SLIDE 6_ COGNITIVE LEARNING
Cognitive Learning in Psychology
Definition of Learning
Learning is defined as a process resulting in knowledge or behavioral change due to experience.
It leads to changes that are relatively permanent, not caused by illness, injury, or maturation.
These changes occur at:
Chemical level: Involves neurotransmitter activity, such as long-term potentiation.
Structural level: Includes an increase in receptor sites and sensitivity of neurons.
Types of Learning
By Association
Classical Conditioning (Pavlov): Learning that occurs through the pairing of stimuli.
Operant Conditioning: Learning through the consequences of voluntary behavior.
Classical Conditioning Components
Unconditioned Stimulus (US): Naturally triggers a response (e.g., food).
Unconditioned Response (UR): The natural reaction to the US (e.g., drooling).
Conditioned Stimulus (CS): Initially neutral stimulus that elicits a response after pairing with US.
Conditioned Response (CR): Learned response to CS, identical to UR.
Principles of Classical Conditioning
Intensity: Stronger stimuli require fewer pairings for learning.
Generalization: Similar stimuli can elicit the same response.
Discrimination: Ability to differentiate between similar stimuli.
Extinction: The CR fades if CS is presented alone repeatedly.
Spontaneous Recovery: The CR can return after a period of extinction.
Applications of Classical Conditioning
Emotional Responses: Seen in experiments, such as Watson's "Little Albert."
Taste Aversions: Development of a dislike for food/drink following illness.
Drug Tolerance: Body adaptation to repeated drug use leads to required larger doses.
Advertising: Products are paired with attractive stimuli to influence consumer behavior.
Operant Conditioning
Thorndike's Law of Effect: Suggests that behavior is shaped by its consequences.
Skinner's Operant Conditioning: Focuses on reinforcement and punishment to increase or decrease behavior.
Key Concepts of Operant Conditioning
Reinforcement: Increases likelihood of a behavior.
Positive Reinforcement: Addition of a desirable stimulus (e.g., praise).
Negative Reinforcement: Removal of an unpleasant stimulus (e.g., pain relief).
Punishment: Decreases the likelihood of a behavior.
Positive Punishment: Addition of an unpleasant stimulus (e.g., chores).
Negative Punishment: Removal of a pleasant stimulus (e.g., no phone).
Shaping Behavior
Gradually guiding behavior toward desired outcome by reinforcing successive approximations.
Schedules of Reinforcement
Continuous Reinforcement: Reward given every time the behavior occurs.
Partial Reinforcement: Reward given sometimes, making the behavior resistant to extinction.
Fixed Ratio: Reward after a set number of responses.
Variable Ratio: Reward after an unpredictable number of responses (e.g., gambling).
Fixed Interval: Reward given after a set period (e.g., weekly paycheck).
Variable Interval: Reward given after an unpredictable time period (e.g., fishing).
Cognitive Learning (Beyond Behaviorism)
The Cognitive Revolution transitioned focus from behaviorist approaches to considering mental processes.
Types of Cognitive Learning
Insight Learning (Kohler’s Chimps): Demonstrated through chimps using tools to solve problems indicating deeper cognitive understanding.
Latent Learning (Tolman’s Rats): Rats navigated mazes without direct reinforcement, showcasing that learning can occur without rewards.
Observational Learning (Social Learning Theory)
Learning through observing and imitating others.
Key Study: Bobo Doll Experiment: Demonstrated that children imitated aggressive and non-aggressive behaviors from adults.
Vicarious Reinforcement/Punishment: Learning can occur through observing the consequences faced by others.
Neuroscience of Observational Learning
Mirror Neurons: These activate both when performing an action and when observing the action, facilitating empathy and imitation.