Learning Theories and Types

Learning

• Is a change in behavior that comes from experience
• Is central to human existence
• Behaviorism is a formal learning theory that arose in the early twentieth century
  • John Watson focused on the environment's role in learning
  • He was influenced by John Locke's tabula rasa theory
  • B.F. Skinner designed animal experiments to study the basic rules of learning
• Adapting behaviors to a particular environment is crucial
• There are three main types of learning: non-associative learning, associative learning, and learning by watching others

Non-associative Learning

• A person learns about a stimulus, like a sound or sight
• We learn through our senses

Habituation

• A decrease in behavioral response after repeated exposure to a stimulus
• Particularly occurs if the stimulus is neither harmful nor rewarding

Sensitization

• An increase in behavioral response after repeated exposure to a stimulus
• Heightened preparation in a situation with potential harm or reward

Associative Learning

• Understanding how two or more pieces of information relate to each other
• Develops through two forms of conditioning: classical conditioning and operant conditioning

Classical Conditioning

• Learning that two stimuli go together
• Example: Music from scary movies elicits anxiety when heard.

Operant Conditioning

• Learning that a behavior leads to a particular outcome.
• Example: Studying leads to better grades

Learning by Watching Others

• Three types: observational learning, modeling, and vicarious conditioning

Observational Learning

• Learning or changing behavior after watching someone engage in that behavior

Modeling

• Displaying a behavior for others to imitate

Vicarious Conditioning

• Learning to engage in, or not engage in, behavior after observing others being rewarded or punished for performing that action.

Brain Changes During Learning

• Learning occurs when synaptic connections in the brain become stronger over time through long-term potentiation (LTP)
• Evidence supports the idea that LTP is involved in learning and memory
• Hippocampus
• Drug studies

Classical Conditioning

• A type of learned response where a neutral object elicits a response when associated with a stimulus that already produces a response
• Ivan Pavlov was awarded a Nobel Prize for digestive research
• Pavlov's research revealed that dogs started salivating at the sight of bowls of food, which is not an automatic response.
• This behavior was acquired through learning by association.
• Pavlov's experiments revealed four steps in classical conditioning:

Step 1: Begin with a Stimulus That Naturally Elicits a Response

• Unconditioned stimulus (US): a stimulus that naturally elicits a response without any prior learning (e.g., food).
• Unconditioned response (UR): a response that does not have to be learned, like a reflex (e.g., salivation).

Step 2: A Neutral Stimulus Is Presented

• Neutral stimulus (NS): anything not previously associated with the unconditioned response (e.g., a metronome).

Step 3: Conditioning Trials (The Start of Learning)

• A neutral stimulus (metronome) is combined with the unconditioned stimulus (food).
• The dog begins associating the neutral stimulus (metronome) with the US (food).
• The neutral stimulus now becomes the conditioned stimulus (CS).

Step 4: Critical Trials (The Association Is Learned)

• Conditioned stimulus (CS): a stimulus that elicits a response only after learning has taken place.
• Conditioned response (CR): a response to a conditioned stimulus; a response that has been learned.