Other Learning A.

• Connectionism

  The learning theory of Thorndike representing the original S-R framework of behavioral psychology
• Learning


  The result of associations forming between stimuli and responses
• Connectionism


  • Learning can be adequately explained without referring to any unobservable internal states
• Thorndike's theory of connectionism


  1. Law of effect

  2. Law of readiness

  3. Law of exercise
• Law of effect


  Responses to a situation which are followed by a rewarding state of affairs will be strengthened and become habitual responses to that situation
• Law of readiness


  A series of responses can be chained together to satisfy some goal which will result in annoyance if blocked
• Law of exercise

  Connections become strengthened with practice and weakened when practice is discontinued
• Connectionism principles


  • Learning requires both practice and rewards
  • A series of S-R connections can be chained together
  • Transfer of learning occurs because of previously encountered situations
  • Intelligence is a function of the number of connections learned
• Conditioning theory of learning


  Learning occurs as a result of associating a condition or stimulus with a particular reaction or response
• Classical conditioning


  Learning occurs when a natural stimulus is paired with a neutral stimulus to produce a response
• Elements of classical conditioning

  • Unconditioned stimulus
  • Unconditioned response
  • Conditioned stimulus
  • Conditioned response
• Operant conditioning


  Learning develops through rewards and punishments for specific behavior
• Elements of operant conditioning

  • Positive reinforcement
  • Negative reinforcement
  • Punishment
• Contiguous conditioning


  Learning results from a pairing close in time to a response with a stimulus or situation
• Principles of contiguity theory

  • Organism must respond actively
  • Specific tasks must be presented
  • Stimulus patterns must be exposed to variations
  • Last response is the one associated
• Behavior analysis


  A scientific approach to designing, implementing, and evaluating instruction based on analyzing interactions between what the teacher does and student learning
• Behavior analysis techniques

  • Chaining
  • Prompting
  • Shaping
• Applications of behavior analysis

  • Mental health treatment
  • Helping children and adults with developmental conditions
  • Applied behavioral analysis therapy for autism
• ABA teaching strategies

  • Discrete trial teaching
  • Naturalistic teaching
  • Pivotal response treatment
  • Token economy
  • Contingent observation
• Discrete trial teaching


  Breaking down skills into smaller components and teaching each sub-skill separately
• Naturalistic teaching


  Child sets the pace for learning in daily routines, capitalizing on natural interests, needs, and abilities
• Pivotal response treatment


  Targets broad pivotal areas of development like motivation, responsivity, social initiations, and self-management
• Token economy


  System of reinforcement using symbols or tokens that can be exchanged for other reinforcers
• Contingent observation


  Mild form of timeout, teaching child to play/work in a group without disrupting others
• Gestalt-insight learning


  Learning is concerned with the whole individual and arises from the interaction of an individual with their situations or environment
• Steps in insight learning

  1. Identification of the problem

  2. Analysis of the problem situation

  3. Establishing mental associations

  4. Trial of response mode

  5. Attention

  6. Establishing cause-effect relationship
• Problem solving process

  1. Identification of the problem

  2. Analysis of the problem situation

  3. Establishing mental association with similar previously acquired ideas

  4. Trial of mode of response

  5. Attention

  6. Establishing cause-effect relationship

  7. Steady repetition of adaptive behaviour
• Gestalt laws


  Organizing principles in perception
• Law of pragnanz


  We are innately driven to experience things in as good a gestalt (organized whole) as possible
• Law of similarity

  Things that are similar are perceived to be more related than things that are dissimilar
• Law of contrast


  When two items are presented one after another, if the 2nd item is fairly different from the 1st, we tend to see it as more different than it actually is
• Law of proximity


  Things that are closer together will be seen as belonging together
• Law of uniform connectedness


  Elements that are connected by uniform visual properties are perceived as being more related than elements that are not connected
• Law of figure and ground


  Allows us to determine what we're supposed to look at and what we might safely ignore
• Law of closure


  We attempt to employ the principle of closure to fill in missing information and form a complete image or idea based on common or easily recognizable patterns
• Gestalt theory and the typical problems of learning

  • Capacity
  • Practice
  • Motivation
  • Understanding
  • Transfer
  • Forgetting
• Educational implications of Gestalt theory

  • Problem solving approach
  • From whole to part
  • Integrated approach
  • Importance of motivation
  • Goal orientation
  • Emphasis on understanding
  • Checking of previous experiences
• Experiential learning theory

  1. Concrete experience

  2. Reflective observation

  3. Abstract conceptualization

  4. Active experimentation
• Concrete experience

  Hands-on personal experiences that we learn from
• Reflective observation


  Reflecting on the new experience in the light of existing knowledge