Psychology Chapter on Learning and Conditioning

Learning

• Learning is influenced by outcomes
• Learning from past experiences
• Reinforcement of behaviors when they occur
• "One trial" learning: one event creates learning opportunities
• Learning characteristics include shaping, extinction, stimulus generalization, and stimulus discrimination
• ABC idea: Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence

Classical Conditioning

• Pairing unconditioned stimuli (UCS) with conditioned stimuli (CS) overtime to evoke a conditioned response (CR)
• Pavlov's research on dogs' digestive systems, specifically saliva
• Noticed unusual/unusual behaviors in dogs like increased salivation when presented with food
• Surgical procedures involving the insertion of a gizmo into dogs' salivary glands to collect saliva
• Neutral stimulus (NS) becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS) after repeated pairings with an unconditioned stimulus (UCS)
• UCS triggers an unconditioned response (UCR)
• CS triggers a conditioned response (CR) (e.g. salivation)
• Extinction: CS presented alone, leading to a decrease in CR
• Spontaneous recovery: presentation of CS alone after extinction to re-evoke a weakened CR
• Stimulus generalization: similar stimuli to CS evoke CR (e.g., bell sound)
• Stimulus discrimination: ability to differentiate between stimuli leading to different responses

Operant Conditioning

• B.F. Skinner - a behaviorist
• Reinforcement: consequence that increases the likelihood of repeated behavior
• Something happens, behavioral response and consequence
• Delayed reinforcement (e.g., speeding ticket)
• Intermittent reinforcement schedules: fixed ratio, variable ratio, fixed interval, variable interval

Positive and Negative Reinforcement & Punishment

• Positive reinforcement: increasing a response by adding a stimulus (e.g. praise for good grades)
• Negative reinforcement: increasing a response by removing an aversive stimulus (e.g. taking aspirin to get rid of a headache)
• Punishment: reducing or decreasing a response by adding a stimulus (e.g. grounding) or removing a stimulus (e.g. taking away a privilege)

Observational Learning

• Observing others and their consequences, mimicking behaviors
• Social learning theory
• Factors from Role models (significant others)
• Cognitive factors (knowledge, expectations, attitudes)
• Environmental factors (social norms, access to community, influence by others)
• Behavior factors (skills, practice, self-efficacy)

Thought & Language

• Highly inter-related
• Ability to express ideas and thoughts
• Ability to communicate
• Language and cognition are connected
• Language is a form of communication for social interaction (social animal)
• Language is used to express thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and emotions

Verbal and Non-verbal Language/communication

• Infinite generativity: flexible and constantly evolving
• Rule systems govern language structure (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics)
• Language acquisition is biologically predetermined and interacts with nurture.

Milestones of Language Development

• Different stages of language development from infancy to adulthood
• Language skills improve as children age: cooing, babbling, single-word vocabulary, multi-word phrases, asking questions, use of advanced vocabulary and grammar
• Crucial period for language development is between 18 months to onset of puberty

Cognition and Cognitive Processes

• Importance and role of thought, cognition, and subjective experience has changed across 150 years of psychology
• Psychoanalysis and behaviorism were common approaches earlier. Modern cognitive psychology focus on cognition, subjective experience
• Stream of consciousness, thinking about thoughts
• Self-monitoring, self-talk
• Problem-solving steps (specify, analyze, formulate solutions, evaluate, choose/evaluate outcome). Decision-making is influenced by long and short-term considerations, comparing alternatives
• Critical thinking involves mindful analysis, being creative, and thinking outside the box
• Cognitive flexibility: Ability to change perspective, flexibility of thought.

Mental Health Stigmatization

• Stigma surrounding mental health conditions; suicide, public and self-stigma
• Label avoidance - Avoiding symptoms to not be viewed as mentally ill
• Stigmatization and mental illness are connected
• Sequential and integrated treatment models

PTSD and Substance Use

• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): arises from exposure to a traumatic event
• Substance Use Disorder (SUD): substance misuse; can co-occur with PTSD
• Shared liability model and co-morbidity (high-order dimension)
• Trauma and stress response
• Self-medication hypothesis: substance use as a means of coping with PTSD symptoms
• Increased risk of SUD in those exposed to extreme stress
• Vulnerability to trauma based on exposure
• Factors and prevalence of SUD with PTSD