Learning Notes 1 PDF

Please do not post online or distribute in any way, shape, or form. NOT NOW and NOT EVER. Copyrighted material. All rights reserved! Thank you for your respect :) Chapter 7 Learning...

Please do not post online or distribute in any way, shape, or form. NOT NOW and NOT EVER. Copyrighted material. All rights reserved! Thank you for your respect :) Chapter 7 Learning Lect 1: I – Introduction: What is learning? Definition: It's a relatively permanent change in how we think, how we feel, and how we behave as a result of experience. Force: We can use it as a force of good or evil; it is up to us. Adaptable and: Being capable of learning, that makes us flexable, changeable and adaptable. Which then gives us hope because what as been learned can be unlearned, we can learn new things. Hope: Our ability to learn gives us hope. 3 major ways: 3 major ways by which we learn. They are: Classical conditioning Operant conditioning Observational learning II – Classical Conditioning: Part of who you are today is because of classical conditioning Conditioning: Conditioning means we learn to form associations. Classical conditioning: We learn to associtate two events or two stimuli. With classical conditioning, we learn that one event signals the arrival of another event. This allows us to prepare ourselves, to take action, and it can be essential for survival. Classical conditioning doesn't only apply to humans, it helps animals learn too. A – Pavlov’s Experiments: Pavlov: He is the one who did the research and condoned the term. Pavlov is one of the biggest names in psychology. Psychic secretions: Salivation that has nothing to do with digestion or food. When we give the dog food: When we put food in the dog's mouth, the dog is going to salivate. It is a normal, natural and reflexive response; no learning is needed. The food is the unconditioned stimulus Salivation when food in mouth: The salivation is known as unconditioned response Response = Behaviour The response is unconditioned because no learning was required. Bell: When we ring a bell, a dog would not normally salivate. The bell is called neutral stimulus. Bell + food = At the beginning, the dog will salivate because of the food. But the more we repeat this pattern, ultimately, the dog will salivate at the sound of the bell alone. Bell: The dog learned that the bell signals the arrival of the food and starts salivating. The bell is conditioned stimulus. Salivation at the sound of the bell: Conditioned response. It is called condition because learning was needed and necessary in order for this response to happen. Higher order conditioning: We trained the dog to salivate at the sound of the bell, and dog does very well. In our example, we will use the bell to salivate when he sees a red triangle. We show a dog a red triangle, followed immediately by the bell (red triangle + bell). At the beginning, the dog will salivate because of the bell. However, if we keep doing red triangle + bell, the dog will salivate when he sees the red triangle alone. The process: The process at which the dog learns to salivate with the red triangle is called acquisition. Excitatory conditioning: NOT INCLUDED Inhibitory conditioning: NOT INCLUDED Factors: Factors associated with classical conditioning. Frequency: The more we do bell + food, the better the learning. Timing: Timing does matter. As soon as we ring the bell, we must give the food to the dog right away. If we don't give food shortly after, it may prevent the dog from learning. Order of presentation: We MUST sound the bell FIRST and then give the dog food. This is because the bell announces the arrival of the food. More...: This could be essential for survival. Extinction: We train the dog to salivate at the sound of the bell, and they do it very well. Now we don't want him to salivate at the sound of the bell anymore. We will do an extinction procedure. Extinction procedure: We are going to ring the bell, and we WON'T give food. Ultimately the dog learns that the food isn't coming, and he stops salivating at the sound of the bell. Spontaneous recovery: We did an extinction procedure, and the dog stops salivating at the sound of the bell. However, one day and out of the blue, and without any re-training whatsover, we ring the bell, and the dog salivates. Without any further training, ultimately, this behaviour will go away. Stimulus generalization: Example: ONE dog bites you, and you become afraid of ALL dogs. Another example: We train a dog to salivate at the sound of ONE bell, but then he starts salivating at the sound of OTHER bells. Can be adaptive: Can be a good thing. But it can also be maladaptive. Can be maladaptive: It can be maldaptive because one bad incident with a factor can make a person have a negative reaction to other similar factors. Example: If a person interacts with a green person and they do something that hurts the person. The person may end up hating all green people and thinking they all are bad people. This becomes unhealthy, and this can lead to discrimination, hate, etc. to all green people. Stimulus discrimination: One dog bites you, and you're ONLY afraid of that dog; you're NOT afraid of other dogs. We train the dog to salivate at ONE bell, and he ONLY salivates when he hears that single bell. B. Updating Pavlov’s Understanding: B.1 & B.2 B.1 Cognitive processes: Pavlov: Much of Pavlov's ideas stood the test of time. Modern researchers: However, some of his ideas were challenged by modern researchers. B.2 Biological Constraints: Pavlov: He strongly believe that if we want to study classical condition, we don't have to know about what the dog is thinking or believing. In other words, we do not need to study cognitive processes or take them into consideration. Modern researchers: Modern researchers challenged this idea. According to modern researchers, you MUST take cognitive processes and take them into considerations. Animals are not stupid learners; they are like scientists because they assess and evaluate the information. If the information gives them protective power and it is reliable, they WILL learn it. If it doesn't give them prodective power and it isn't reliable, they WILL NOT learn it. Pavlov believes that long as we follow the rules of classical conditioning, we can teach anything. According to classical conditioning, we can teach a lot. However, there are certain things that we cannot teach because the organism is not biologically prepared to learn it. NOT ALL DETAILS ARE INCLUDED; ONLY WHAT IS NEEDED BELOW Radiation = Nausea Light + Radiation = nausea Light = no nausea; no aversion Sugared water + Radiation = nausea Sugared water = nausea/ aversion C. Pavlov’s Legacy: Is huge Classical conditioning: Pavlov is the one who discovered classical conditioning; one of the major ways that everyone learns. Objective study: He was able to demonstrate that we can take complex psychological studies, such as learning, and you can study them objectively and observatory.  John Watson: Pavlov influenced John Watson. Before John Watson, the goal at the time was to study the brain and consciousness. Before: Before John Watson, the goal at the time was to study the mind and consciousness. Goal: The goal was to study the mind and consciousness. Introspection: Subjects will observe their own mental processes and observe them. Watson: Watson was opposed to both. He believed in the following: Observable behaviors: Psychology should only study obserable behaviours. Prediction & control: The goal of psychology is to predict and control the behaviour. Pavlov: However, Watson didn't have the methodology to do it, until he read the work of Pavlov. Behaviorism: Dominated psychology for almost 50 years. During that time, there was little to no study on the mind and consciousness. Behaviourism continues to be an important part of psychology. However, it no longer dominates psychology. The study of the mind, conscious, etc. flurishes the study of psychology. (1920s -1960s)