First Year Psychology: Psychology of Learning - Lecture 1 PDF

Summary

This lecture introduces the psychology of learning, providing definitions and historical perspectives, including the work of behaviorists like Watson and Skinner. It covers basic learning processes like habituation and classical conditioning, and explores the relationship between learning and evolution. The lecture discusses stimulus-response relationships, different types of behaviourism, and the role of cognition.

Full Transcript

First Year Psychology Psychology of Learning Dr. Ian Stewart Lecture 1 The Psychology of Learning Series of 9 lectures Phelps, E., Berkman, E., & Gazzaniga, M. (2022). Psychological Science: International Student Edition (7th ed.) Norton Chapter 6 Definition of...

First Year Psychology Psychology of Learning Dr. Ian Stewart Lecture 1 The Psychology of Learning Series of 9 lectures Phelps, E., Berkman, E., & Gazzaniga, M. (2022). Psychological Science: International Student Edition (7th ed.) Norton Chapter 6 Definition of Psychology (Short Version) The science of behaviour Definition of Psychology (Long Version) Science The science of behaviour and the environmental, physiological & cognitive processes associated with behaviour Profession …and the profession that applies the accumulated knowledge of this science to practical problems Definition of Psychology (Short Version) The science of behaviour - Behaviour always involves interacting with an environment - Psychology requires physiology but is not the same as it - Cognition (thinking) is also behaviour - The results of science should in principle be applicable Behaviourism The study of directly observable relationships between behaviour and the environment Origins of Behaviourism To some extent a reaction against the 19th century method of introspection Introspection: “Looking within” to describe one’s own conscious experience (e.g., perceptions, motivations, & memories) Reliance on this method seen as unscientific J B Watson (1878 - 1958) Methodological Behaviourism “Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own special world to bring them up in and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select – doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief, and yes, even beggarman and thief.” 7639600002 B F Skinner (1904 - 1990) Radical Behaviourism “In order to understand human behavior we must take into account [events in] the environment... before and after [the person] responds. Behavior is shaped and maintained by its consequences [but private events cannot be ignored].” Albert Bandura (1925 - ) Cognitive Behaviourism Behaviour may be caused by mental states (e.g., beliefs, expectations) without reference to environmental influences. Definition of Learning A relatively permanent change in behaviour resulting from experience Learning & Memory Learning Behaviour change due to experience function Memory The record of what has been learned structure Learning: Key Elements Stimulus Response Stimulus Specific environmental element Response Observable act A Partial List of Human Reflexes Stimulus Response Digestive System Muscular System food salivation, low temperature shivering gastric secretions burn withdrawal adulterated food sickness, nausea patella (knee jerk) balance Circulatory System Orienting Response high temperature sweating, flushing novel stimulation reflexive orienting sudden loud noise pounding heart Infant Reflexes Respiratory System object in hand grasping irritation in nose sneeze food in mouth swallowing congested throat cough object to lips sucking stroking of cheek head turning feet on ground stepping Learning & Evolution Evolution Biological adaptation Learning Behavioural adaptation Basic Learning Processes Habituation Sensitisation Classical conditioning Operant conditioning Observational learning Habituation: Æsop’s Fable of The Fox and the Lion A fox who had never yet seen a lion, when he fell in with him for the first time in the forest was so frightened that he was near dying with fear On his meeting with him for the second time, he was still much alarmed, but not to the same extent as at first On seeing him the third time, he so increased in boldness that he went up to him and commenced a familiar conversation with him Habituation & Sensitisation Sensitisation Response level Orienting response Habituation Resting level Trials First Year Psychology Psychology of Learning Dr. Ian Stewart Lecture 1

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