Summary
Summary Edexcel A Level Psychology Notes - Learning Theories
- Course
- Institution
A* notes for the Learning Theories Module at A Level - the ONLY notes you need for this course!
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
lucyamyl
Reviews received
Content preview
1Learning Theories
- Learning is a process which leads to relatively stable behavioural change
- When we learn, we change the way we see our environment, interpret information
and interact/behave
- Associated with the behaviourist approach and work of Watson, Skinner and
Bandura
- Believed the focus of psychology should be on observable behaviours due to the
subjectivity/untestableness of internal moods/thoughts
- Dominated early 20th century psychological research
4.1 Content
4.1.1 The Main Features of Classical Conditioning
Classical Conditioning
- Classical Conditioning - Learning by association
- Unconditioned Stimulus - Any stimulus producing a natural, unlearned response
- Unconditioned Response - A response that occurs naturally without any form of
learning (a reflex action)
- Conditioned Stimulus - A stimulus that has been associated with an unconditioned
stimulus so that it now produces the same response
- Neutral Stimulus - An environmental stimulus that does not produce a response
without association
- Conditioned Response - A behaviour that us shown in response to a learned stimulus
- Food is a UCS for a cat
- Salivation in response to presentation of food is a UCR
- Sound of opening cat food tin is NS
- When NS and UCS are repeatedly paired, NS becomes CS and UCR becomes CR
- If sound of opening tin is often paired with presentation of food, sound alone
triggers CR
- Stimulus Generalisation - When stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus produce
the conditioned response
- Discrimination - The conditioned response is only produced in response to the
conditioned stimulus and not to similar stimuli
- Cat may salivate when any tin is opened – SG
- Cat may only salivate on hearing a tin open at a certain time of day – D
- Extinction - When a conditioned stimulus gradually loses its association with the
original unconditioned stimulus so becomes a neutral stimulus again
- Spontaneous Recovery - When the conditioned response reappears in a weakened
form in response to the controlled stimulus (the association is never fully forgotten)
- Sound of tin opening without food being presented, cat stops salivating when tin
opens – E
- Sound of tin opening with presentation of food after extinction, cat quickly
associates the two together – SR
, 2
4.1.2 Pavlov (1927) Experiment with Salivation in Dogs
Aim
- To find out if a reflexive behaviour can be produced in new situations through
learning
Procedure
- 35 dogs of a variety of breeds, raised in kennels in the lab – repeated measures
- Placed each dog in a sealed room that didn't allow the dog to see, smell or hear
anything outside
- This prevents other stimuli (extraneous variables) making the dog salivate
- The dog was strapped into a harness to stop it moving about and its mouth was
linked to a tube that drained saliva away into a measuring bottle
- In the Control Condition, Pavlov presented the dog with food (meat powder) through
a hatch - dog salivated
- As an experimental Control, Pavlov presented the dog with the Neutral Stimulus
sound (bell) – dog did not salivate so definitely neutral stimulus
- To condition the dog, Pavlov paired the sound with the presentation of food
- He usually did this 20 times, but it depended on how attentive the dog was
- After it was conditioned, Pavlov presented the dog with the sound but no meat
Results
- Pavlov found that the conditioned dog started to salivate 9 seconds after hearing the
sound and, by 45 seconds, had produced 11 drops of saliva
Conclusion
- Pavlov had discovered Classical Conditioning
- The NS, after being repeatedly paired with an UCS (the meat), turned into a CS,
producing the CR (salivation) all by itself
- Pavlov explains how the brain learns to see the new sound as a "signal" and links the
reflex to it
, 3
- This is how animals in the wild learn to hunt or escape being hunted: they learn to
apply their reflexes to new situations based on experiences they've had before
Evaluation:
- G – Humans have different brains from dogs – much more complex, not motivated
by food all the time
- R – Standardised procedure, carefully documented
- Repeated many times by Pavlov with different dogs and different NS – test-retest
reliability
- A – Inspired Watson to condition Little Albert
- Led to aversion therapy which has had some success at curing addictions but also
used negatively to treat homosexual men
- V – Objective and credible due to high controls – no other stimuli could be causing
results
- Low ecological validity as unusual conditions
- E – Considered unethical today due to conditions of dogs but no guidelines at the
time
- Benefits of research in society outweigh costs of distress experienced by the dogs
Evaluation of Classical Conditioning
Strengths:
- Pavlov influenced Skinner and many other researchers - helped shape our
understanding of human behaviour well into the future
- Scientific as precisely measured and controlled – objective
- Replicable and reliable
- Social control could be positive
Weaknesses:
- Lack ecological validity and application to real life
- Underestimates role of biological factors – genetic differences and instincts
- Based on animal research – application to humans limited, animals cannot reflect on
learning experiences with patience or feelings
- Ethical issues in animal research
- Could allow for others to control behaviour through conditioning – social control
4.1.3 The Main Features of Operant Conditioning
Operant Conditioning
- Operant Conditioning - Learning by consequences - An association is made between
behaviour and its consequence
- Instrumental Learning - The term Edward Thorndike originally gave to the form of
learning where the consequence of a behaviour dictates the further repeating of it
- Law of Effect - Created by Thorndike, suggesting that behaviour with a nice
consequence will lead to repetition of the behaviour and behaviour with an
unpleasant consequence will lead to it being stopped
- If we are punished for a behaviour it is likely that we will not repeat that behaviour
in future and vice versa
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller lucyamyl. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $10.33. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
67096 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now