WEEK 5

REPORT ON CHAPTER 5 : LEARNING

What I learned in this week’s chapter (Learning) is that, it refers to the change
of behaviour or knowledge from experiences. Learning includes the acquisition of
knowledge and skills, and also forms temperaments such as producing emotional
responses for instance fear. Most of our behaviors are the result of learning processes .

To better understand the learning process, we need to know the difference

between a change occurring due to maturity or experience. Changes due to maturity
do not require training. For example a young child increases his height because his
bones grow as a result of maturity instead of training. In this chapter, attitude is
learned through various of methods, which are Classical conditioning, Operant
conditioning, Cognitive conditioning, and Observation.

Classical conditioning also known as Pavlovian conditioning is a basic form of

learning in which organism involuntarily learns to associate stimulus. A previously
neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditioned response that is identical or similar to
the unconditioned response. Pavlov’s experiment, the role of saliva in the process of
digestion in dogs , when he discovers what he calls "psychic reflection". He found the
dog studied had released saliva before food was given. For example, the dog will emit
saliva simply by hearing the sound of bell rung by worker that is carrying food.

The perceived relationship between saliva and food is a completely natural,

association that is not studied, that is, it does not have to be produced by the enzyme.
So, the unconditioned stimulus (US) is a stimulus that produces unconditioned
response (UR) without any enzyme. In this study, there are four components of
classical conditioning which are, US, UR, Conditioned stimulus (CS) and
Conditioned response (CR). US is, any stimulus that causes a reflex or emotional
response without any learning or conditioning required. For UR, it is a reflex response
evoked by a stimulus without any learning required. As for the CS, it is a previously
neutral stimulus that, through conditioning, now causes a classically conditioned
response. CR is a learned response to a previously neutral stimulus that has been
associated with the stimulus through repeated pairings.

For instance, when a boy first see a KFC restaurant (that act as NS) ,there will
be no responses. But when he eat or tastes the fried chicken form the restaurant, UCR
will occur which is the salivation process. During the conditioning process, the KFC
restaurant (NS) together with the fried chicken (UCS) will cause the UCR which is
the salivation. Then, after the conditioning process, when the boy see the KFC
restaurant (CS), he will automatically salivate (CR).

There are also a few phases of classical conditioning which are, Extinction,
Spontaneous recovery, Stimulus generalization, and Stimulus discrimination.
Extinction is when the gradual suppression of a behaviour or a response that occurs
when a CS is repeatedly presented without the US with which it had been previously
associated. For instance the bell sound itself will not be able to make the dog to
salivate without the food. Next, Spontaneous recovery is when a CR that had been
extinguished spontaneously reappears. For example, the dog still salivate a little bit.
This shows that the process is still exist and not extinct . Stimulus generalization is
 when the occurrence of a learned response not only to the original stimulus but
also to other similar stimulus. For example, when someone had an experience being
chased by a dog, he or she will automatically be afraid or frightened when he or she
sees a dog in front them. Stimulus discrimination, the occurrence of learned response
to a specific stimulus but not to other similar stimulus (only the CS elicits the CR). As
an example, a child who always run around to the door when they hear the sound of a
car, despite the noise of the next door neighbor's car. He thought his mother was
returning home, but over time the child would be able to distinguish between the
sound of his mother's car and the sound of another car.

Operant conditioning (OC) is the second type of conditioning. OC was

originally investigated by Edward Thorndike (puzzle box) and later by B.F Skinner
and occurs when people or animals learn by the consequences of their responses.
These consequences may consist of either reinforcement or punishment. The
Principles of Operant conditioning which is Reinforcement consist of two different
aspects, which are, Positive reinforcement (PR) and Negative reinforcement (NR). PR
occurs when something is added to increase the response rate for instance, parents set
the time limit for their son to come back home before the sun sets. While NR is
different from punishment, it occurs when something is removed in order to increase
the response rates, for example, parents take away their son’s car key to prevent their
son to go out at night.

There are several kinds of schedules of reinforcement which are Continuous

(reinforce each response) and Partial (reinforce some, but not all responses). The four
forms of partial schedules of reinforcements are Fixed ratio, Fixed interval, Variable
ratio, and Variable interval.

Applied Behaviour Analysis (Behaviour Modification) is the us of operant

conditioning techniques to bring about desired changes in behaviour. Modern form for
a form of behaviour modification that uses shaping techniques to mold a desired
behaviour or response. For example, giving rewards to staff who can complete their
work with great quality (PR) or apply silent treatment to someone who like to talk
much (NR). Shaping is the reinforcement of simple steps in behaviour that lead to a
desired, more complex behaviour. Successive approximations, small steps in
behaviour, one after the other, that lead to a particular goal behaviour. For instance,
like a guide dog that is trained to help the disabled people in everyday life.

Punishment, is anything that is likely to cause a decrease in the response.

There are two types of punishments, Positive (occurs when something is given to
decrease the response rate) for example, you were asked to recite the school vision
because you were late to school, and Negative (consist of removing something to
decrease the response rate) for instance, you are not allowed to enter the church with
an eye-catching attire. To make punishment more effective, punishment should
immediately follow the behaviour, punishment should be consistent, and punishment
of the wrong behaviour should be paired.

Insight is the sudden perception of relationships among various parts of a

problem, allowing the solution to the problem to come quickly. It also refers to a clear
perception of the nature of a complex situation or problem. It cannot be gained
through trial-and-error learning alone. To be exact, the “Aha” moment. There is also
the term ‘latent learning’ or hidden learning,k experimented by Edward Tolman as the
best-known experiments in learning. Observational learning consists of four processes
that involved in learning through observations. Firstly is attend to the model. Next is
remembered the model behaviour. Thirdly, be able to put into practice (what was
observed), and lastly decide whether we want to repeat the modeled behaviour. For
example the experiment “Seligman Depressed Dog : Learned Helplessness (Positive
Psychology)”.

In conclusion, learning is a process that allows us to adapt to the changing

conditions of the world around us. We can alter our behaviour that leads us to survival
and rewards.