Learning Approach

Question 1

What is in the learning approach

Answer 1

Classical conditioning- Pavlov
Operant conditioning- skinner
Social learning theory- Bandura

Question 2

What is the key assumption of the learning approach

Answer 2

• all behaviour is learned
• either through association, rewards and punishment, or through observation
• all Bork as blank slates
• behaviour is a result of our behaviour

Question 3

What is classical conditioning and give examples

Answer 3

• learned through association

- little Albert learning to associate the white rat with the loud banging noise

Question 4

What happened in pavlovs experiment

Answer 4

• used dogs
• the dogs learned to associate the sound of a bell with their food, to extent that after a while they began to salivate just when they heard the sound of the bell

Question 5

Pavlovs dogs

Unconditioned stimulus

Answer 5

Food

Question 6

Pavlovs dogs

Unconditioned response

Answer 6

Salivation

Before conditioning and during

Question 7

Neutral stimulus

Answer 7

Bell

Before and during conditioning

Question 8

Conditioned stimulus

Answer 8

Bell

After conditioning

Question 9

Conditional response

Answer 9

Salivation after conditioning

Question 10

What is operant conditioning

Answer 10

• learned through rewards and punishment

Question 11

What is positive reinforcement

Answer 11

Being praised by a parent

- being rewarded so the behaviour is likely to be repeated

Question 12

What is negative reinforcement

Answer 12

• child being aggressive and that behaviour is punished so the behaviour is less likely to be repeated
• avoiding the punishment will strengthen the avoidance of aggression

Question 13

Which experiment links to operant conditioning

Answer 13

Skinners box

Rat experiment

Question 14

What happened to the rat during skinners experiment

Answer 14

• when the rat pressed a lever they were rewarded with a pellet of food - positive reinforcement
• this meant the rat was likely to continue this behaviour
• the floor was electrified as a punishment for if the rat pressed the lever when the red light was on
• rat avoided this by not pressing the lever when the red light was on
• negative reinforcement

Question 15

What id skinner condition

Answer 15

• conditioned rats and then later birds to complete complex tasks such as responding to certain words or certain lights
• simply through rewards and punishment

Question 16

Evaluation of classical and operant conditioning

Answer 16

:) scientific methods are used
:) leads to practical applications such as operant conditioning to train guide dogs
:( research is conducted on animals, can’t really generalise to humans as we are more complex
:( deterministic- some people have been excused for their crimes they have committed be chase they are a product of the environment

Question 17

What are the basic assumptions of social learning theory

Answer 17

• behaviour is learned from the environment

- behaviour is learned from observing others and the rewards and punishment they receive

Question 18

Who came up with the famous social learning theory experiment

Answer 18

Bandura

Question 19

Procedure of banduras experiment

Answer 19

• participants aged 3-6 were shown adults playing in a room of toys.
• they either saw:
• adult playing aggressively with a bobo doll
• adult playing nicely with a bobo doll
• nothing

Question 20

What did the children who were watching an aggressive model see

Answer 20

• all viewed the same action
• kicking, throwing in the air
• same phrase
• pow, bang

Question 21

What did Bandura find

Answer 21

• those who watched the aggressive model behaved aggressively
• other two groups showed significant less aggression
• children repeated a significant amount of the standardised actions and phrases
• boys produced more physical aggression, but verbal aggression was the same

Question 22

Conclusion of banduras experiment

Answer 22

Those who watch aggressive behaviour will act in an aggressive way

Question 23

What is imitation

Answer 23

Used to describe when the individual copies a behaviour

Question 24

What is identification

Answer 24

It helps if the individual identifies with the model. They may be a role model like a parent or a sports star

Question 25

What is modelling

Answer 25

They person who is being observed

Question 26

What is vicarious reinforcement

Answer 26

The term used to describe when the individual sees a model receive a reward or punishment.

Question 27

What is the mediating processes in social learning theory

Answer 27

- Bandura didn't suggest we imitate everything we see - there were a series of mediating factors that took place in between observing the behaviour and then deciding whether or not to imitate

Question 28

What are the four factors leading to social learning

Answer 28

- A: paying attention to the model - R: being stable to remember the action - A: having the ability to replicate the action - M: being motivated to replicate the action

Question 29

What was banduras further research

Answer 29

- showed all children an adult playing aggressively with the bobo doll - showed three different endings - model was rewarded - model was punished - no consequences

Question 30

What were the results from this further Bandura study

Answer 30

- the group watching the model being rewarded were more likely to act aggressively - then no consequence - then the group who saw the adult being punished being the least aggressive - supports the importance of motivation in social learning theory

Question 31

Evaluation of social learning theory

Answer 31

:) can explain why certain behaviours are imitated such as smoking or aggressive behaviour :) combines thought processes with the behaviourist principle making it a holistic theory :( the research was highly artificial and can be accused of being prone to demand characteristics :( could be used to excuse people from their crimes