Unit 5: Learning (Behaviorism)

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Unit 5 Learning (Behaviorism)

• Essential Task 5-5 Describe the essential
  characteristics of insight learning, latent
  learning, and observational learning (vicarious
  learning, live model, and virtual model)

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Learning The process by which experience or
practice results in a relatively permanent change
in behavior or potential behavior
We are here
Classical Conditioning The type of learning in
which a response naturally elicited by one
stimulus becomes to be elicited by a different
formally neutral stimulus

• Operant
• Conditioning
• The type of learning in which behaviors are
  emitted to earn rewards or avoid punishments

• Social Cognitive Learning Theory
• The type of learning in which behaviors are
  learned by observing a model

Pavlov and Watson
B.F. Skinner
Albert Bandura
Reinforcement and Punishment
UCS, UCR, CS, CR
Modeling and Vicarious Learning
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Essential Task 5-
Outline

• Cognitive Learning
• insight learning
• latent learning
• Social Cognitive Learning Theory(observational lea
  rning)
• vicarious learning/modeling
• live model
• virtual model

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Cognitive Learning

• Learning that depends on mental activity that is
  not directly observable
• Involves such processes as attention,
  expectation, thinking, and memory

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Latent Learning and Cognitive Maps

• Latent learning is learning that takes place
  before the subject realizes it and is not
  immediately reflected in behavior
• A cognitive map is latent learning stored as a
  mental image

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Insight and Learning Sets

• Insight is when learning seems to occur in a
  sudden flash as elements of a situation come
  together
• Learning sets refer to increasing effectiveness
  at problem solving through experience, i.e.,
  organisms learn how to learn

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Social Cognitive Theory/Observational Learning

• Individuals learn through imitating others who
  receive rewards and punishments. Learning a
  behavior and performing it are not the same thing
• Tenet 1 Response consequences (such as rewards
  or punishments) influence the likelihood that a
  person will perform a particular behavior again
• Tenet 2 Humans can learn by observing others, in
  addition to learning by participating in an act
  personally. Learning by observing others is
  called vicarious learning. The concept of
  vicarious learning is not one that would be
  subscribed to by classical behaviorists.
• Tenet 3 Individuals are most likely to model
  behavior observed by others they identify with.
  Identification with others is a function of the
  degree to which a person is perceived to be
  similar to one's self, in addition to the degree
  of emotional attachment that is felt toward an
  individual.

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Bobo Doll Experiment
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Bobo Doll Experimental Design
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Results

• Children exposed to the aggressive model were
  more likely to act in physically aggressive ways
  than those who were not exposed to the aggressive
  model. (Boys averaged 38.2 with 12.7 for girls)
• Children exposed to the aggressive model were
  more likely to engage in novel hostile acts.
• Children are more influenced by same-sex models.
• Results showed that boys exhibited more
  aggression when exposed to aggressive male models
  than boys exposed to aggressive female models.
  When exposed to aggressive male models, the
  number of aggressive instances exhibited by boys
  averaged 104 compared to 48.4 aggressive
  instances exhibited by boys who were exposed to
  aggressive female models.

Outline
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Learning by Observing

• The likelihood of acting on vicarious learning
  changes when we see the consequences of other
  peoples behavior
• Vicarious reinforcement or vicarious punishment
  affects the willingness of people to perform
  behaviors they learned by watching others

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Live and Virtual Models
Virtual Model
Live Model
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Mirror Neurons

• Neuroscientists discovered mirror neurons in the
  brains of animals and humans that are active
  during observational learning.