Behavioural Learning: Habituation and Sensitization

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Questions and Answers

Which statement accurately distinguishes between radical behaviorism and neo-behaviorism?

  • Radical behaviorism rejects the study of internal processes, while neo-behaviorism acknowledges their existence, even if unobservable. (correct)
  • Radical behaviorism focuses on stimulus-response relationships in humans, while neo-behaviorism studies these relationships in animals.
  • Radical behaviorism incorporates cognitive maps, while neo-behaviorism focuses solely on observable behaviors.
  • Radical behaviorism emphasizes subjective interpretations, while neo-behaviorism introduces physiological variables to explain behavior.

Maladaptive learning, exemplified by addiction, is solely caused by genetic predispositions.

False (B)

How did Tolman's experiments with rats in mazes challenge the strict behaviorist view of learning?

Tolman's experiments suggested that rats develop cognitive maps of the maze, indicating internal cognitive processes beyond simple stimulus-response associations.

The concept of 'equipotentiality,' central to behaviorism, posits that all individuals possess the same potential for development, and this development depends on ______ factors.

<p>environmental</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following historical figures with their primary contribution to the field of learning and cognition:

<p>Wilhelm Wundt = Pioneered introspection as a method to study conscious experience. Hermann Ebbinghaus = Conducted empirical studies of memory using nonsense syllables. Noam Chomsky = Challenged behaviorism by arguing that language cannot be explained by behaviorist principles. William James = Regarded as psychology's philosopher</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the key characteristic of habituation?

<p>Decreased response to a stimulus that is deemed insignificant. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to behaviorists like Watson, studying internal cognitive processes is essential for understanding learning.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Briefly explain Bandura's social learning theory and how it expands upon traditional behaviorist perspectives.

<p>Bandura's theory emphasizes that learning occurs through observation, imitation, and modeling, and that the environment and internal processes reciprocally influence each other.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Unlike associative learning, __________ involves exposure to a single stimulus rather than forming connections between multiple stimuli or behaviors.

<p>habituation</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following concepts with their descriptions:

<p>Instincts = Innate responses that are complex and species-specific. Reflexes = Innate responses that are simple and automatic. Maturation = Developmental changes that occur as a result of aging. Taxes = Directional movement in response to a stimulus.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What critical argument did ethologists bring against the behaviorist concept of 'Tabula Rasa'?

<p>Genetic information predisposes different species to specific behaviors and learning patterns. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Introspection, as a method of studying the mind, is highly reliable due to its objective and verifiable nature.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the 'computer metaphor' in cognitive science, and how did it contribute to the reemergence of cognition as a field of study?

<p>The computer metaphor compares the mind to a computer, suggesting that cognitive processes are like software running on the hardware of the brain.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Ebbinghaus's experiments with _______ syllables demonstrated that memory retention decreases over time, illustrating the forgetting curve.

<p>nonsense</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match each domain of cognitive psychology with its primary focus:

<p>Cognitive Neuroscience = Examines the neural substrates of mental processes. Cognitive Development = Studies how cognitive abilities change over the lifespan. Comparative Psychology = Compares cognitive processes across different species. Evolutionary Psychology = Examines how evolutionary pressures have shaped cognitive abilities.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a key difference between low-level and high-level cognitive processing?

<p>Low-level processing is closely tied to sensory input, while high-level processing is conceptual and relational. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Modern cognitive psychologists completely disregard the findings and principles of behaviorism.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do lesion studies contribute to our understanding of the mind?

<p>Lesion studies help us understand the brain by studying malfunctions of mind and brain, and predicting how cognition and behavior are affected by damage in specific brain regions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

The information processing model uses the analogy that software is to hardware as _________ is to brain.

<p>mind</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following pioneers with their approach or theory in Cognitive Science:

<p>Jean Piaget = Work on cognitive development Bartlett = Memory is reconstructive Kohler = Insight learning</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement captures the essence of the shift from behaviorism to cognitive science?

<p>A shift from focusing on observable behavior to exploring internal mental processes and their influence on behavior. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to behaviorists, differences in learning abilities across species are primarily due to variations in environmental exposure and training.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Explain how the study of language by Noam Chomsky influenced the decline of behaviorism.

<p>Chomsky argued that behaviorist principles could not adequately explain the complexity and creativity of human language, thereby challenging the behaviorist perspective that all behavior is learned through conditioning.</p> Signup and view all the answers

The orienting response, which includes head turns and heart-rate slowing, occurs when an organism is first exposed to a ________ stimulus.

<p>novel</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following terms with their definitions in the context of learning:

<p>Experience = Any environmental stimulus registered by our sensory organs Learning = An adaptive process where behavior or emotion changes lastingly due to experience Habituation = Decreased response to a stimulus after repeated exposure</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT considered a change due to associative learning?

<p>Decreasing response to a loud noise after repeated exposure without consequence. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Fatigue is considered a form of learning because it leads to a lasting change in behavior to avoid overexertion.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Explain the concept of 'critical periods' in learning, as highlighted by ethologists.

<p>Critical periods are specific time windows during development when an organism is particularly sensitive to certain stimuli or experiences, which can have lasting effects on behavior.</p> Signup and view all the answers

The rise of cognitive neuroscience in the 1980s challenged the __________ model, emphasizing parallel distributed processing.

<p>box-and-arrow</p> Signup and view all the answers

Associate each of the following with their key concept related to learning and cognition:

<p>Wilhelm Wundt = Introspection Hermann Ebbinghaus = Forgetting Curve Jean Piaget = Cognitive development</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to the lecture content, what makes learning an 'adaptive process'?

<p>It changes the tendency to perform a behavior or experience emotion in a lasting way. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Sensitization involves a decreased response to a stimulus after repeated exposure, similar to habituation.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the MIT Conference in 1956 for the field of cognitive science?

<p>The conference marked a turning point by attempting to conceptualize the mind as an information processor rather than a mysterious entity, paving the way for the computer metaphor.</p> Signup and view all the answers

________ behaviorism acknowledges internal factors influencing behavior, suggesting that environment and internal processes reciprocally influence each other.

<p>Cognitive</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following approaches to studying the mind with their descriptions:

<p>Experiments = Use techniques like reaction time to measure mental processing load. Neuroscientific Investigations = Employ brain imaging and recording techniques. Modeling = Develop computer simulations of human performance. Comparative Studies = Compare performance across age, clinical groups, and species.</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to the information provided, what is a primary complaint behaviorists had against cognitivists?

<p>Cognitivists made inferences about mental constructs without reference to physiology. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The concept of 'equipotentiality' suggests that all species are equally capable of learning any type of behavior.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Explain what is meant by parallel distributed processing in the context of cognitive neuroscience.

<p>Parallel distributed processing refers to the brain's ability to process information through simultaneous, multi-directional pathways between brain regions and sensory organs, rather than a sequential, one-way system.</p> Signup and view all the answers

__________ psychology focuses on comparing mind and behavior across adaptive approaches and making inferences about human evolution.

<p>Evolutionary</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the historical perspectives with their view on cognition:

<p>Behaviorism = Rejected the study of internal mental processes, focusing solely on observable behavior. Cognitive Revolution = Emphasized the importance of studying internal mental processes such as memory, attention, and problem-solving. Cognitive Neuroscience = Investigates the neural basis of cognitive processes, linking brain activity to mental functions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following represents the most significant challenge posed by ethologists to the behaviorist concept of tabula rasa?

<p>The observation that different species exhibit genetically determined behaviors. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Tolman's cognitive behaviorism posits that internal cognitive maps are irrelevant in understanding how organisms navigate and learn within complex environments.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Explain how the concept of parallel distributed processing challenges the simplistic box-and-arrow model of information processing in cognitive science.

<p>Parallel distributed processing suggests that information is processed simultaneously across multiple pathways in the brain, rather than in a sequential, linear manner as depicted in the box-and-arrow model.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Unlike habituation, which involves exposure to a single stimulus, __________ learning involves forming new connections between multiple stimuli and behaviors.

<p>associative</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the historical figures with their contributions to the fields of behaviorism and/or cognitive psychology:

<p>Watson = Advocated for methodological behaviorism, focusing on observable behaviors and rejecting internal mental processes. Chomsky = Critiqued behaviorism by arguing that language acquisition cannot be explained without considering internal cognitive structures. Ebbinghaus = Conducted empirical studies on memory, developing the forgetting curve using nonsense syllables. Hull = Introduced physiological variables into behaviorist models to explain stimulus-response relationships.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Experience

Any environmental stimulus registered by our sensory organs.

Learning

An adaptive process resulting in lasting changes in behavior or emotional tendencies due to experience.

Non-Associative Learning

Learning through exposure to a single stimulus.

Associative Learning

Learning by forming connections between stimuli and behaviors.

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Habituation

Getting used to a novel stimulus over time, leading to a reduced response.

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Skinner

A behaviorist who focused on objective observations and stimulus-response relationships.

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Hull

A behaviorist who introduced physiological variables to explain stimulus-response relationships.

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Tolman

A behaviorist who believed internal factors strongly influence behavior.

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Associative Learning

Learning by forming new connections between stimuli and behaviors.

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Maladaptive Learning

Learning that leads to negative outcomes or maladaptive behaviors.

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Innate Responses

Automatic responses to stimuli that don't involve learning.

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Maturation

Changes due to physical development rather than experience.

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Fatigue

Temporary decrease in response due to physical exhaustion, not learning.

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Cognitive Psychology

The study of mental processes such as perception, attention, and memory.

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Introspection

A method of self-observation where individuals report their own experiences.

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Tabula Rasa

The idea that individuals are born without built-in mental content.

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Ethologists

Biologists that argued for genetically determined behaviors specific to each species.

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Fixed Action Patterns

Stereotyped behaviors triggered by specific stimuli.

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Critical Periods for Learning

Specific periods when an organism is especially sensitive to learning.

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Imprinting

Learning in which chicks or other young animals form an attachment to the first moving object they see.

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Noam Chomsky

Argued that human language cannot be explained by behaviorist principles alone.

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Forgetting Curve

Memory retention decreases over time.

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Equipotentiality

The idea that all individuals have the same potential for development.

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Gestalt Psychology

Type of psychology that developed cognitive models and insight to solve problems.

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Memory is Reconstructive

The idea that memory is an active process of reconstruction.

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Low-Level Processing

Mental representations close to sensory input and environmental events.

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High-Level Processing

Abstract mental representations constructed over multiple experiences.

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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Therapy integrating cognitive and behavioral techniques.

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Neuroscientific Investigations

Investigating the biological basis of cognition.

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Lesion Studies

Studying malfunctions of the mind and brain due to damage.

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Modeling

Computer simulations of human performance.

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Comparative Studies

Performance comparisons across different groups.

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Cognitive Neuroscience

Field that studies the neural basis of cognitive processes.

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Perception

The process of becoming aware of something through the senses.

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Attention

The ability to focus on specific information while ignoring distractions.

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Consciousness

Awareness of ourselves and our environment.

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Memory

The process of encoding, storing, and retrieving information.

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Imagery

The use of mental images to represent information.

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Representation of Knowledge

How knowledge is organized and represented in the mind.

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Language

The system of communication using words and grammar.

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Cognitive Development

The study of how cognitive abilities change over the lifespan.

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Thinking

The act of using information to make decisions and solve problems.

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Intelligence

The ability to learn and adapt to new situations.

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Comparative Psychology

Study of cognition across different species.

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Evolutionary Psychology

How evolutionary pressures have shaped cognition and behavior.

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Study Notes

  • Experience refers to any environmental stimulus registered by sensory organs.
  • Learning is an adaptive process causing lasting changes in behavior or emotion due to novel or repeated experiences.
  • Non-associative learning involves habituation and sensitization.
  • Associative learning involves forming new associations between stimuli and behaviors.

Habituation

  • Habituation involves getting used to a stimulus, demonstrated by a reduced orienting response over time.
  • An orienting response includes head turns and decreased heart rate towards a novel stimulus.
  • With habituation, the orienting response diminishes as the stimulus becomes familiar and insignificant.

Pioneers in Behavioral Approaches to Learning

  • Watson (Methodological Behaviorism) focused using observable behavior to infer learning while avoiding internal processes.
  • Skinner (Radical Behaviorism) emphasized objective observations of Stimulus leading to Response
  • Hull (Neo-Behaviorism) challenged Skinner by introducing physiological variables, linking them to stimulus-response.
  • Tolman (Cognitive Behaviorism) stated internal factors strongly influence behavior and environment with internal processes reciprocally influence each other.
  • Bandura (Social Learning Theory) stated that interactions strongly influence behavior and the environment with internal processes reciprocally influence each other.

Associative Learning

  • Associative learning is forming new associations between stimuli and behaviors.
  • Monkeys learning about crocodiles demonstrate associative learning.
  • Maladaptive learning includes phobias and addictions

Changes NOT Due to Associative Learning

  • Habituation involves exposure to a single stimulus.
  • Innate responses include reflexes, taxes, instincts.
  • Maturation involves ontogenetic development.
  • Fatigue is a normal homeostatic response, not learning.
  • Changes in motivational state are similar to homeostatic functions.

Cognitive Psychology

  • Cognitive psychology ("to know" or "to think") is the study of mental processes like perceiving, attending, remembering, and reasoning.
  • As a science of the mind, cognitive psychology utilizes experimentation, observation, and hypothesis testing.

History of Cognitive Science

  • Wilhelm Wundt used introspection
  • Introspection involved asking people about their experiences when exposed to a stimulus.
  • Introspection cannot be verified.
  • Introspection involves conscious or declarative perspective, not unconscious.

Risks of Behaviorism

  • Ethologists argued against "Tabula rasa" stating different species have specific genetic information determining behaviors.
  • Fixed action patterns are stereotyped behaviors like mating rituals.

The Reemergence of Cognition

  • Noam Chomsky challenged behaviorism, arguing human language cannot be explained by behaviorist terms.
  • The MIT Conference (1956) demystified the mind as an information processor.
  • The computer metaphor likens the mind to software and the brain to hardware.

Cognitive Science History

  • Hermann Ebbinghaus empirically studied memory using nonsense syllables.
  • Ebbinghaus discovered the forgetting curve and the serial position effect (remembering words at the beginning and end of a list).
  • William James is regarded as psychology's philosopher.

Rise of Behaviorism

  • Behaviorism arose from lack of progress with introspection because it could not be measured objectively.
  • Behaviorists assumed "Tabula Rasa" (blank slate) and equipotentiality.

Years of "Middling Psychology"

  • Jean Piaget was an exception, with work on cognitive development.
  • Kohler's insight & Gestalt psychology developed cognitive models and insight to solve problems instead of trial-and-error.
  • Bartlett stated internal representations of how we remember and memory is reconstructive.

Basic and Higher-Level Cognition

  • Researchers see perception and cognition as part of a continuum.
  • Low-level processing is close to sensory input.
  • High-level processing is abstract, conceptual, and relational.
  • Abstract mental representations are constructed over multiple experiences.

Past Conflicts Between Learning and Cognition

  • Cognitivists complained about behaviorism ignoring memory, attention, and imagery, with no learning differences across individuals/species.
  • Behaviorists complained about cognitivists inference to mental constructs without physiology, and ignoring emotion and motivation.

Modern Perspectives on Past Conflicts

  • Modern learning theorists appreciate biological constraints and the utility of cognitive constructs like CBT.
  • Modern cognitivists appreciate learning principles, apply associativism, and seek correlations between brain and cognition.

Approaches to Studying the Mind

  • Experiments use reaction time.
  • Neuroscientific investigations use brain imaging, recording, and lesion studies.
  • Damage to specific brain regions influences Cognition and Behavior
  • Modeling involves computer simulations of human performance.
  • Comparative studies use performance across age, species, and clinical groups.

Domains of Cognitive Psychology

  • Cognitive neuroscience
  • Perception
  • Attention
  • Consciousness
  • Memory
  • Imagery
  • Representation of Knowledge
  • Language
  • Cognitive Development
  • Thinking
  • Intelligence
  • Comparative Psychology
  • Evolutionary Psychology

Complementary

  • Behavior and coginitive science are complementary.
  • Behavior is mediated by cognition
  • Learning contributes to cognition.

The Information Processing Model

  • Computers use binary representations.
  • Neurons fire (1) or don’t (0).
  • Software is to hardware as the mind is to the brain.
  • Diagram includes Input Device, CPU, Storage, and Output Device.
  • Transduction of energy and comparing memory.

The Rise of Cognitive Neuroscience

  • In the 1980s, researchers found the box-and-arrow model to be too simplistic.
  • The brain involves parallel distributed processing and multi-directional pathways.

Final Thoughts

  • Evolutionary approaches study multi-species cognition through neuroscience.
  • Comparing mind and behavior across adaptive approaches.
  • Making inferences about human evolution.

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