learning approach

• what does the learning approach include

  • behaviourist approach (classical and operant conditioning)
  • social learning theory
• behaviourist approach assumptions

  • all behaviours are learnt from environment (nurture)
  • focus on observable behaviour
  • animals and humans learn in the same way
  • use mainly laboratory experiments
• classical conditioning

  • learning through association
  • two stimuli are linked together to produce a learnt response
  • stage 1: BEFORE CONDITIONING- unconditioned stimulus produces unconditioned response and neutral stimulus causes no response
  • stage 2: DURING CONDITIONING-neutral stimulus is associated with unconditioned stimulus multiple times
  • stage 3:AFTER CONDITIONING- neutral stimulus becomes conditioned and there response has become conditioned
• Pavlov's research definitions

  • stimulus generalisation- if a stimulus has similar characteristics to the conditioned stimulus, the association would also be transferred to the new stimulus
  • stimulus discrimination- if the difference in characteristics are too much, association won't occur. there has to be a cut off point
  • time continuity- association must take place around the same time for conditioning to occur
• Pavlov's dogs

  • before conditioning: US (food) produces UR (drool). NS (bell) produces nothing
  • during conditioning: NS (bell) and US (food) produces UR (drool)
  • after conditioning:CS (bell) produces CR (drool)
• operant conditioning

  • learning through reinforcement-skinner
  • positive reinforcement:recieving a reward (rat gets food from pressing lever)
  • negative reinforcement: when performing an action stops something unpleasant happening (rat pressing level to stop electric shocks)
• Skinner's rats

  • positive reinforcement: hungry rat in a box, when the rat pressed the lever, food would be produced. the rat quickly learned to go straight to the lever after a few times of being put in the box
  • negative reinforcement: rat in a box and got electric shocks . if the rat moved around the box and pressed the lever, the shocks stopped. the rats quickly learned to go straight to the lever after a few times of being put in the box
• classical conditioning real life application

  • little Albert was shown a white rat and wasn't scared
  • he then was shown the rat and a loud bang that startled him
  • after a few times, Albert was classically conditioned to fear the rat
  • his fear generalised to other stimuli similar to the rat e.g. a fur coat and cotton wool
• behaviourist approach evaluation

  S- experimental support from Skinner and Little Albert which are all lab experiments meaning all variables were controlled and can be replicated, meaning their results are reliable

  O- behaviourists use animal extrapolation

  R- it can explain phobias and has given rise to many treatments found to be effective e.g. systematic desensitisation is based on classical conditioning