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Social Psychology 241 module 2
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Module 2 Social Cognition
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Module 2: Social CognitionSources of Social Knowledge
In this section, we will examine how we come to form beliefs about the
world, and then how those beliefs affect how we process subsequent
information. The central concept in this section is schema. What is a
schema, how is it formed, how is it changed, and how does it affect us?
Our Knowledge Accumulates as a Result of Learning
Key Themes
This is an introductory section that frames the next two sections on operant
learning and associational learning. The key theme is conditioning and
understanding its history
Notes Guidelines
Conditioning (definition) –the ability to connect stimuli (things or events in the
environment) with responses (behaviors or other actions).
What school of thought emphasized conditioning?
Operant Learning
Operant learning (definition) – the principle that experiences that are followed by
positive emotions (reinforcements or rewards) are likely to be repeated, whereas
experiences that are followed by negative emotions (punishments) are less likely to be
repeated
What is the role of consequences in operant learning?
- The person learns from the consequences of his or her own actions
Give some examples of operant learning.
- when a schoolroom bully threatens his classmates because doing so allows him
to get his way
- when a child gets good grades because her parents threaten to punish her if she
doesn’t
, - when we begin to like someone who smiles at us frequently, and in hundreds of
other cases every day.
Explain how operant learning explains complex behaviours such as reading,
culture, appropriate social conduct, and crime.
- We learn what behaviors are most appropriate by engaging in
appropriate ones and punished for engaging in inappropriate ones.
- EX; it doesn’t take long for us to learn that a girl is more likely to kiss
us if were nice to her
Associational Learning
Notes Guidelines
Associational learning (definition) –when an object or event comes to be
associated with a natural response, such as an automatic behavior or a positive or
negative emotion.
Give some examples of associational learning.
- EX; you become hungry after driving by your favorite pizza spot because the sight of
the pizzeria is associated with your experience enjoying the pizza
Instructor Note: The difference between operant learning and
associational learning is that operant learning is about behaviour
whereas associational learning is about consequences. In
operant learning, someone performs a behaviour and receives a
reward for it. For example, if every time I use a product it allows
me to achieve a goal, I am rewarded for using the product and
come to like it.
Associational learning requires no action by the person. They
learn to associate concepts (such as creating positive or negative
associations) with an object by seeing them paired together. The
more frequently two concepts are paired, the stronger the
learning. For example, if attractive celebrities are paired with a
product, people come to associate that product with the good
feelings derived from seeing familiar attractive people.
, Source: Bernsten (2015)
Explain how associational learning is used in:
- Advertising- create positive ads using enjoyable music, cute babies,
attractive models, and funny spokespeople
- Corporate Sponsorship-enjoy watching a particular sports team, and if that
team is sponsored by a product, such as Pepsi, then people may end up
experiencing the positive feelings they have for their team when they view a
can of Pepsi.
- Public Health Campaigns / Government Interventions- governments
around the world created negative and graphic images to place on cigarette
packs to increase an association between negative responses and cigarettes,
giving the idea when seeing a cigarette and the fear of dying is associated
- Racial Prejudice- We may dislike people from certain racial or ethnic groups
because we frequently see them portrayed in the media as associated with
violence, drug use, or terrorism. And we may avoid people with certain
physical characteristics simply because they remind us of other people we do
not like
Observational Learning
Notes Guidelines
Instructor Note: The difference between operant and observational
learning is revealed by who is being rewarded. In operant learning,
the person is rewarded for their actions. For instance, if a child plays
roughly with a Bobo doll and is punished for it, they no longer play
roughly with it.
Observational learning involves seeing others perform actions. If a
child observes someone perform an action, they model it. For instance,
if a child observes an adult play roughly with a Bobo doll, the child
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