Download Brittney Carroll

Brittney Carroll
11th Hour
What is learning and how do we learn?
What is learning and how do we learn? Learning is a relatively permanent change
in an organism’s behavior due to experience. There are three different types of learning
in which we learn by. These types of leaning are classical conditioning, operant
conditioning, and by observational learning. Many people are using the tree types of
learning everyday and don’t even know it.
Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which an organism comes to
associate stimuli. A neutral stimulus that signals an unconditioned stimulus (UCS)
begins to produce a response that anticipates and prepares for the unconditioned stimulus.
The Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov discovered classical conditioning. For Pavlov’s
experiment he used a ton as a neutral stimulus. He used dog food as an unconditioned
stimulus, and his unconditioned response was a dog salivating. In his experiment he
presented a ton (neutral stimulus) before presenting the dog food as an unconditioned
stimulus. The unconditioned stimulus triggered the unconditioned response of the dog
salivating.
Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if
followed by a reinforcer or dimished if followed by a punishment. B.F. Skinner
discovered operant conditioning. Operant conditioning is probably the most common
type of learning. An example of operant conditioning is a child gets A’s on their report
card. When they show their parents, their parents say good job and give them a treat. This
is an example of reinforcement because the child is getting rewarded. An example of
punishment would be a child is caught cheating on a test. The teacher takes the test away
and gives the child a zero and yells at the child. The child never cheated again. This is
punishment because the child received a bad grade and got yelled at. Operant
conditioning is used practically everyday and a lot more than classical conditioning.
Skinner compared different types of schedules too. A fixed-ration schedule reinforces
cahier after a set number of responds. An example would be if a child does their chores,
they then get a reward. Variable-ratio schedules provide reinforecers after an
unpredictable number of responses. An example would be cooking different sized
cookies in the same over. Fixed-interval schedules reinforce the first response after a
fixed time period, such as checking to see if something you are cooking is done. The
final type is variable interval schedules, which reinforces after varying time intervals,
such as receiving mail or an email.
Observational learning is where we observe and imitate others. Albert Bandure
was involved in observational learning. Observational learning is the second most
common type of learning. An example is when little kids play Simon says. They observe
what “Simon” did and then they did it. A few other examples would be twister and
Simon. In twister you have to put either you left or right foot, or left or right hand on a
certain color. In Simon you have to follow the pattern of colors.
We learn in different ways. Some ways you don’t eve know your learning when
you really are. We learning everyday and every time we make a mistake. We learn by
classical conditioning, operant conditioning and observational learning.