learning approach

• what is learning approach

  assumes we are born a blank slate and our behaviour is learned through experience
• learning assumptions


  a - associations (behaviourism)

  i - imitation (social learning)

  r - reinforcement (behaviourism)
• classical conditioning


  behaviourist principle of learning by association made by neutral stimulus and reflex reaction so the same feeling is caused when coming back into contact with stimulus
• pavlov


  originally focused on digestive system of dogs so is less biased

  method: dog on bench with tube in mouth, salivated when bell rang
• pavlov association example


  neutral stimulus = bell

  unconditioned stimulus = food

  unconditioned response = drool

  becomes

  conditioned stimulus = bell

  conditioned reponse = drool
• stimulus generalisation


  if new stimulus has similar characteristics to conditioned stimulus then association generalised to it

  little albert: scared of fluffy white dog
• stimulus discrimination


  if new stimulus is too different to conditioned stimulus, association isn’t made

  little albert: wasn’t scared of fluffy brown dog
• time contiguity


  association will only occur if neutral and unconditioned stimulus are presented at same time

  little albert: wasn’t scared if there was a gap between bang and being shown rat
• operant conditioning


  behaviourist principal of learning by pos/neg consequences rather than reflex to stimuli
• reinforcement

  positive: performing behaviour because they are given reward

  negative: performing behaviour to avoid punishment
• thorndike 1898


  law of effect

  cats in box, escaped by chance but realised that pulling latch each time would let them out
• skinner positive reinforcement


  hungry rat in skinner box, moved around and accidentally knocks lever which releases food pellet

  rat soon realised that pulling lever will feed them and kept doing it
• skinner negative reinforcement


  rat in box with base that has an electric current going through it, as rat moves it will accidentally knock lever which stops current

  rats learned to go straight to lever to stop the current
• skinner terms


  antecedent — what happens before behaviour is performed (does rat know to push lever or not?)

  behaviour — whether they push lever or not

  consequences — what happens after behaviour (rat receives pellet)
• what is social learning 


  assumes behaviour is learned from observing others, isn’t strictly behaviourist because it considers cognitive processes too
• social learning assumptions


  v - vicarious reinforcement (others’ consequences affect likelihood of imitation)

  i - imitation (copying someone’s behaviour)

  i - identification (higher likelihood to copy someone you relate to)

  m - modelling (following behaviour you see as positive)
• bobo doll aim and set up


  aim: investigate if behaviour can be acquired by imitation from observation

  set up:

  36 boys, 36 girls 3-6 years old

  aggression tested beforehand to eliminate obscure aggressiveness

  divided into 3 conditions
• stages of bobo doll


  1. modelling - child watches screen for 10 minutes under 1 of the conditions

  • model acting aggressive
  • model acting nice or ignoring
  • no model

  2. aggression arousal - taken to a room with nice toys and told they are reserved for the other kids

  3. delayed imitation - hours later, taken to room with bobo doll and aggressive toys (mallet, dart gun), unaggressive toys (tea set, crayons) observed through 1 way mirror for 20 minutes and behaviour is recorded at 5 sec intervals
• bobo doll results and conclusion


  results: children who observed aggressive model were more aggressive than non-aggressive model and control group

  conclusion: supports social learning theory that behaviour is learnt through observation
• evaluation pros of bobo doll


  practical application: kids learn from observation, explains effect of violent media so can find solutions (e.g age ratings)

  control over extraneous values: internal validity is reasonably high because aggression tested so there was no anomalies and matched pairs
• mediating processes


  bandura documented 4 mediational processes (cognitive processes that humans go through between observation and imitation)

  • attention: have to catch our attention, e.g see or hear
  • retention: memory must be formed, e.g thinking
  • reproduction: have to be physically able to reproduce it
  • motivation: rewards and punishments are weighed up