Learning Theory

• Learning Theory - we form an association between stimulus and response, and then repeat the association.

  This causes our response to become automatic.
• Stimuli can be classified as unconditioned or conditioned
• Classical Conditioning involves pairing two stimuli together until they are associated.
• Classical Conditioning (Pavlov) - learning that occurs when two events are paired together repeatedly
• Operant conditioning (Skinner) - Learning through rewards and punishments - consequences.
• Operant Conditioning - this is called stimulus response learning, as it suggests that behaviour is the result of an environmental stimulus - it ignores all the other things that happen in between.
• Skinner suggested two main ways that behaviour can be learned - through reinforcement and punishment.
• Two subtypes of reinforcement are positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement.
• Positive reinforcement - a reward for a desired behaviour, which increases the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated
• Negative reinforcement - removing something unpleasant to increase a behaviour.
• Two sub types of punishment are positive punishment and negative punishment.
• Skinner also suggested that we are motivated in two ways to achieve rewards through Instristic motivation and Extrinsic motivation.
• Intrinsic motivation - this is motivation that comes from within.
• Extrinsic motivation - this is motivation that comes from outside; its given to us by an external source.
• Behaviour is explained through observation.
• Bandura states that both humans and animals observe people around them, and then imitate their behaviour - these are called models.
• Behaviour is more likely to be copied if people identify with that role model.
• Someone is more likely to imitate a behaviour if they can see the role model being rewarded.
• Vicarious Reinforcement - if behaviour is replicated in hopes of receiving the same reward.
• Bandura stated that if we identify the person we are observing as a role model, we are more likely to imitate them.