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 Johnathan Riley

Ch. 5 Refection

Psychology 201

When thinking about the concept o learning, usually sitting in a

classroo is !hat coes to in". #o!e$er #ockenbury "e%nes learning as

&a process that pro"uces relati$ely en"uring change in beha$ior or

kno!le"ge as a result o an in"i$i"ual's e(perience.) *ne or o learning

that this chapter ocuse" on is con"itioning. Classical con"itioning plays a big

part in ho! !e associate" beha$iors !ith certain stiuli. +t also pro$i"es a

oun"ation or the "isco$ery o other !ays in !hich learning takes place.

 hrough the rea"ing o this chapter + !as able to get a "etaile" $ie! on the

process o learning.

Con"itioning is "e%ne" as the process o learning associations bet!een

en$ironental e$ents an" beha$ioral responses. With Classical con"itioning,

a certain type o stiulus brings out beha$iors. hese stiuli "o not pro"uce

ne! beha$iors, but e(isting ones. -or e(aple, the sali$ation that !as

pro"uce" by the "ogs in +$an Pa$lo$'s "igestion e(perient. his process

in$ol$e" pairing a neutral stiulus !ith a natural stiulus that !oul" cause

a refe(i$e response. +n Pa$lo$'s e(perient the sight o Pa$lo$ neutral

stiulus/ !as paire" !ith oo" natural stiulus/. Pa$lo$, !ho is responsible

or uch o !hat !e kno! about classical con"itioning, "e$elope" ters or

this process. #e reerre" to the natural stiulus oo" in the "ogs outh/ as

the uncon"itione" stiulus an" the response the "ogs sali$ation/ as the

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uncon"itione" response. Pa$lo$ took this e(perient urther until the "ogs

learne" to sali$ate !hen they hear" the soun" o a bell a neutral stiulus/,

thus classically con"itioning the "ogs to associate the soun" o the bell !ith

oo". ecause o this the bell becae !hat's kno!n as a con"itione"

stiulus an" the sali$ation a con"itione" response. uring his

e(perientation, Pa$lo$ also "isco$ere" stiulus generaliation an"

"iscriination. hrough stiulus generaliation once the "ogs !ere

con"itione" to respon" to a particular stiulus, in this case the bell, any

siilar stiulus !oul" elicit the sae response. With stiulus "iscriination,

the "ogs learne" to tell the "i3erence bet!een t!o siilar stiuli. -or

e(aple a high4pitche" tone $ersus a lo! pitche" tone.

Classical Con"itioning le" to another "isco$ery, beha$ioris, !hich

!as pioneere" by John Watson. eha$ioris is a stu"y that re$ol$es

aroun" the assuption that huan beha$ior is part con"itioning, an" part

learning "ue to past e(periences or en$ironental infuences. Watson

claie" that beha$ioral traits such as talent, personality, or intelligence !ere

not inherite" as !as generally belie$e". Watson later sho!e" ho! huan

beha$ior coul" be classically con"itione". uring the ittle 6lbert

7(perient, Watson sho!e" the inant $arious types o stiuli an" obser$e"

his reactions. +nitially, 6lbert "i" not cry !hen he sho!n any o the stiuli

!hich inclu"e" a rat. #o!e$er !hen Watson paire" the rat a neutral

stiulus/ !ith a lou" noise uncon"itione" stiulus/ that a"e 6lbert cry

uncon"itione" response/, the inant began to associate the rat !ith the

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noise. 6ter repeate"ly "oing this, 6lbert began to cry ater seeing the rat

!ithout the noise a con"itione" response/. o"ay an e(perient like this

!oul" be consi"ere" highly unethical.

 he process o classical con"itioning can only be use" to e(plain

beha$iors that are elicite" ro a speci%c stiulus. 7"!ar" . horn"ike,

through e(perientation !ith cats, is responsible or la! o e3ect. 6ccor"ing

to #ockenbury, the la! o e3ect states, &responses ollo!e" by a satisying

state o a3airs are strengthene" an" ore likely to occur in again the sae

situation.) With this in in" it goes on to say that &responses ollo!e" by an

unpleasant or annoying state o a3airs are !eakene" an" less likely to occur

again.) his i"ea becae the oun"ation o stu"ying ho! $oluntary

beha$iors are aintaine" an" ac8uire".

 he la! o e3ect le" to the later "isco$ery o operant con"itioning by

.-. 9kinner. *perant con"itioning, can e(plain ost o our $oluntary

beha$iors. *perant con"itioning buil"s on the la! o e3ect an" sho!s ho!

certain beha$iors are constructe" base" on their conse8uences. 6 big part

o this is through reinorceent. Reinorceent can either be positi$e or

negati$e. +n positi$e reinorceent, a response is strengthene" because o

the presentation o a stiulus. -or e(aple, a couple o !eeks ago !e !ere

aske" to log our "reas or a e! "ays the operant/ or %$e points o e(tra

cre"it the reinorcing stiulus/. With negati$e reinorceent a response is

strengthene" because a "islike" stiulus is subtracte" or reo$e". -or

e(aple, in this class i refection papers the operant/ are turne" in late

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points are "e"ucte" the "islike"/ stiulus. ecause o this negati$e

reinorceent ysel, as !ell as y classates, are ore incline" to ake

sure our refection papers are turne" in on tie. Reinorcers can either be

priary naturally occurring or a gi$en species/ or con"itione" attaine"

reinorcing $alue by being associate" !ith a priary reinorcer/.

:e! beha$iors can also be ac8uire" through obser$ational learning,

!hich is obser$ing the actions o others. +n act, accor"ing to #ockenbury,

ost huan learning occurs through obser$ational learning. 6 psychologist

by the nae o 6lbert an"ura is responsible or uch o !hat !e kno!

about obser$ational learning. an"ura con"ucte" an e(perient !here

chil"ren !ere sho!n a %l base" on a $ariety o conse8uences or

aggressi$e beha$ior. +n the en" he oun" that the conse8uences the chil"ren

sa! in the %ls !ere signi%cant. an"ura also re!ar"e" the chil"ren i they

!ere able to sho! the e(perienter !hat aggressi$e beha$iors !ere

"isplaye" in the %ls reinorceent/, an" oun" that all the chil"ren !ere

able to iitate the beha$iors they obser$e". ecause o this, an"ura

"isco$ere" that !atching an" processing inoration about the actions o

others, inclu"ing their conse8uences, infuence !hether or not a beha$ior

!ill be iitate".

+n conclusion, this chapter !as e(treely inorati$e. hrough rea"ing

about the any e(perients, + !as able to see ho! !hat !e kno! about

learning has e$ol$e". 6lthough + "i" not ha$e any connection !ith this

chapter as +'$e ha" !ith pre$ious chapters, it !as interesting to %n" out the

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"i3erent processes that go into us learning to "o certain things. 6n" !ith

that, the processes in$ol$e" in learning to not "o certain things.