1. Operant and Classical Conditioning

2.  Cognition: how we acquire, store, and use knowledge  Learning: A change in knowledge or behaviour as a result of experience We learn a lot within first few years of life Humans rely on learning over instinct We can change our thinking and behaviour to meet new situations

3.  Both study the effects of positive reinforcement (rewards) and punishment on behaviour  Both explain a different type of behaviour Classical Conditioning explains how we learn attitudes, feelings, and basic responses Operant Conditioning explains more complex behaviour

4.  Key Psychologist: Ivan Pavlov  Belief – pleasant or unpleasant reinforcement comes before the desired behaviour Example: Pavlov’s Dog  Meat (reward) – salivates (behaviour)  Candy (reward) – be appropriate (behaviour)

5.  Learning in which a stimulus that does not elicit a given response is repeatedly linked with one that does until the neutral stimulus elicits the response by itself Unconditioned Stimulus (US) – agent that leads to a response without training Unconditioned Response (UR) – automatic response to a US Neutral Stimulus (NS) – agent that initially has no effect Conditioned Stimulus (CS) – a former NS that comes to elicit a given response after pairing it with an US Conditioned Response (CR) – a learned response to CS * The NS always becomes the CS*

6. US – foodUR – salivates US + NS – bellUR – salivates CS – bellCR - salivates

7.  Key Psychologist – B.F. Skinner  Belief – behaviour comes before reinforcement Example – Mouse and lever  Mouse pushes lever (behaviour) to get cheese (reward)  You study hard on test (behaviour) you receive a 4+ (reward)

8.  Learning by watching or imitating models of behaviour that are successful I.e. sports, speaking  Process: 1. Attention 2. Retention 3. Reproduction – convert stored memory into action 4. Motivation- interest in skill to practice  Issue: What is the effect of TV / Video game violence on children?

9.  Understanding or learning which is often sudden like an “aha” experience or “eureka” moment Latent learning occurs Latent learning – the mind works on the problem even though there are no outward signs until the insight reveals itself (AHA!!)

10.  Behaviourist Psychologists (like Pavlov and Skinner) believe we can explain most, if not all, human learning as a form of conditioning – especially operant.  For example, we continue to do things that bring us rewards and avoid things that bring us pain

11.  Disadvantages of Punishment May stop undesired behaviour but does not show the desired behaviour Punishment is attention therefore may be considered a reward Too much punishment causes psychological effects