Unit 4 Overview: Learning
4 min read•june 6, 2021
John Mohl
John Mohl
From the College Board
Developing Understanding of this Unit
According to the College Board, "Some psychologists focus their study on how humans and other animals learn 📚 and how some experiences can lead to changes in behavior and mental processes. Because the process of learning requires both physiological and psychological processes to work together 🧠, the two preceding units provide the foundation for this unit.
Many psychologists who study learning focus on observable behaviors 👀 and how those behaviors can be changed or reinforced. Other learning psychologists study how the individual's observations of other peoples' behaviors influence changes in that individual’s mental processes and resulting behaviors."
Guiding Questions
How do we learn?
How do our experiences influence our behaviors and mental processes?
Introduction
While learning is often associated with memory, it refers to the learning or the of behaviors in the AP psychology curriculum. Generally, the unit includes three different types of learning: , , and .
involves the of reflexive behaviors that are in response to an environmental stimulus.
focuses on voluntary or largely controllable behaviors followed by an environmental response, which usually involves providing something or taking away something that changes the chance of the behavior happening again.
refers to behaviors that are learned through modeling someone else's (or something's) behavior.
About 7-9% of the exam is on this unit!
Key Facts
Psychologists to Know
Albert Bandura
Psychologist known for his 🤡 In this study, children watched a film of an adult beating on an inflatable Bobo doll. Later on, when put into a room containing various toys, including the Bobo doll, children were more likely to or imitate the aggressive behaviors they earlier observed than a control group of children who did not view the film.
Ivan Pavlov
Russian scientist known for his work with the reflexive responses of dogs 🐕 His research laid the groundwork for .
Gif Courtesy of Giphy.
Robert Rescorla
Rescorla's research focused on the , which showed that not all result in conditioning. They are mainly dependent upon the cognitive interpretation as to whether the pairing is logical.
For example, if a researcher tries to condition a person to salivate to the sound of the tone 🎶, but the participant believes that it was a piece of clothing 👕 the experimenter was wearing that produced the response, the participant may show conditioning to the shirt 👕and not the tone 🎶.
Edward Lee Thorndike
Thorndike is known for the , which suggests that behavior with favorable consequence will be strengthened, while behavior followed by an unfavorable consequence will be weakened. His theory laid the groundwork for BF Skinner's future contributions to our understanding of .
Edward Tolman
Tolman is known for . His work with rat mazes 🐀 revealed that rats were learning how to go through the maze even though it was not immediately apparent. When rats went through numerous trials through the maze without reward for finishing the maze, they did not demonstrate any improvement in time.
However, when they received the reward, the following trial showed a marked decrease in time, indicating that they had a mental representation or of the maze. These results suggest that cognitive processes were present despite the stark behaviorist claim that thoughts were unobservable 👀.
John B Watson
Watson was an early 20th-century behaviorist who proved that fear responses could be learned. Watson worked on conditioning a young infant, known as Little Albert, to fear a rat. Watson also demonstrated with Albert, who not only presented fear of the rat but all furry things.
Gif Courtesy of Giphy.
John Garcia
Garcia showed that there are biological constraints to conditioning. For example, internal body processes such as nausea 🤢are more readily conditioned to stimuli experienced internally, such as taste, which happens in the body, specifically in the mouth.
External bodily experiences, such as the sense of pain, are more readily conditioned with external stimuli, such as a tone or light, which manifest outside the body. This conditioning is the . One specific application of this effect is that humans are readily conditioned to the sense of taste since it is closely associated with our survival.
Vocabulary
Key Terms to Review (36)
Acquisition
: In psychology, acquisition refers to the initial stage of learning or conditioning. It's when a response is first established and gradually strengthened.Albert Bandura
: Albert Bandura is a renowned psychologist known for his social learning theory, which emphasizes the importance of observational learning, imitation, and modeling.Bobo Doll Experiment
: The Bobo doll experiment was conducted by Albert Bandura in 1961 and 1963 to study patterns of behavior associated with aggression. Children observed an adult acting aggressively towards a Bobo doll; later on, it was found that these children were more likely to act out similar aggressive actions.Classical Conditioning
: Classical conditioning is a learning process in which an association is made between a previously neutral stimulus and a stimulus that naturally evokes a response.Cognitive Map
: A cognitive map is a mental representation or image of the layout of one's physical environment.Conditioned Response
: A conditioned response is a learned reaction to a conditioned stimulus that occurs because of previous conditioning.Conditioned Stimulus
: A conditioned stimulus is previously neutral stimulus that, after becoming associated with the unconditioned stimulus, eventually comes to trigger a conditioned response.Contingency Model of Conditioning
: The Contingency Model of Conditioning posits that for learning to occur, there must be a reliable correlation or "contingency" between the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli. It's not enough for them just to be paired together; one must reliably predict the other.Edward Lee Thorndike
: Edward Lee Thorndike was an American psychologist who is best known for his work on learning theory. He proposed the Law of Effect, which states that behaviors followed by positive outcomes are likely to be repeated, while those followed by negative outcomes are less likely to be repeated.Edward Tolman
: Edward Tolman was an American psychologist who developed a cognitive view of learning, which became known as latent learning. He believed that people and animals are active information processors and not just passive learners as suggested by behaviorism.Extinction
: In psychology, extinction refers to the gradual weakening and eventual disappearance of a conditioned response. This occurs when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus.Fixed Interval
: A fixed interval is a schedule of reinforcement where the first response is rewarded only after a specified amount of time has elapsed.Fixed Ratio
: A fixed ratio schedule is a system of reinforcement in operant conditioning where a response is reinforced only after a specified number of responses.Garcia Effect
: The Garcia Effect, also known as conditioned taste aversion, refers to the development of a strong association between a particular food and illness or discomfort. This effect is named after psychologist John Garcia who discovered it.Insight Learning
: Insight learning is a form of cognitive learning where animals or humans solve a problem using a sudden understanding or realization, rather than trial and error.Ivan Pavlov
: Ivan Pavlov was a Russian physiologist known for his work in classical conditioning, where he trained dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell by associating it with food.John B Watson
: John B Watson was an American psychologist who established the psychological school of behaviorism, focusing on observable behaviors rather than internal thoughts or feelings.John Garcia
: John Garcia was a psychologist known for his research on taste aversion, showing that some species are biologically prepared to make certain associations, which led to the development of the Garcia Effect.Latent Learning
: Latent learning is a type of learning that occurs without any obvious reinforcement and isn't demonstrated until there's an incentive to do so.Law of Effect
: The Law of Effect is a psychological principle advanced by Edward Thorndike suggesting that responses closely followed by satisfaction will become firmly attached to the situation and therefore more likely to reoccur when the situation is repeated. Conversely, if the situation is followed by discomfort, connections to the situation will become weaker.Little Albert Experiment
: The Little Albert experiment was a famous psychology study conducted by John Watson and Rosalie Rayner. They conditioned a small child, Albert, to fear a white rat. They also demonstrated that this fear could generalize to other similar objects.Model
: In psychology, model refers to someone whose behavior serves as an example (positive or negative) for others.Neutral Stimulus
: A neutral stimulus is something in our environment that doesn’t produce an automatic response until we learn to associate it with another stimulus.Observational Learning
: Observational learning happens when an individual learns by watching others and then imitates their behaviors.Operant Conditioning
: Operant conditioning is a type of learning where behavior is controlled by consequences. Positive reinforcements or punishments are used to either increase or decrease the likelihood of a behavior happening again.Punishment
: Punishment is a process that decreases the likelihood of a behavior recurring by applying an unpleasant stimulus following the behavior.Reinforcement
: Reinforcement is a consequence that strengthens or increases the likelihood of a behavior by providing a desirable outcome or removing an undesirable one.Robert Rescorla
: Robert Rescorla is a renowned psychologist best known for his work in classical conditioning, particularly the contingency model of learning.Spontaneous Recovery
: Spontaneous recovery refers to the reappearance of a previously extinguished conditioned response after some time has passed without exposure to the conditioned stimulus.Stimulus Discrimination
: Stimulus discrimination is the ability to differentiate between a conditioned stimulus and other stimuli that have not been paired with an unconditioned stimulus.Stimulus Generalization
: Stimulus generalization involves transferring a learned response from one stimulus to another, similar stimulus. It's a type of learning where a new situation is perceived as identical to a previously encountered situation.Stimulus-Response Pairings
: Stimulus-response pairings refer to the process in which a response becomes associated with a particular stimulus through classical or operant conditioning.Unconditioned Response
: An unconditioned response is a natural, automatic reaction to an unconditioned stimulus.Unconditioned Stimulus
: An unconditioned stimulus is something that naturally, or without learning, triggers a response.Variable Interval
: A variable interval is a schedule of reinforcement where a response is rewarded after an unpredictable amount of time has passed.Variable Ratio
: In psychology, variable ratio refers to delivering reinforcements after an unpredictable number of responses.Unit 4 Overview: Learning
4 min read•june 6, 2021
John Mohl
John Mohl
From the College Board
Developing Understanding of this Unit
According to the College Board, "Some psychologists focus their study on how humans and other animals learn 📚 and how some experiences can lead to changes in behavior and mental processes. Because the process of learning requires both physiological and psychological processes to work together 🧠, the two preceding units provide the foundation for this unit.
Many psychologists who study learning focus on observable behaviors 👀 and how those behaviors can be changed or reinforced. Other learning psychologists study how the individual's observations of other peoples' behaviors influence changes in that individual’s mental processes and resulting behaviors."
Guiding Questions
How do we learn?
How do our experiences influence our behaviors and mental processes?
Introduction
While learning is often associated with memory, it refers to the learning or the of behaviors in the AP psychology curriculum. Generally, the unit includes three different types of learning: , , and .
involves the of reflexive behaviors that are in response to an environmental stimulus.
focuses on voluntary or largely controllable behaviors followed by an environmental response, which usually involves providing something or taking away something that changes the chance of the behavior happening again.
refers to behaviors that are learned through modeling someone else's (or something's) behavior.
About 7-9% of the exam is on this unit!
Key Facts
Psychologists to Know
Albert Bandura
Psychologist known for his 🤡 In this study, children watched a film of an adult beating on an inflatable Bobo doll. Later on, when put into a room containing various toys, including the Bobo doll, children were more likely to or imitate the aggressive behaviors they earlier observed than a control group of children who did not view the film.
Ivan Pavlov
Russian scientist known for his work with the reflexive responses of dogs 🐕 His research laid the groundwork for .
Gif Courtesy of Giphy.
Robert Rescorla
Rescorla's research focused on the , which showed that not all result in conditioning. They are mainly dependent upon the cognitive interpretation as to whether the pairing is logical.
For example, if a researcher tries to condition a person to salivate to the sound of the tone 🎶, but the participant believes that it was a piece of clothing 👕 the experimenter was wearing that produced the response, the participant may show conditioning to the shirt 👕and not the tone 🎶.
Edward Lee Thorndike
Thorndike is known for the , which suggests that behavior with favorable consequence will be strengthened, while behavior followed by an unfavorable consequence will be weakened. His theory laid the groundwork for BF Skinner's future contributions to our understanding of .
Edward Tolman
Tolman is known for . His work with rat mazes 🐀 revealed that rats were learning how to go through the maze even though it was not immediately apparent. When rats went through numerous trials through the maze without reward for finishing the maze, they did not demonstrate any improvement in time.
However, when they received the reward, the following trial showed a marked decrease in time, indicating that they had a mental representation or of the maze. These results suggest that cognitive processes were present despite the stark behaviorist claim that thoughts were unobservable 👀.
John B Watson
Watson was an early 20th-century behaviorist who proved that fear responses could be learned. Watson worked on conditioning a young infant, known as Little Albert, to fear a rat. Watson also demonstrated with Albert, who not only presented fear of the rat but all furry things.
Gif Courtesy of Giphy.
John Garcia
Garcia showed that there are biological constraints to conditioning. For example, internal body processes such as nausea 🤢are more readily conditioned to stimuli experienced internally, such as taste, which happens in the body, specifically in the mouth.
External bodily experiences, such as the sense of pain, are more readily conditioned with external stimuli, such as a tone or light, which manifest outside the body. This conditioning is the . One specific application of this effect is that humans are readily conditioned to the sense of taste since it is closely associated with our survival.
Vocabulary
Key Terms to Review (36)
Acquisition
: In psychology, acquisition refers to the initial stage of learning or conditioning. It's when a response is first established and gradually strengthened.Albert Bandura
: Albert Bandura is a renowned psychologist known for his social learning theory, which emphasizes the importance of observational learning, imitation, and modeling.Bobo Doll Experiment
: The Bobo doll experiment was conducted by Albert Bandura in 1961 and 1963 to study patterns of behavior associated with aggression. Children observed an adult acting aggressively towards a Bobo doll; later on, it was found that these children were more likely to act out similar aggressive actions.Classical Conditioning
: Classical conditioning is a learning process in which an association is made between a previously neutral stimulus and a stimulus that naturally evokes a response.Cognitive Map
: A cognitive map is a mental representation or image of the layout of one's physical environment.Conditioned Response
: A conditioned response is a learned reaction to a conditioned stimulus that occurs because of previous conditioning.Conditioned Stimulus
: A conditioned stimulus is previously neutral stimulus that, after becoming associated with the unconditioned stimulus, eventually comes to trigger a conditioned response.Contingency Model of Conditioning
: The Contingency Model of Conditioning posits that for learning to occur, there must be a reliable correlation or "contingency" between the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli. It's not enough for them just to be paired together; one must reliably predict the other.Edward Lee Thorndike
: Edward Lee Thorndike was an American psychologist who is best known for his work on learning theory. He proposed the Law of Effect, which states that behaviors followed by positive outcomes are likely to be repeated, while those followed by negative outcomes are less likely to be repeated.Edward Tolman
: Edward Tolman was an American psychologist who developed a cognitive view of learning, which became known as latent learning. He believed that people and animals are active information processors and not just passive learners as suggested by behaviorism.Extinction
: In psychology, extinction refers to the gradual weakening and eventual disappearance of a conditioned response. This occurs when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus.Fixed Interval
: A fixed interval is a schedule of reinforcement where the first response is rewarded only after a specified amount of time has elapsed.Fixed Ratio
: A fixed ratio schedule is a system of reinforcement in operant conditioning where a response is reinforced only after a specified number of responses.Garcia Effect
: The Garcia Effect, also known as conditioned taste aversion, refers to the development of a strong association between a particular food and illness or discomfort. This effect is named after psychologist John Garcia who discovered it.Insight Learning
: Insight learning is a form of cognitive learning where animals or humans solve a problem using a sudden understanding or realization, rather than trial and error.Ivan Pavlov
: Ivan Pavlov was a Russian physiologist known for his work in classical conditioning, where he trained dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell by associating it with food.John B Watson
: John B Watson was an American psychologist who established the psychological school of behaviorism, focusing on observable behaviors rather than internal thoughts or feelings.John Garcia
: John Garcia was a psychologist known for his research on taste aversion, showing that some species are biologically prepared to make certain associations, which led to the development of the Garcia Effect.Latent Learning
: Latent learning is a type of learning that occurs without any obvious reinforcement and isn't demonstrated until there's an incentive to do so.Law of Effect
: The Law of Effect is a psychological principle advanced by Edward Thorndike suggesting that responses closely followed by satisfaction will become firmly attached to the situation and therefore more likely to reoccur when the situation is repeated. Conversely, if the situation is followed by discomfort, connections to the situation will become weaker.Little Albert Experiment
: The Little Albert experiment was a famous psychology study conducted by John Watson and Rosalie Rayner. They conditioned a small child, Albert, to fear a white rat. They also demonstrated that this fear could generalize to other similar objects.Model
: In psychology, model refers to someone whose behavior serves as an example (positive or negative) for others.Neutral Stimulus
: A neutral stimulus is something in our environment that doesn’t produce an automatic response until we learn to associate it with another stimulus.Observational Learning
: Observational learning happens when an individual learns by watching others and then imitates their behaviors.Operant Conditioning
: Operant conditioning is a type of learning where behavior is controlled by consequences. Positive reinforcements or punishments are used to either increase or decrease the likelihood of a behavior happening again.Punishment
: Punishment is a process that decreases the likelihood of a behavior recurring by applying an unpleasant stimulus following the behavior.Reinforcement
: Reinforcement is a consequence that strengthens or increases the likelihood of a behavior by providing a desirable outcome or removing an undesirable one.Robert Rescorla
: Robert Rescorla is a renowned psychologist best known for his work in classical conditioning, particularly the contingency model of learning.Spontaneous Recovery
: Spontaneous recovery refers to the reappearance of a previously extinguished conditioned response after some time has passed without exposure to the conditioned stimulus.Stimulus Discrimination
: Stimulus discrimination is the ability to differentiate between a conditioned stimulus and other stimuli that have not been paired with an unconditioned stimulus.Stimulus Generalization
: Stimulus generalization involves transferring a learned response from one stimulus to another, similar stimulus. It's a type of learning where a new situation is perceived as identical to a previously encountered situation.Stimulus-Response Pairings
: Stimulus-response pairings refer to the process in which a response becomes associated with a particular stimulus through classical or operant conditioning.Unconditioned Response
: An unconditioned response is a natural, automatic reaction to an unconditioned stimulus.Unconditioned Stimulus
: An unconditioned stimulus is something that naturally, or without learning, triggers a response.Variable Interval
: A variable interval is a schedule of reinforcement where a response is rewarded after an unpredictable amount of time has passed.Variable Ratio
: In psychology, variable ratio refers to delivering reinforcements after an unpredictable number of responses.
Resources
© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.