Learning: Classical and Operant Conditioning, Cognitive and Social Learning
This domain tests the conditioning vocabulary and the cognitive and social challenges to behaviourism. Expect questions that require labelling the components of a conditioning procedure and distinguishing reinforcement from punishment.
Classical conditioning
Pavlov: food (UCS) produces salivation (UCR); a bell (NS) paired with food becomes a CS producing a CR. Processes: acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalisation, discrimination, higher-order conditioning.
Operant conditioning
Skinner: consequences control behaviour. Positive reinforcement adds a pleasant stimulus; negative reinforcement removes an unpleasant one; both increase behaviour. Punishment decreases behaviour. Schedules: fixed and variable ratio and interval; variable ratio is most resistant to extinction. Shaping reinforces successive approximations.
Cognitive and social learning
- Koehler: insight learning in chimpanzees.
- Tolman: latent learning and cognitive maps.
- Bandura: observational learning, modelling, vicarious reinforcement, self-efficacy.
Worked example
A child is praised for saying please and does so more often. Reasoning: praise is added and the behaviour increases, so this is positive reinforcement. If scolding reduced the behaviour, it would be punishment.
Traps
- Negative reinforcement is not punishment.
- The neutral stimulus becomes a CS only after pairing with the UCS.
- Extinction is not erasure; spontaneous recovery can occur.
- Punishment suppresses behaviour but does not teach the correct response.