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Behaviorism

Description


Description

Classical (or Respondent or Reflex) Conditioning (Pavlov and Watson)

  • Naturally occurring stimulus and the reflex response are unconditioned - they occur together without training.
  • Naturally occurring stimulus is known as the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) and the naturally occurring response is known as the unconditioned response (UCR.)
  • After training (paring the UCS with the new stimulus), the new stimulus elicits the reflex response.
  • The new stimulus is known as the conditioned stimulus (CS) and the resulting response is known as the conditioned response (CR)

Instrumental Conditioning (Thorndike)

  • Conditioning of known voluntary behaviors to new stimuli
  • Discovery learning

Laws of Learning (Thorndike)

  • Law of Exercise - Associations are strengthened with practice. Repetition of the experience increased the probability of a correct response.
  • Law of Effect - Associations are only made when the consequences of behavior are satisfying. (Annoying consequences weakens associations)
  • Law of Transfer (Associative Shifting) - Conditioned behaviors will occur under similar stimulus conditions.
  • Law of Readiness - The impulse to do something within ability level is satisfying; when unwanted or unable is annoying. In other words, The execution of an action in response to a strong impulse is satisfying, whereas the blocking of that action or forcing it under other conditions is annoying.

Operant Conditioning (Skinner)

  • Complex responses result in consequences that alter future behavior - these behaviors are called operants.
  • Key to understanding operant behaviors was Thorndike's law of effect identified three essential components for behavioral change

1. The occasion in which the response occurs
2. The subject's response
3. The reinforcing consequences.

  • These three components of learning are described as the discriminative stimulus (SD), the response (R) and the reinforcing stimulus (Sreinf). SD - R - Sreinf
  • Four types of Reinforcers: Positive, Negative, Punishment Type I, Punishment Type II.
  • Two Schedules of Reinforcement: Interval (fixed or variable), which is based on time, and Variable Ratio, which is based on response.

 


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