LEARNING

Chapter Summary:

Classical Conditioning: Although learning by association had been discussed for centuries, it remained for Ivan Pavlov to capture the phenomenon in his classic experiments on conditioning.
Operant Conditioning: Through operant conditioning, organisms learn to produce behaviors that are followed by reinforcing stimuli and to suppress behaviors that are followed by punishing stimuli.
Learning by Observation: Another important type of learning, especially among humans, is what Albert Bandura and others call observational learning. In experiments, children tend to imitate what a model both does and says, whether the behavior is social or antisocial. Such experiments have stimulated research on social modeling in the home, within peer groups, and in the media. Children are especially likely to imitate those they perceive to be like them, successful, or admirable.

Definitions:

Learning: a relatively permanant change in an organisms behavior due to experience.

Associative Learning: learning that certain events occur together. the events may be two stimuli (as in classical conditioning) or a response and its consequences (as in operant conditioning).

Classical Conditioning: a type of learning in which an organism comes to associate stimuli. a neutral stimulus that signals an unconditiond stimulus (US) begins to produce a response that anticipates and prepares for the unconditioned stimulus (US).

Behaviorism: the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science, (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. most research psychologists agree with (1) but not (2).

Unconditioned Response (UR): in classical conditioning, the unlearned, naturally occuring response to the unconditoned stimulus (US), such as salivation when food is in the mouth.

Unconditioned Stimulus (US): in classical conditioning the stimulus that unconditionally - naturally and automatically - triggers a response.

Conditioned Response (CR): in classical conditioning, the learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus (CS).

Condtioned Stimulus (CS): in classical condtioning, an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus (US), comes to trigger a condtioned response.

Acquisition: the initial stage in classical conditioning; the phase associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus (US) so that the neutral stimulus comes to elicit a condtioned response. in operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response.

Extinction: the diminishing of a condtioned response; occurs in classical conditioning when an unconditioned stimulus does not follow a condtioned stimulus; occurs in operant conditioning when a response is no longer reinforced.

Spontaneous Recovery: the reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response.

Generalization: the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the condtioned stimulus (CS) to elicit similar responses.

Discrimination: in classical conditioning, the learned abililty to distinguish between acondtioned stimulus (CS) and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus.

Operant Conditioning: Type of learning in which behavior is stregthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher.

Respondent behavior: behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus; Skinners term for behavior , leanred through classical conditioning.

Operant Behavior: behavior that operates on the environment, producing consequences.


Important People:

John Locke / David Hume: echoed Aristotle's conclusion from 2000 years earlier: We learn by association.

Watson: Ground breaking behaviorist. Reference to inner thoughts, feelings, meanings. (Known for Little Albert experiment w/ Raynor)

Pavlov: He originally studied the digestive system of salivating dogs. He then discovered "psychic secretions," which he realized came from the brain so he started studying psychology. He is famous for his classical conditioning theory and is most well known for his "Pavlov's Dogs" experiment.



Thorndike: Believed in the Law of Effect

Skinner: The most renowned operant conditiong proponent. Expanded the work of Thorndike. He believed that it was more than just the Law of Effect, but that learning took place due to different types of reinforcement. He's most well known for his "Skinner's Box" exeriment.

Albert Bandura: Conducted the most famous modeling experiment known as "Bandura's Bobo Doll," where children watched adults' behavior in a room with a blow up doll, and when they were given the chance, they acted very violently.