS (white rat).

  • After Conditioning: CS alone (white rat) elicits CR (fear).

Behavioral Therapy Inspired by Classical Conditioning

• Systematic Desensitization: Gradual exposure to anxiety-inducing stimuli combined with relaxation techniques.

• Aversive Conditioning: Pairing negative experiences with unwanted behaviors to reduce those behaviors.

Observational Learning

• Albert Bandura: Studied the impact of learning through observation.

• Cognitive Processes in Learning:

  • Attention: Focusing on models.

  • Retention: Remembering observed behaviors.

  • Reproduction: Physically replicating the behavior.

  • Motivation: Desire to perform the learned behavior.

Antisocial Outcomes of Learning

• Media influences (e.g., violent video games) can lead to aggressive behaviors.

• Consideration of the effects of various types of media consumption on behavior.

Prosocial Outcomes of Learning

• Positive modeling behaviors, such as parenting and helping behaviors, can be taught and reinforced.

Conclusion

• Summary of learning types and their applications, illustrating the complexity and depth of human learning processes.