LEARNING – CHAPTER 6

1. LEARNING – CHAPTER 6 AP PSYCH

2. LEARNING • A lasting change in behavior or mental processes that results from experience. • Learning allows us to profit from our experiences and gives us an advantage over organisms that rely more on reflexes and instincts.

3. What learning is not… • Reflexes - an action that is performed as a response to a stimulus and without conscious thought • Examples: • Cringing when we feel pain • Jumping at the sound of loud noises • Shivering when we are cold • Producing saliva when we eat food • Blinking to protect our eyes • We can pair reflexes with stimulus that does not usually produce such a response to make a new, learned, connection. – Called Classical Conditioning

4. What learning is not… • Instincts - an innate, typically fixed pattern of behavior in animals in response to certain stimuli. Is influenced by genetics. • Examples: • Mothers protecting children • Mothers nursing children • Birds migrating • Animals mating • REFLEXES AND INSTINCTS ARE NOT LEARNED

5. The long running controversy over learning Behavioral Learning Cognitive Learning Does not always change behavior Does always produce changes in mental activity • Mental processes do not matter • For learning to occur MUST change behavior • Must be able to repeat behaviors to have learned

6. Simple form of behavioral learning • HABITUATION – a decrease in response to a stimulus after repeated presentations.  • Examples: • Living near a railroad track • Living in a city • Sounds in your basement • Squirrels at ISU • Babies to new people • Grandfather clock at Grandmas

7. Complex forms of behavioral learning • Classical Conditioning – connecting two stimuli • Operant Conditioning – associating actions with rewards and punishments