PSYC1101 2025 Learning 2 slides

Overview of Learning Theories

• Topic: Mind and Brain in Psychology

• Course: PSYC1101, University of Western Australia

• Instructor: Dr. Cathryn McKenzie

• Date: March 12, 2025

Non-Associative Learning

• Habituation: Decrease in response to a stimulus after repeated exposure.

• Sensitisation: Increased response to a stimulus after a strong or noxious event.

Associative Learning

Classical Conditioning

• Definition: Learning process where an organism learns to associate two stimuli, leading one stimulus to elicit a response that was originally elicited only by the other stimulus.

• Key Concepts:

  • Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): A stimulus that naturally triggers a reflexive response (e.g., meat).

  • Unconditioned Response (UCR): The natural reflexive response to the UCS (e.g., salivation to meat).

  • Conditioned Stimulus (CS): A previously neutral stimulus that now elicits a response (e.g., bell).

  • Conditioned Response (CR): The learned response to the CS (e.g., salivation to the bell).

Key Figures

• Ivan Pavlov: Russian physiologist known for his research in classical conditioning.

  • Conducted experiments with dogs, demonstrating learned associations between a neutral stimulus (bell) and an unconditioned stimulus (meat).

Phases of Classical Conditioning

1. Acquisition: The initial stage where the CS is paired with the UCS.

2. Extinction: The CR fades when the CS is presented without the UCS.

3. Spontaneous Recovery: The reappearance of the CR after a rest period, even when the UCS is not presented.

4. Higher Order Conditioning: A neutral stimulus can be paired with an existing CS to produce a further conditioned response.

Example: Pavlov’s Dogs Experiment

• Before Conditioning: Neutral stimulus (bell) does not elicit fear or salivation. UCS (meat) causes UCR (salivation).

• During Conditioning: The bell (CS) is paired repeatedly with meat (UCS).

• After Conditioning: The bell alone elicits salivation (CR).

Watson and Behaviorism

• John B. Watson’s quote: "Give me a dozen healthy infants, etc..." emphasizes behaviorism and the belief in environmental conditioning.

• Little Albert Experiment: Emotionally stable baby who was conditioned to fear a white rat through classical conditioning by pairing it with a loud noise (UCS).

Exposure Therapy

• Developed by Mary Cover Jones through the case of Little Peter, who overcame his fear of rabbits via pairing them with pleasant stimuli.

• Exposure therapy remains a well-established treatment for phobias today.

Caffeine: Application of Classical Conditioning

• A-process: Stimulating effect of caffeine.

• B-process: Opposing effects that counteract stimulation after repeated exposure.

• Classical conditioning concepts (UCS, UCR, CS, CR) illustrated through caffeine's effects on mood and tiredness.

Key Takeaways

• Understanding classical conditioning is essential for grasping how associative learning works.

• The simplicity of "If A happens, then B will follow" summarizes the understanding of behavioral responses.

• The connection between early psychological experiments and modern advertising, particularly in the context of creating associations (like coffee breaks with enhanced motivation).

Next Lecture Preview

• Focus on Operant Conditioning

  • Key figures: Thorndike, Skinner

  • Topics: Behavior modification, addiction, and its implications in modern behavior patterns like doom scrolling.