Download Theories of Human Behavior Objectives

Theories of Human Behavior – Wryobeck
Objectives
1. Differentiate among the basic approach to learning form each of the
theories presented (compare and contrast).
a. Freud’s Theory of Mind:
i. Unconscious, Instinct Based
ii. Id: unconscious, biologic urges (hunger, thirst, sexuality);
pleasure principle; primary process thinking is illogical
(associated with primitive drives)
iii. Superego: pre-conscious and conscious; promotes guilt,
shame, embarrassment, pride; NOT bound by reality (high
standard)
iv. Ego: pre-conscious and conscious; reality principle
(constrains id to reality); negotiates between id and
superego; secondary process thinking (logical, mature, delays
gratification); functions include the defenses
1.
b. Behaviorism:
i. Associative Drive Based, when events occur closely in time,
they will be associated with one another
ii. Classical Conditioning Theory:
1. Behaviors involved are elicited by stimuli which come
BEFORE the behavior
2. Acquisition: conditioned response acquired after a
number of trials
3. Extinction: if pairing of unconditioned stimulus and
conditioned stimulus cease, extinction eventually
occurs
4. Spontaneous Recovery: at some point, conditioned
stimulus may generate conditioned response
randomly
5. Stimulus Generalization: similar stimulus to
conditioned stimulus generates conditioned response;
example, phone ringing generates salivation (similar
to bell)
6. Higher-order conditioning: stimulus associated with
the conditioned stimulus becomes a conditioned
stimulus itself; example, light associated with bell
starts to elicit salivation
iii. Operant Conditioning Theory: learning to make or withhold a
certain response because of its consequences
1. Behaviors are voluntarily emitted; behaviors involved
are elicited by what comes AFTER behavior
2. Reinforcement: strengthens behavior (more likely to
occur again)
a. Positive: reward, something of value is ADDED
or given to the person; example: buying a
winning lottery ticket
b. Negative: relief, something annoying or
aversive is removed; example, fasten seatbelt
and buzz turns off
3. Punishment: weakens behavior (less likely to occur
again)
a. Positive: pain/discomfort; something adverse is
ADDED; example: puppy peeing slapped with
paper
b. Negative: LOSS of something; example: teen
grounded for smoking
c. Problems: behavior is not forgotten, it is
suppressed and returns with punishment is no
longer present; creates fear; only tells you what
NOT to do, not what TO do.
c. Social Learning:
i. Observation Based
ii. Role model demonstrates behavior, perceived by learner to
be reinforced (or not)  processing and representing in
memory  cognitive activity, motivated to perform (or not)
iii. Reciprocal Determinism: interaction of individual and their
environment; behavior is influenced by environment and can
impact the environment
iv. Behavior not just result of past reinforcement but due to
anticipated future reinforcement (cognitive process); tend to
model behaviors that are seen to have a positive outcome
v. Vicarious reinforcement: observing happy, wealthy physicians
results in your behavior (study, sacrifice) even though you
have not experienced reward yourself
2.
3.
4.
5.
vi. Examples: support groups to model healthy life (AA); car
accident victim anticipates monetary rewards for pain
complaints and files disability claim  less active which
weakens muscles and causes more pain.
Define the constructs, know the vocabulary of each theory.
Identify the theory at work in a given learning/problem scenario.
Define transference and counter-transference and how they might affect
the doctor/patient relationship.
a. Transference: occurs within a doctor/patient relationship;
displacement of one’s feelings and fantasies onto another, occurs
due to personal unconscious needs and conflicts
i. Patients attributes expectations and sentiments to doctor
that they are unaware of
ii. Example: patient talks and acts towards you as
granddaughter
iii. **NOT A DEFENSE**
b. Counter-transference: uncontrolled response of doctor to the
patient’s transference
i. Usually happens when doctor does not come to terms with
his/her own emotional baggage
ii. Example: responds with disgust when patient cries because
doctor’s parent always used tears to manipulate
iii. **NOT A DEFENSE**
Identify psychiatric/health related disorders/problems that stem from
“classical” and “operant” conditioning.
a. Classical:
i. Girl with lupus receives cyclophosphamide (CP) once per
month but starts to refuse due to side effects. Given cod liver
oil/smell of rose, followed by CP on 6 occasions  start to
see reduced symptoms from smell only eventually.
ii. Conditioned positive emotions with advertising and fetishes
iii. Conditioned negative emotions with phobias and aversions
iv. Conditioned taste aversion: can occur with one pairing of the
taste with a later illness; mere thought of food makes you
nauseous
v. Related to PTSD, assault victims, auto accident victims
b. Operant:
i. Positive reinforcements: healthy eating results in good labs
and feeling better
ii. Negative reinforcement: smoking to reduce anxiety, OCD
(fear of death by germs)
iii. Positive punishment: taking of antabuse results in nausea
when drinking alcohol
iv. Negative punishment: I’m not going to see you until you lose
weight (loss of access)
6. Explain the schedules of reinforcement and give examples of each.
a. Continuous: reinforcing the desired response each time it occurs,
learning AND extinction occur rapidly
i. Vending machine, parking meter
b. Partial: reinforcing a response only part of the time, learning occurs
slowly but resistant to extinction
i. Receive paycheck every 2 weeks
ii. Response based:
1. Fixed ratio: reinforcement occurs after a fixed number
of responses; initial high rate of response, drop off
after reinforcement (bonus for every 10th item sold)
2. Variable ratio: reinforcement occurs after an average
number of responses; resistant to extinction (slot
machines, fishing)
iii. Time based:
1. Fixed interval: reinforcement occurs on first response
after fixed time period has elapsed; increase as time
for reinforce nears; (paycheck)
2. Variable interval: reinforcement occurs on first
response after an average of elapsed time has
elapsed; steady but low response rates; (pop quizzes,
drug tests)
7. Describe the basic principles of social learning theory and how it differs
from Unconscious Instinct and Associate Drive based theories.