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LEARNING PSYCHOLOGY
USP COURSE: 1º Grado en Psicología
SEMESTERS TO BE OFFERED: Fall or Spring
OBJECTIVES
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To understand the laws and principles of the psychological processes
To be able to describe and measure psychological variables (personality,
intelligence, aptitudes, etc) cognitive, emotional, psycho-biological and
behavioral processes.
To understand the laws and principles, structure, organization and
function (attention, perception, motivation, emotion, learning, memory,
thinking and language) of the basic psychological processes and the
theories and models of study of the mentioned psychological processes.
To be able to work with laboratory animals (rats), not only referring to
manage animals but also referring to the use of different tools at the
animal learning labs.
To learn to consider learning problems and to design experiments to
study them.
To understand the relation between the behaviours daily observed and
the results of the Learning psychology, acquiring in that way the
capacity to understand a functional analysis.
METHODOLOGY
LECTURE: Professors will expose the relevant theoretical aspects of the
subject with the help of material such as readings, (on paper or digitalized on
the Campus Virtual) and interactive material. Students should prepare in
advance the material previously provided in order to assimilate the lecture.
SEMINAR: Students will have to attend these seminars and prepare, under the
professor’s supervision, the topic to study which will complement and allow
the student to apply the subject seen in the lectures and also to express orally
the knowledge acquired out of class.
WORKSHOP: There will be practical classes in reduced groups to facilitate the
understanding and application of the subject.
EVALUATION
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The evaluation will be continuous. To be evaluated is mandatory to
attend the 75% of the classes.
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Attendance to practice classes is mandatory in a 100%
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The objectives of knowledge will be evaluated through written exercises
and individual papers.
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There will be 5 quizzes to evaluate the theoretical and practical
knowledge of the students.
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There will be a final exam where students will only be evaluated of the
parts which have not been passed in the previous exams.
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Students will also have to pass the exam corresponding to the work at
the learning lab, together with any other paper (theoretical or practical)
along the semester.
The evaluation system is the following:
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Exams and quizzes: 50%
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Lab work and papers: 30%
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Individual or group papers: 20%
THEMATIC OUTLINE
Theoretical Classes
Block A: Introduction to the study of Learning Psychology
Theme 1
Brief historical perspective.
Terminology.
Methodological aspects.
Research with animals.
Theme 2
Work in the laboratory.
Discrete trials: Mazes. T-maze, radial, double-box and water maze.
Operating free trials: Skinner’s box
Feeder training
Molding of the lever pressure response
Other tools: activity wheel, shuttle box, stabilimetric box
Theme 3
Biological determinant factors of learning
Generality of the learning laws
Behavior systems
Focused and generalized search
Consummatory behavior
Imprinting
Non-adaptative animal behavior
Brain electrical stimulation
Anatomic localization of reinforcement and punishment
Block B: Behavior and stimulus: Elicitation
Theme 4
Reflex behavior
Reflex arc
Orientation response
Startle response
Modal action standards
Theme 5
Habituation and sensitivity
Sensory adaptation and fatigue
Dual process theory
Dishabituation
Opponent process theory
Applications
Block C: Classical conditioning
Theme 6
First researches Pavlov’s laboratory
The paradigm of the classical conditioning
The relation CS- US
Excitating classical conditioning
Procedures of conditioning
Measurement of the conditioned response
Efficacy
Theme 8
Inhibitory classical conditioning
Procedures of conditioning
Measurement of the conditioned inhibition
Theme 9
Fear conditioning
Albert’s case
Peter’s case
Conditioned suppression
Theme 10
Monitoring the sign
Eyeblink conditioning
Taste aversion
Theme 11
First order conditioning
Sensory pre-conditioning
Contraconditioning
Vicarious conditioning
Theme 12
Models of classical conditioning
The blockade
Rescorla and Wagner’s model
Attention model
Relative waiting time hypothesis
Comparator hypothesis
Applications
Block D: Instrumental conditioning
Theme 13
Thorndike and the puzzle box
Thorndike laws
Theme 14
Procedures of instrumental conditioning
Positive reinforcement
Negative reinforcement
Positive punishment
Avoidance learning
Theme 15
Reinforcement schedules
Reason schedules: fixed and variable
Interval schedules: fixed and variable
Compound schedules
Differential reinforcement programs
Theme 16
Fundamental components of the instrumental conditioning
Instrumental response
Instrumental reinforcer
Relation response-reinforcer
Theme 17
Election behavior
Concurrent schedules
The law of equalization
Election with commitment
Theme 18
Motivational mechanisms
Associative structure
Consummatory response theory
Premack’s principle
Lack of response hypotheses
Point of behavioural delight
Applications
Block E: Principles of stimulation control
Theme 19
Control by stimulus
Stimuli discrimination
Stimuli generalization
Generalization gradients
Theme 20
Determining factors in the control by stimulus
Stimulus factors
Response factors
Learning factors
Contextual keys
Conditional relations
Block F: Extinction
Theme 21
Extinction of the conditioned response
Extinction of the operant response
Forgetting
Spontaneous recovery
Renovation
Recovery
Theme 22
Frustration theory
Sequential theory
Applications
Block G: Control of behavior through aversive stimulation
Theme 23
Avoidance behavior
Origins of its study
Discriminated avoidance
Mowrer and Miller’s theory
Theme 24
Experimental analysis of the avoidance behaviour
Free operant avoidance
Applications
Theme 25
Other explicative theories of the avoidance behavior
Conditioned signals of security
Reduction of the discharge frequency
Defensive responses typical of the species
Predatory imminence
Theme 26
Punishment
Experimental analysis of punishment
Theme 27
Punishment theories
Emotional conditioned response theory
Avoidance theory
Negative law of effect
Applications
Block H: Cognitive control of behaviour
Theme 28
Tolman’s contribution
Spatial learning
Expectation
Types of mental representation
Theme 29
Learned helplessness
Triadic design
Hypotheses and effect
Deficits
Seligman’s work
BASIC BIBLIOGRAPHY
DOMJAN, M. (2009): Principios de Aprendizaje y Conducta. Madrid. Paraninfo
RECOMMENDED BIBLIOGRAPHY
ALLOWAY, T. WILSON.G, AND GRAM. J. (2006) Sniffy, la rata virtual.Pro
versión 2.0. Madrid. Thomson
FERRÁNDIZ LÓPEZ, P. (1997): Psicología del Aprendizaje. Síntesis Psicológica
FROUFÉ, M. (2004) Aprendizaje asociativo. Principios y aplicaciones. Thomson
KLEIN, S.B. (1994): Aprendizaje. Principios y Aplicaciones. McGraw
Hill/Interamericana
MALDONADO, A. (2002) Aprendizaje, cognición y comportamiento humano.
Madrid. Biblioteca Nueva
SELIGMAN, M. (1975) Indefensión. Madrid. Debate
TARPY,R.M.: (2000) Aprendizaje, teoría e investigación contemporáneas, ,
Madrid McGraw Hill-Interamericana)
YELA, J. R., Y GÓMEZ, A. (2006) Principios y aplicaciones del
condicionamiento y aprendizaje. Salamanca.Universidad Pontificia
USEFUL WEB RESOURCES
www.suite101.net/reference/aprendizaje_animal
Sociedad Española de Etología:
http://webs.uvigo.es/c04/webc04/etologia/index.html