CHAPTER 5 LEARNING AND MEMORY

MS. CELESTE RODERNO-DESINGAO

What is Learning???

Defined as the relatively permanent changes in behavior that results from exposure or practice provided that the behavioural change is not caused by native response tendencies, maturation or temporary states.

Theories of Learning
Classical Conditioning (Associative Learning) Connectionism (Trial and Error Learning) Operant Conditioning (Instrumental Conditioning) Social Learning (Learning by Observation)

Classical Conditioning (Ivan Pavlov)

An accidental discovery by Ivan Pavlovs experiment Terminology: 1. Neutral stimulus (NS) 2. Conditioned Stimulus (CS) 3. Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS) 4. Unconditioned response (UR) 5. Conditioned Response (CR)

Classical Conditioning (Ivan Pavlov)

Stages of Classical Conditioning 1. Before conditioning Stage 1: NS is the Bell ----no response UCS is Food ----salivation (UCR) 2. During conditioning CS is the Bell ----UCS is food ---salivation (UCR) 3. After conditioning CS is the Bell ------------------------- CR is salivation

Classical Conditioning (Ivan Pavlov)

Phenomena about Classical Conditioning 1. Stimulus Generalization occurs when something similar to conditioned stimulus creates the same response 2. Stimulus Discrimination occurs when one new stimulus is too different from our original conditioned stimulus to cause the effect we want. 3. Extinction occurs when the conditioned stimulus is presented a number of times without the unconditioned stimulus. 4. Spontaneous Recovery occurs when there is reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response after a rest period.

Connectionism (Edward Thorndike)

Law of Effect Reinforcement/satisfier Law of Readiness Motivation, preparation and proper mind-set Law of Exercise Practice makes perfect

Operant Conditioning Burrhus F. Skinner

The conceptual framework of B.F. Skinners theory is largely based on Thorndikes Law of Effect
Learning happens when organism operates on something or do something to the environment in order to produce a result

Operant Conditioning Burrhus F. Skinner

Discriminative Stimulus

This stimulus gives the organism the option of whether to respond to it or not. The action

Response

Reinforcement

Is that which increases the probability of a response to the same stimulus.

Discriminative Stimulus (Hunger)

Response (Lever Pressing)

Reinforcement (Food)

Operant Conditioning Burrhus F. Skinner

Types of Reinforcement 1. Positive Reinforcement Which when given increases the probability of a response.
2.

Negative Reinforcement which when removed increases response probabaility. Note: Reinforcement is very important in shaping behavior

Social Learning Albert Bandura

Derived from B.F. Skinners operant conditioning theory Theory of observation and imitation.

4 Conditions that should be present for learning to occur 1. Attention 2. Retention 3. Motor Reproduction

Memory

An active system that receives, stores, organizes, alters and recovers information

Incoming Information

Senses

Selective Process

STM

Rehears al

LTM

There are two types of memory: Short term memory(STM) and Long term memory

Short term Memory

George Miller found that short term memory is limited to only 7-bits of information (2)
STM has seven slots or bins into which separate items can be placed. When all slots are filled, there is no room for new data.

Process/technique to increase capacity to recall more information bits

Recoding
Grouping

of information

Maintenance Rehearsal
STM

appears to weaken and disappear very fast (18-30 seconds), but it can be prolonged by silently repeating it until it is needed.
that links new information with information already in the LTM to make information more meaningful.

Elaborative Rehearsal
Technique

long term Memory

Information in LTM is relatively permanent As new long term memories are formed, older memories are often updated, changed, lost or revised.

long term Memory

Classification of Long Term Memory 1. Skill memory

2.

Memory for doing learned tasks Associated with the lower centre of the brain

Declarative memory

Facts like names, data, address, place, dates and ideas Expressed in symbols and words Associated with the higher brain centre

Division of Declarative Memory

Semantic Memory Mental dictionary of basic knowledge

Episodic Memory Record of personal experiences and life events Easily forgotten than semantic memory.

forgetting
According to Herman Ebbinghaus, forgetting happens very rapidly after learning. Type of memory affect the rate of forgetting

Causes of Forgetting 1. Neural Decay 2. Interference 3. Forgetting is cue-dependent

Mnemonics
Memory aids that help in remembering data accurately. Ways to avoid rote learning or learning by repetition.

Use

mental pictures Make things meaningful Make information familiar Form bizarre, unusual or exaggerated mental .associations