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Questions and Answers
What is learning defined as?
What is learning defined as?
a change in behavior resulting from experience
Who is associated with the idea that the infant is a tabula rasa?
Who is associated with the idea that the infant is a tabula rasa?
B.F. Skinner designed animal experiments to discover the basic rules of learning.
B.F. Skinner designed animal experiments to discover the basic rules of learning.
True
What type of learning involves a decrease in behavioral response after repeated exposure to a stimulus?
What type of learning involves a decrease in behavioral response after repeated exposure to a stimulus?
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What is the term for an increase in behavioral response due to exposure to a stimulus?
What is the term for an increase in behavioral response due to exposure to a stimulus?
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What is classical conditioning?
What is classical conditioning?
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Who conducted experiments that led to the discovery of classical conditioning?
Who conducted experiments that led to the discovery of classical conditioning?
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What is an unconditioned stimulus (US)?
What is an unconditioned stimulus (US)?
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What is the role of a neutral stimulus (NS) in classical conditioning?
What is the role of a neutral stimulus (NS) in classical conditioning?
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What does conditioned response (CR) refer to?
What does conditioned response (CR) refer to?
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Study Notes
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.
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Description
Explore the fundamental concepts of learning, including the contributions of behaviorism and key theorists like John Watson and B.F. Skinner. This quiz covers non-associative learning, including habituation and sensitization, and highlights the importance of environmental influences on behavior. Test your understanding of the various types of learning and their implications for human experience.
