Psychology Lecture 5: Learning Concepts

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Questions and Answers

According to behaviourists, what is the primary factor influencing behaviour?

Internal mental states

Inherited traits

Unconscious desires

Environmental stimuli (correct)

Which of the following is an example of the stimulus-response relationship as described by behaviourists?

A person feeling happy after receiving good news

A child learning to ride a bike by watching their parents

A student choosing a major based on their interests

A dog salivating at the sound of a bell after being trained with classical conditioning (correct)

What is the main criticism of using internal mental states to explain behaviour, according to behaviourists?

Internal mental states can lead to circular reasoning, making explanations unscientific. (correct)

Internal mental states are not a significant factor in determining behaviour.

Internal mental states are not influenced by the environment.

Internal mental states are too subjective and difficult to measure.

What does Watson's quote "Give me a dozen healthy infants..." demonstrate about behaviourists' views?

Behaviourists believe that behaviour can be shaped and controlled through environmental manipulation. (C) Signup and view all the answers

According to behaviourists, how does the environment affect the likelihood of a behaviour occurring in the future?

The consequences of a behaviour in the environment determine its frequency. (C) Signup and view all the answers

How does the behaviourist perspective differ from other learning perspectives?

Behaviourists focus solely on observable behaviours and their environmental causes. (E) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main reason behaviourists prioritize studying observable behaviours?

Because internal mental states are not directly observable or measurable. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT an assumption of behaviourism?

Internal mental states are primarily responsible for behaviour. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a conditioned stimulus (CS)?

The white rat (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe the tendency for behaviors to be affected by their consequences?

Law of Effect (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of negative punishment?

Taking away a child's favorite toy for misbehaving (A) Signup and view all the answers

In the Little Albert experiment, what was the unconditioned response (UCR)?

Crying and trembling (B) Signup and view all the answers

What type of reinforcement occurs when a child receives chocolate for behaving well?

Positive Reinforcement (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes vicarious conditioning?

Learning by observing others experience reinforcement or punishment (D) Signup and view all the answers

In the context of observational learning, what are 'models'?

Individuals who are observed and serve as examples (A) Signup and view all the answers

What does operant conditioning primarily focus on?

The consequences of behavior (D) Signup and view all the answers

What behavior is an example of negative punishment?

A child loses dessert for throwing food (B) Signup and view all the answers

What key assumption of behaviorism states that behavior is learned through stimulus-response relationships?

Behavior is shaped by stimulus-response associations (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best represents the concept of classical conditioning?

Forming associations between stimuli (C) Signup and view all the answers

What was the main outcome of the Bobo Doll Experiment conducted by Bandura?

Children who observe aggression are likely to imitate it (B) Signup and view all the answers

What occurs during the process of classical conditioning?

A neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a response. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which term refers to a stimulus that naturally triggers a response?

Unconditioned stimulus (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a conditioned stimulus?

The sound of a bell paired with food (C) Signup and view all the answers

What does the unconditioned response (UCR) refer to?

A response that occurs naturally without conditioning (C) Signup and view all the answers

In Ivan Pavlov's experiment, what was the role of the meat powder?

It functioned as the unconditioned stimulus. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is a condition that differentiates the neutral stimulus from the conditioned stimulus?

The neutral stimulus has been paired with an unconditioned stimulus. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which statement correctly describes the neutral stimulus (NS) before conditioning?

The NS has no effect on the response prior to conditioning. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What best describes the process of forming an association in classical conditioning?

A previously neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Introduction to Psychology - Lecture 5: Learning

Learning Outcome: Students should be able to define learning, identify the assumptions of behaviorism, compare different learning perspectives, and explain the conditions for learning.

What is Learning?

Learning is defined as any lasting change in behavior brought about by experience or practice.
Behaviorism is a systematic approach to understanding behaviors.

Behaviorism

Behaviorists believe psychologists should only study observable, measurable behaviors.
Assumptions of Behaviorism:
- Behavior is learned through stimulus-response (cause-and-effect) relationships.
- Internal mental states (thoughts, feelings) are irrelevant to explaining behavior.
- Behavior is determined entirely by the environment.

Assumptions of Behaviorists (Further detail)

Assumption 1: Behavior is Learned through Stimulus-Response: All behaviors have causes, and behavior is shaped by the connections between stimuli and responses. For example, animals deprived of food will exhibit behaviors that increase their likelihood of obtaining food.
Assumption 2: Internal Mental States are Useless: The mental states involved in a behavior are not relevant for explaining it. For example, when describing a behavior like yelling, one only needs to describe that the behavior was performed instead of attempting to explain what feelings triggered the behavior.
Assumption 3: Behavior is Determined by the Environment: The environment determines how behaviors will occur in the future. An example of this is John B. Watson's quote stating that if one is given children they could be trained into any occupation despite their background.

Learning Theories

Classical Conditioning: Forming an association between two stimuli resulting in a learned response.
Operant Conditioning: Learning by associating a behavior with its consequences (reinforcement or punishment).
Observational Learning: Learning by watching and imitating others.

Classical Conditioning

Examples:
- Flinching at the sight of lightning due to the associated thunder.
- Feeling happy when listening to a particular song.
- Avoiding a food after becoming ill from eating it.
Classical Conditioning Story: Pavlov's research involving dogs demonstrated how a conditioned stimulus (e.g., a bell) could trigger a learned response (e.g., salivation) after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus (e.g., food).
Important Terms:
- Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): naturally triggers a response (e.g., food).
- Unconditioned Response (UCR): unlearned response to the UCS (e.g., salivation).
- Neutral Stimulus (NS): a stimulus that doesn't initially produce a response (e.g., a bell).
- Conditioned Stimulus (CS): previously neutral stimulus that triggers a learned response after being paired with the UCS (e.g., a bell).
- Conditioned Response (CR): learned response to the CS (e.g., salivation).

Operant Conditioning

Thorndike's Law of Effect: Behaviors are affected by their consequences. Successful behaviors are more likely to be repeated.
B.F. Skinner and the Skinner Box: Reinforcement and punishment shape behavior and explored through experiments using Skinner boxes which reward or punish animals depending on their behavior.
Reinforcement: Increasing the likelihood of a behavior.
- Positive Reinforcement: Adding a stimulus to increase behavior (e.g., giving a child a treat for good behavior).
- Negative Reinforcement: Removing a stimulus to increase behavior (e.g., a headache going away when taking medicine).
Punishment: Decreasing the likelihood of a behavior.
- Positive Punishment: Adding a stimulus to decrease behavior (e.g., spanking a child for misbehavior).
- Negative Punishment: Removing a stimulus to decrease behavior (e.g., taking away a child's favorite toy for misbehavior).
Examples:
- Positive Reinforcement: Giving a treat when a dog sits.
- Positive Punishment: Scolding a child for talking back.
- Negative Reinforcement: Taking medicine for a headache.
- Negative Punishment: Taking away a child's phone privileges for bad behavior.

Observational Learning

Also known as social learning. Learning occurs by watching and imitating others.
Models: Individuals who are observed and whose behavior is imitated.
Bobo Doll Experiment (Bandura et al., 1963): Demonstrated that children imitated aggression they observed in adults.
Vicarious Conditioning: Learning by watching others experience reinforcement or punishment for a behavior.

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Description

Explore key concepts in learning from a psychological perspective in this quiz. Define learning, identify behaviorism assumptions, and compare different learning perspectives. Test your understanding of how behaviors are shaped by experience and environment.