BAHS 112 LECTURE 6 LEARNING.pdf

BAHS 112 INTRODUCTORY PSYCHOLOGY FOR ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES The Psychology of Learning 2023/2024 Academic Year  Lecture Objectives  Define learning and explain its attributes  Discuss the relevance of Learning in human and animal lives...

BAHS 112 INTRODUCTORY PSYCHOLOGY FOR ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES The Psychology of Learning 2023/2024 Academic Year  Lecture Objectives  Define learning and explain its attributes  Discuss the relevance of Learning in human and animal lives  Discuss the types of Learning and their applications  Review of Lecture 3  What is para-Psychology  Why do some scholars claim that Parapsychology is not a science  What are the main branches of Parapsychology  Mention and explain any sub-area under extra sensory perception  The word “Pseudo” means ------- so Pseudo Psychology means?  Mention and explain any type of pseudo psychology  The psychology of Learning  For centuries, psychologists and scholars in other disciplines have been interested in how humans and other organisms learn  This interest ties in with our quest to understand and influence behavior. However:  There continues to be challenges in establishing a single, universally accepted definition of learning  Over the years, various scholars have given their ideas of how the concept of learning can be defined:  The psychology of learning 1. Hall (2003): “Learning refers to the process by which an animal (human or non-human) interacts with its environment and becomes changed by this experience so that its subsequent behavior is modified” 2. Breedlove et al, (2007) “The process of acquiring new and relatively enduring information, behavior patterns or ability characterised by modification of behavior as a result of practice, study or experience” The psychology of learning 3. Mazur (2013): “Learning is a process of change that occurs as a result of an individual’s experience” Psyc Central (2018): “…Learning can be defined as the process leading to a relatively permanent behavioral change or potential behavioural change…” See: Baron et al (2015). Embracing multiple definitions of learning. for a list of other definitions given by scholars from different discipline. The psychology of learning  Themost commonly used definition of learning in psychology: Mayer (2009) “Learning is a relatively permanent change in a person’s knowledge or behavior due to experience”  Thevarious definitions show some certain key characteristics or components of learning that scholars agree on.  These components or characteristics are often referred to as attributes of learning Attributes of learning 1. Learning is a process: Learning occurs over time and follows a process and is not a single event. It begins from somewhere. E.g. One event and continues before actual learning occurs 2. Change due to learning is long-term, not short-term The phrases “enduring” and “relatively permanent” used in the definitions mean that the change that occurs during learning lasts longer compared to other changes in the individual that are not a result of learning. eg,. Changes in behavior due to drugs, illness etc. are not changes due to learning Attributes of learning 3. The focus of the change is the content and structure of knowledge and not the behavior of the learner When learning occurs, information about the event/situation/object etc. is stored or changed in the brain and this also orchestrates changes in the individual’s behavior 4. Experience causes the change The change in behavior is not evident/ does not occur until the individual goes through a prior experience. Therefore, the cause of the change is the learner’s experience in the environment rather than fatigue, motivation, drugs, physical condition or Attributes of learning 5. The learning process may not be directly observable The actual learning process may not be directly observable because the acquisition and storage of information are internal processes. However, the change in behaviour manifests in the individual’s activities. E.g. One cannot know the amount of learning that has occurred in a student until he/ she writes a test/ performs an activity 6. The change in behavior desirable/ undesirable Learning results in a change in behavior. This change could be for better or for worse. The new behavior could be a desirable one or an undesirable one. Relevance of learning Reflection (2 min) : why is learning relevant/ important to us? Relevance of learning Learning enables us acquire essential life skills and abilities e.g. language and communication, right and wrong etc. Learning helps in the acquisition of knowledge (information, ideas, etc.,) and skills (writing, dancing, driving, etc.,) among others. Effective social interaction/interpersonal relations, emotional maturity etc., are also acquired through one or a combination of the various types of learning Learning helps us adapt to our environment and improve our wellbeing  Domains of learning Learning can occur in different domains/ aspects of the individual’s life: Psychomotor domain: this includes the acquisition of physical skills like walking, talking, etc. Cognitive domain: includes the ability to acquire, retain and organize information to solve problems Affective domain: includes the acquisition of attitudes, values, feelings etc. The psychology of Learning Types of learning  Types of learning Psychologists differentiate between different types of learning: 1. Classical Conditioning (CC): This type of learning was accidentally discovered by Pavlov (1927) while studying gastric secretion/digestion in dogs. T h e k ey i s s u e i n C C i s t h e f o r m a t i o n o f a s s o c i a t i o n between/among stimuli which originally/initially may have nothing in common. Lea r n i n g h er e o c c urs thro ugh a sti mul us- re spo nse mechanism when an organism learns to respond to a stimulus in a particular way after that stimulus has been paired with another one over a period of time.  Types of learning Pavlov’s experimental trials: 1. Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) =Unconditioned response (UCR) 2. Neutral Stimulus (NS) = Neutral response (NR) 3. UCS +NS = UCR 4. CS = CR Classical conditioning Classical Conditioning Extinction: occurs when the CS is continuously presented( after the association) without the UCS. This – weakens the association between the CS and the UCS Spontaneous recovery - the re-ignition of the association between the CS and the UCS after extinction Note: Classical Conditioning is also known as learning by association Classical conditioning  The principles of CC is applicable in various aspects of everyday life. Give one example of a practical life situation Application of Classical conditioning  Advertising Most children love playing with other kids (US). It is fun and makes them feel happy (UR). When a child sees a group of children playing with a toy in a commercial, they associate the toy (CS) with happy feelings (CR) and want to play with it, too.  Application of Classical conditioning  A Warm And Nurturing Teacher Motivates Students A warm and nurturing teacher (US) makes students feel connected (UR). Students associate going to school (CS) with the teacher. Therefore, students learn to enjoy going to school (CR)2.  Fear of Dogs A child sees a dog attack a person. It’s a very frightening experience (UR). Dogs are generally neutral stimuli (US) that many people find adorable. But to this child, after this incident, he’s scared (CR) whenever he sees a dog (CS).  Food Aversion Food poisoning can lead to a phobia of a specific food. The first time someone eats a certain food (US) and gets sick from it, they may associate the food with feeling awful (UR). The food’s appearance, smell, or taste (CS) can evoke an intense dislike or even fear in the person (CR).  Anxious About Exams Whenever a child fails an exam, they get punished (US) by their parents. The child then associates exams with bad consequences that create anxiety (UR). When the child takes an exam again (CS), they will automatically become nervous (CR).  Types of Learning 2. Operant Conditioning This is a neo-Behaviorist theory of learning in organisms.  It argues that the organism/ individual is not a passive recipient of stimulus-response processes but rather actively engages/ operates with the environment before learning occurs.  It argues that the individual’s behavior is governed by the anticipated consequences rather than automatic response elicited by a stimulus.  Simply put, an organism first acts in a way and the consequences of that action determine the change that will occur in the behavior Operant conditioning  This type of learning is therefore called instrumental learning because the organism is instrumental in the learning process.  The organism/ individual becomes ‘conditioned by its operation’ Application of Operant Conditioning  A parent gives their child extra allowance for doing the dishes  A manager offers bonuses to their workers for finishing the project on time  Gamblers win monetary reward for playing at the slot machine.  E.g., Scratch and win promotions, lotteries etc  Workers won't get yelled at when they arrive at work on time  Brushing the teeth prevents tooth decay  The police gives a driver a ticket for speeding  A parent assigns the child extra chores for playing too much video games.  A teacher gives a student extra homework for making noise in class. Types of Learning 3. Social Learning This type of learning occurs when organisms/ individuals adapt their behavior as a result of their social environment. Three types of social learning are commonly discussed in basic psychology:  Vicarious Learning: This is also called learning by observation. It occurs when individuals observe the behaviours of others and learn from the consequences of those behaviours.  Self-Regulatory Learning: This is another type of observational learning where individuals observe/ reflect on their own behavior, evaluate it by their own standards and reinforce or punish themselves. Note: there is another form of social learning called modelling. Google it!!  Types of learning 4. Habituation: considered as the simplest form of learning. It enables the individual to adapt to, and/or ignore cer tain regular environmental variables/stimuli in order to reduce sensory overload 5. Complex learning: involves the integration of knowledge, skills etc., that goes beyond the forming of associations as is largely the case of classical and operant conditioning. e.g. strategizing