Psychology: Classical and Operant Conditioning

Study Notes

Classical Conditioning:
- Ivan Pavlov's theory
- Associating neutral stimuli with unconditioned stimuli to elicit an unconditioned response
- Examples: pairing a bell with food to elicit salivation
Operant Conditioning:
- B.F. Skinner's theory
- Learning through consequences of behavior (reinforcement, punishment, extinction)
- Examples: positive reinforcement (reward), negative reinforcement (removing unpleasant stimulus), punishment (adding unpleasant stimulus)

Cognitive Development:
- Jean Piaget's theory
- Stages of cognitive development: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational
- Focus on active learning, assimilation, and accommodation
Social Cognitive Theory:
- Albert Bandura's theory
- Observational learning, imitation, and modeling
- Importance of self-efficacy, self-regulation, and reciprocal determinism

Humanistic Learning:
- Focus on personal growth, self-actualization, and self-directed learning
- Emphasis on intrinsic motivation, autonomy, and self-regulation
- Carl Rogers' person-centered approach
Andragogy:
- Malcolm Knowles' theory
- Adult learning, self-directed learning, and experiential learning
- Focus on internal motivation, experience, and problem-solving

Constructivist Learning:
- Focus on individual construction of knowledge and meaning
- Emphasis on active learning, social interaction, and context
- Role of prior knowledge, experience, and cultural background
Social Constructivism:
- Lev Vygotsky's theory
- Emphasis on social interaction, language, and culture
- Zone of proximal development and scaffolding

Classical Conditioning:
- Developed by Ivan Pavlov
- Associating neutral stimuli with unconditioned stimuli to elicit an unconditioned response
- Examples: pairing a bell with food to elicit salivation in dogs, resulting in salivation upon hearing the bell alone
- Unconditioned response: naturally occurring reaction to unconditioned stimulus
- Conditioned response: learned reaction to neutral stimulus
Operant Conditioning:
- Developed by B.F. Skinner
- Learning through consequences of behavior (reinforcement, punishment, extinction)
- Reinforcement: increasing behavior frequency by adding a pleasurable stimulus
- Positive reinforcement: adding a pleasurable stimulus (e.g., rewards)
- Negative reinforcement: removing an unpleasant stimulus (e.g., taking away a loud noise)
- Punishment: adding an unpleasant stimulus to decrease behavior frequency
- Extinction: removing reinforcement to decrease behavior frequency

Cognitive Development:
- Developed by Jean Piaget
- Stages of cognitive development: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational
- Focus on active learning, assimilation (fitting new info into existing schema), and accommodation (changing schema to fit new info)
- Children actively construct knowledge through experience and social interaction
Social Cognitive Theory:
- Developed by Albert Bandura
- Observational learning: learning by observing others
- Imitation: reproducing observed behavior
- Modeling: learning by observing and imitating others
- Importance of self-efficacy (believing in one's abilities), self-regulation, and reciprocal determinism (interaction between personal, behavioral, and environmental factors)

Humanistic Learning:
- Focus on personal growth, self-actualization, and self-directed learning
- Emphasis on intrinsic motivation, autonomy, and self-regulation
- Carl Rogers' person-centered approach: empathetic understanding, unconditional positive regard, and genuineness
- Focus on learner's unique experiences and perspectives
Andragogy:
- Developed by Malcolm Knowles
- Adult learning: self-directed, experiential, and problem-centered
- Focus on internal motivation, experience, and problem-solving
- Andragogical model: learner-centered, collaborative, and experiential learning

Constructivist Learning:
- Focus on individual construction of knowledge and meaning
- Emphasis on active learning, social interaction, and context
- Role of prior knowledge, experience, and cultural background in shaping understanding
- Learners construct knowledge through social interaction and experience
Social Constructivism:
- Developed by Lev Vygotsky
- Emphasis on social interaction, language, and culture in shaping knowledge
- Zone of proximal development: gap between what learners can do alone and what they can do with guidance
- Scaffolding: providing temporary support to facilitate learning