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Cognitive Learning
Models
Kohler: Insight Learning
• Wolfgang Kohler
– Disenchanted with behaviorists explanation
for learning
– Believed that cognition, or mental processes
must be essential to learning
– Observational studies of chimpanzees
Insight Learning
• Problem – bananas hung outside of
chimp’s reach
– Initial solutions
• Pile up boxes and climb on top
• Use sticks to knock the fruit down
Insight Learning
• Insight learning
– solve complex problems by combining
simpler, previously learned responses
– Problem-solving occurs through sudden
reorganization of perceptions
• Placed bananas higher up – neither
previously learned solutions sufficient to
get the fruit
Insight Learning
• When unable to reach the fruit
– First – threw the sticks away and kicked the
wall
– Later, piled up the boxes, grabbed the stick,
climbed on the boxes and knocked the fruit
down with the stick
– Cannot be explained through either operant or
classical conditioning alone
Kohler’s Chimps
Tolman: Cognitive Maps
• Cognitive maps
– Mental representations or images that help
organisms navigate through the world
• Reinforcement has a greater impact on
performance than on learning
– i.e., reinforcement serves to motivate the
animal to demonstrate what it has learned
Diagram of a Tolman Maze
Cognitive Maps
• Three groups of rats
– 1) No reinforcement
– 2) Reinforced on every trial
– 3) No reinforcement for first ten trials;
reinforced on all subsequent trials
Error Curve
by Day and Food Deprivation
Maze Learning
Food/ Goal
Box
Start
A
B
Cognitive Maps
• Tolman hypothesized that the rats developed
cognitive maps of the maze
– i.e., Visual/spatial Image or representation of physical
space that is used to navigate through the
environment
• Demonstrated latent learning – learning that
takes place in the absence of reinforcement
– reinforcement necessary to demonstrate acquisition
Bandura: Social Learning Theory
• Observational Learning
– Acquisition of behaviors that results from
observation rather than direct experience
– E.g.,
• Children learn do cartwheels and
handstands
• Learn what clothes to wear to fit in (e.g.,
midriffs; low-riser jeans)
• Learn aggressive behavior
Social Learning Theory
• Modeling – imitation and reproduction of
behaviors of models
– Model must be salient (i.e., are attractive,
have high status, and are similar to observer)
– Parents, peers, siblings, celebrities
Social Learning Theory
• Vicarious reinforcement
– Learn about the consequences of a behavior
by observing a model engage in the behavior
and experience consequences
• Outcome Expectancies
– Learned association between a specific
behavior and a specific consequence OR
– Belief about the consequences of our
behavior
Social Learning Theory
• Outcome expectancies
– Alcohol makes me relaxed and sociable
– Wearing brown polyester will make me a
social outcast
– If I study for the exam, I will get a good grade
– If I eat those cookies, I will feel good
– Having sex without a condom will result in
enhanced pleasure
Social Learning Theory
• Positive outcome expectancies
– Belief that the behavior will result in
reinforcing or rewarding outcomes
• Negative outcome expectancies
– Belief that the behavior will result in punishing
or negative outcomes
Social Learning Theory
• Expectancies influence subsequent
behavior
– Positive expectancy (i.e., belief that behavior
results in reinforcing outcomes) engage in
or repeat behavior
– Negative expectancy (i.e., belief that behavior
results in punishing outcomes)  avoid or
discontinue behavior
Aggressive Behavior
• Children observed a model behave
aggressively toward the BOBO doll
– Were more likely to behave aggressively
when given the opportunity to play with the
BOBO doll
– Especially when the model was reinforced for
his/her aggressive behavior