* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download What is Learning?
Survey
Document related concepts
Applied behavior analysis wikipedia , lookup
Neuroeconomics wikipedia , lookup
Theory of planned behavior wikipedia , lookup
Educational psychology wikipedia , lookup
Behavioral modernity wikipedia , lookup
Theory of reasoned action wikipedia , lookup
Attribution (psychology) wikipedia , lookup
Thin-slicing wikipedia , lookup
Behavior analysis of child development wikipedia , lookup
Abnormal psychology wikipedia , lookup
Behaviorism wikipedia , lookup
Counterproductive work behavior wikipedia , lookup
Operant conditioning wikipedia , lookup
Learning theory (education) wikipedia , lookup
Transcript
What is Learning? Chapter 1 1 Learning “To gain knowledge, comprehension, or mastery through experience or study” (American Heritage Dictionary). The terms knowledge, comprehension, or mastery are vague (Hergenhahn & Olson, 2004). 2 Learning: Psychology Learning simply refers to changes in observable and potential behavior. But before we get into the details of how psychology looks at learning let us study kinds of behavior. 3 1 Kinds of Behaviors There are two kinds of behaviors; innate (unlearnt, inherited, genetically controlled) and learnt (practiced, experienced, reinforced) behaviors. Behavior Innate Learnt 4 Innate Behaviors Innate or unlearnt behaviors are inflexible, preprogrammed, genetically determined and controlled by our biology. Innate Behaviors/Mechanisms Homeostatic Mechanisms Tropic behaviors Sensory Adaptation Reflexes Sensory Potentiation Instincts 5 Homeostatic Mechanisms Mechanisms (not really behaviors) that keep many physiological functions like body temperature, pH balance, blood glucose levels, stabilized. These mechanisms optimize body’s internal environment when changes in the external environment take place. 6 2 Sensory Adaptation Sensory adaptation refers to lowered responsiveness (in receptors) due to continued and prolonged stimulation. Band aid’s itchiness on your skin does not last long. Receptors (Meissner’s corpuscles) in the skin quickly adapt to prolonged stimulation from the band aid and make you unaware of its presence. static.howstuffworks.com 7 Sensory Potentiation Sensory potentiation refers to heightened responsiveness due to increased sensitivity in receptors. Rubbing sandpaper on his fingers a thief increases receptor sensitivity, thus heightens his responsiveness to crack open a safe. www.nancyricaschiff.com 8 Tropic Behavior Tropic (taxic) behaviors refer to organism’s orientation to a direction. Fish engage in rheotropic behaviors to move upstream to their spawning grounds. Sunflowers trace the sun in the sky using heliotropic behavior. www.redorbit.com i.pbase.com 9 3 Reflex Behaviors An involuntary reaction (behavioral, skeletal, and glandular) to a specific stimulus. Sneezing, knee jerk, and salivary reflex are examples of reflexes. img.tfd.com 10 Instinctive Behaviors Instincts are complex pre-programmed genetically controlled behaviors also called Fixed Action Pattern (FAP). Migration and nest building, are but some examples. i.pbase.com www.paulnoll.com 11 Characteristics of Instincts 1. Instincts are under innate genetic control. All geese roll the egg in the same way. 2. Instincts require little or no feedback. If hatchlings are lost, dominant “paternal instinct” leads cardinal to feed gapping minnows. www.cerebromente.org.br www.cerebromente.org.br 12 4 Characteristics of Instincts 3. Instincts can be triggered by stimulating brain “trigger” cells. 4. Instincts require coordination of many muscles thus more complex than simple reflex actions. www.dkimages.com 13 Instincts in Humans Humans also show many instinctive behaviors, e.g., smiling, crying, frowning, kissing, cuddling and aggressive behaviors. Included in these is the the “Eyebrow-flash” during smiling (Eibl-Eibesfeldt & Hass, 1972; 1990). erl.ornithol.mpg.de 14 Learnt Behaviors Learnt behaviors are flexible, change over development or time, are interactive with environment and based on experience. Learnt Behaviors Habituation Conditioning Sensitization Observational learning Imprinting Insightful learning 15 5 Habituation When organisms become less responsive to continued stimulation with changes in the central nervous system or nerve ganglia it is termed as habituation. A dog may habituate to a sudden loud sound if it continually occurs. 16 Sensitization A process that makes the animal more responsive to certain stimuli. This heightened responsiveness produces change in the nervous system. A cat may not respond to a light, but may become sensitive to it when paired with shock. 17 Differences AdaptationPotentiation HabituationSensitization Receptors Central Nervous System Peripheral Process Central Process Unlearnt Responsiveness Learnt Behavior 18 6 Imprinting Imprinting is a process that modifies instinctive behaviors. Includes filial (following mother or a substitute) and sexual (courting member of another specie) imprinting. Konrad Lorenz and filial imprinting (1938) Konrad Lorenz and sexual imprinting (1938) 19 Classical Conditioning Modification of reflex behaviors through an association of neutral stimuli with biologically significant stimuli in eliciting the response. Discovered by Pavlov (1895). www.sott.net 20 Operant Conditioning A learning process in which animals and humans shape their actions to receive reinforcements. Pioneered by Thorndike (1913), elaborated by Skinner (1930). www.scottsdalecc.edu 21 7 Observational Learning Observational learning or modeling refers to behaviors that are learnt by observing others (Bandura, 1960s). Present in both humans and animals. 22 Insightful Learning Refers to learning that involves problem solving. Present in humans and animals, early animal studies were conducted by Wolfgang Köhler (1925). 23 Differences in Behaviors Unlearnt Behaviors Learnt Behaviors Homeostatic Mechanisms Adaptation and Potentiation Habituation and Sensitization Instincts Imprinting Reflex actions Classical Conditioning Operant Conditioning Observational Learning Insightful Learning 24 8 Learning: Psychology The philosophers of epistemology were also interested in learning (knowledge) especially how it was acquired. However, for psychologists, learning is a relatively permanent change in behavior or behavior potentiality that occurs as a result of experience and/or practice that is reinforced (Kimble, 1961). Let us look at this definition more closely. 25 Aspects of the Definition 1. Learning leads to change in behavior or behavior potential. 2. This change is relatively permanent. 3. Requires experience or practice 4. Must be reinforced. 26 Change in Behavior Learning cannot be observed directly, because it is most likely a brain (or mental) process. So we make observations and measurements of learning indirectly, through change in behavior. Stimulus Organism Initial Behavior Behavior Changed Learning This idea is largely Skinnerian. 27 9 Behavior Potential Most other investigators think that learning is the change in behavior potential that can be expressed as behavior anytime. Organism Stimulus Potential Change Behavior Learning 28 Relatively Permanent Learning is relatively permanent. But it seems contrary to what we generally experience as forgetting in our everyday life. 29 Relatively Permanent How long does the behavior need to last before it can be ascribed as learning? Clearly some behavior changes are transient, are not based on learning, and caused by fatigue, arousal and motivation. Other behavior changes not lasting long, like short-term memory, are called learning. 30 10 Requires Practice Learning improves with practice, generally referred to as effortful learning. This was a major theme behind formal discipline. 22 Learning 18 14 10 6 2 -2 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 Practice Trial 31 Requires Experience Many other forms of learning simply require experience. Learning by exploration, learning implicitly as opposed to learning by practice. Tolman (1925) showed that animals learn mazes by exploring them. 32 Requires Reinforcement Reinforcement leads to learning e.g., rats in an operant chamber learn to press the lever if reinforced with food. However, many organisms learn without reinforcement (vicariously) simply by watching others. Bandura (1960s) observed that children learn to hit a bobo doll when they saw an adult hit the doll. 33 11 Why study learning? 1. Most human and many animal behaviors are learnt. Since learnt behaviors are flexible, dynamic and ever changing, these provide better chances of survival compared inflexible innate (unlearnt) behaviors. 2. Learning is an important component of child development. 3. Learning process is integral to the educational system. 34 Questions 4. Give the Kimble’s definition of learning. Elucidate the definition and problems associated with this definition. 5. Describe different learnt and unlearnt behaviors. 6. Explain why is it important to study learning? Why is learning important to survival? 35 12