Learning that occurs as a result of
observing the experiences of others
Children imitate parents, teachers
Mirror Neurons
Neurons that are activated by performing an action or by seeing another monkey or person perform the same action.
Italian researchers working with monkeys watch as neurons were activated when the monkeys made
certain hand movements. Surprisingly, the same neurons were also activate when they observed the
experimenter
Any relatively durable change in
behaviour or knowledge that is due to
experience
Conditioning
Involves learning connections between
events that occur in an organism's
environment
Generalization
Responding to a new stimulus in a way similar
to the response produced by an established CS
John Watson presented a white rat paired with a loud
noise, which caused Little Albert to become afraid. His
fear generalizes to white furry objects
Discrimination
Responding differently to a new stimulus than
one responds to established CS
When stimuli share properties, like two tones of the same
pitch, people often need to learn to discriminate
Conditioning
Classical Conditioning
Pavlov
Higher Order Conditioning
After a conditioned stimulus reliably elicits a
response, this conditioned stimulus can be
paired with another stimuli which also elicits
the same response
Key Elements
Acquisition
Extinction
Stimulus
Generalisation
Stimulus discrimination
Spontaneous Recovery
Phobias
Irrational fears of specific objects or situations
Fear of heights, becoming dizzy while in a high place and
associating high places with instability
Physiological Processes
Classical conditioning can lead to
immunosuppression - a decrease in the
production of antibodies
Animals were injected with a drug (US) that chemically causes immune suppression and also gave them an
unusual tasting drink. Later they gave animals only the drink and when they measured antibody production,
it decreased. The drug was paired with the drink which then cause immune suppression without the drug
even being administered
Acquisition
Acquiring the new behaviour. Usually
something novel, unusual or very
intense that results in classical
conditioning
Timing is another factor. Stimulus
contiguity - how close the stimuli are
together
Extinction
Presenting CS repeatedly, after
conditioning, without the US,
resulting in no response.
Spontaneous recovery
Recovery of an extinguished CR after a period of
nonexposure to the CS - Often the CR isn't as strong as it
once was
Refers to a type of learning in which stimulus gets the capacity to evoke a
response that was originally evoked by a physical natural stimulus
Operant Conditioning
A form of learning in which responses come to be
controlled by their consequences of their own
voluntary actions
Learning that studying leads to good exam grade
Acquisition
In operant conditioning, acquisition also
refers to the initial stage of learning a new
response.
Shaping
Occurs when rewards are given for
behaviour that is closer and closer to the
desired end result
Extinction
Response is no longer followed by a
reinforce. When the reinforce is taken away,
the subject often increases the behaviour.
Then the behaviour decreases gradually
Punishment
Penalty
Removal of priviledges
Consequences that decrease the likelihood of responding in a similar way again
Time out - fun removed for misbehaviour
Side Effects of Physical Punishment in Children : In adulthood, people may experience increased
aggression, criminal behaviour, mental health problems, and child abuse.
Reinforcement
Positive Reinforcement
Increase in responding is due to giving something good or rewarding
Negative reinforcement
Increased responding is due to removing something bad ( aversive )
Types of schedules
Rules that an experimenter uses to determine when particular
responses will be reinforced
Ratio Schedules
Number of responses required for
reinforcement stays the same
Fixed-Ratio Schedules
A certain number of responses required for
reinforcement, but this number changes
Variable-Ratio Schedules
Interval Schedules
Reinforcement delivered for first response
after a fixed allotment of time
Fixed-Interval
Allotted time before a response
will yield reinforcement changes
Variable-Interval
Positive : something good is given
Negative : something bad is removed
Evolutionary Perspective on Learning
Instinctive drift occurs when an
animal's innate response tendencies
interfere with conditioning.
Conditioned taste aversions can be
readily acquired, after only one trial
and when the stimuli are not
contiguous, suggesting that there is a
biological mechanism occurring.
Some phobias are more easily conditioned than others, suggesting the concept of preparedness
Biologically prepared to learn to fear objects or events that have inherent danger
Tolman
Latent learning
Is a type of learning that isn't immediately expressed in an overt response
Conducted experiments involving rats running through mazes.
Bandura
Bobo Doll Experiment
Study involved film of adult hitting "Bobo" doll
Children acted out what they observed
Adult was either praised or punished - more likely to follow if adult praised
for aggression
Researcher who studied effects of viewing adult aggressive
behaviour on children