INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY

SOC 1054

LEARNING AND COGNITION

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT

Prepared by:

KHAIRUN AMNA NAFEESA BINTI ROSLI

KMK2301164
FE3

Prepared for:
NOOR FAREHAH BINTI ALIAS
 QUESTION 1
Learning is relatively permanent change in behavior that is the result of experience. To
simplify, when people learned anything in their daily life, some parts of their brain will record
and process what they experienced and stored them in their memory. Learning can occur
through both unconscious and conscious pathways. Furthermore, learning involves a
behavioral change which either be better or worse and this behavioral change should take
place as a result of practice and experience of pleasant or unpleasant scenarios.

Classical and operant conditioning are two main concepts in behavioral psychology.

Type of learning Classical conditioning Operant conditioning

Type of action Involuntary Voluntary
Type of response Reflex response Based on consequences due to
reinforcement / punishment

Explanation for each differences:

Classical conditioning is a procedure in which a specific neutral stimulus is presented to a

human or an animal, eliciting an involuntary response referred to as a reflex. This process
has already been examined by two behaviorists, namely Ivan Pavlov and J.B. Watson.
Pavlov's canine experiment demonstrated that initially, when he rang the bell, there was no
reaction; however, when he introduced food, the dog began to salivate. Subsequently, he
paired the bell with food, causing the dog to salivate in response to the bell alone. This is
because the dog has now associated the sound of the bell with the arrival of food.

In this scenario, prior to conditioning, the bell is considered a neutral stimulus as it had no
impact. The food is an unconditioned stimulus, which is a naturally occurring stimulus. The
salivation in response to the food is an unconditioned response, an automatic and
involuntary reaction. Throughout the conditioning process, the bell is repeatedly paired with
food, causing the dog to salivate. Consequently, the dog learns that the sound of the bell
predicts the presence of food. Thus, the bell transforms into a conditioned stimulus.
Consequently, whenever the dog hears the sound of the bell, it will salivate. This salivation is
now a conditioned response to the conditioned stimulus, as it has been learned through
association.
 Operant conditioning is a procedure wherein a stimulus is introduced to a human or an
animal, leading to a voluntary reaction. It was first described by B.F.Skinner and was stated
as a process of learning to increase or decrease a voluntary behavior of an organism using
reinforcement or punishment.This implies that individuals or creatures can make a conscious
decision regarding whether they wish to engage in a particular action based on the outcomes
of either enjoyable or undesirable results. Thorndike's Law of Effect posits that if a response
is followed by a gratifying outcome, it is likely to be replicated, whereas if a response is
followed by an undesirable outcome, it is unlikely to be repeated. The gratifying outcomes
are termed reinforcements, which are further categorized as positive and negative
reinforcements, while the unpleasant outcomes are referred to as punishments, which are
also categorized into positive and negative punishments.

Both types of conditioning contribute to the process of learning and encourage an organism
to adapt to their environment.
 QUESTION 3

Describe two examples of classical conditioning that you have seen in your own
behaviour, or that of your friends or family, in the past days.

- Explanation must include elements of classical conditioning (NS, UCS, UCR, CR)

Answer :

Classical conditioning is a process of learning based on involuntary and natural behaviour that
ones can undergo in their daily life. During the past few days, I have witnessed and
experienced few situations that involves classical conditioning towards me and my friends.

Example 1:

Before conditioning
When I first entered college, my roommate and I decided to go for a walk around the college.
As we passed by a particular house near the college, we saw a dog staring at us from the yard
of the house. The other day, I got chased by a dog that barked loudly in the yard of the same
house and I got scared and run as fast as I can.
During conditioning
Last week, I still remembered I was being chased by a dog that barked loudly in the yard
every time I went around the street near the particular house. I couldn’t deny that it was a
frightening experience and I remembered myself crying last time. While we were enjoying our
walk, we heard a bark and I got scared and start to run as fast as I can.
After conditioning
In addition ,last Saturday evening, when both of us were doing our evening walk,we decided to
not walk passed the house because we were too scared to encounter the dog again.

NS : House
UCS: Dog barking
UCR : Run
CR : Run and not walk passed the house
 QUESTION 3

Example 2 :
Before conditioning
Last two weeks,I went to Kulim Central with my friends . As we were lingering around the mall,
we stopped by the information centre to survey the shops there. I saw the KFC restaurant sign
but I didn’t feel hungry at thaf time. But as we walked passed the KFC restaurant,the smell of
the freshly-cooked fried chicken have stimulate the feeling of hunger along with our growling
stomach. Unfortunately,we didn’t get to eat there because we have to get into college early.
During conditioning
As I went back home during holidays, my dad stopped by gas station and I saw KFC restaurant
logo.I instantly felt hungry. I went there and I bought fried chicken and cheezy wedges.The
next few day,my sister and I ordered KFC Nasi Lemak through Grab food and we ate it
together.
After conditioning
Last Saturday,when I saw a KFC advertisement on Youtube, it causes me to remember all
those scrumptious KFC meal and stimulate the feeling of hunger.

NS : KFC restaurant sign

UCS: Smell of fried chicken
UCR : Hungry
CR : Hungry
 QUESTION 3

Describe two examples of operant conditioning that you have seen in your own
behaviour, or that of your friends or family, in the past days.

- Explanation must state the type of reinforcement/punishment used (positive/negative

reinforcement, positive/negative punishment).
- Explanation must state the pleasant/unpleasant stimulus being added/removed.

Answer 1 :

Type of reinforcement/punishment: Negative reinforcement

Definition: Reinforcement of a response by the removal of unpleasant stimulus to

increase/maintain behaviour.

Last week ,when my friends and I get to into our Grab car to go to Kulim Central, one of my
friends had to seat at the front seat beside the Grab driver, she forgot to fasten her seatbelt
when she get into the car .Therefore, before the car starts moving, there was a loud
“beep,beep,beep” sound due to the seatbelt systems of the car. My friend quickly fasten her
seatbelt to stop the annoying sound. The annoying beep sound was the unpleasant stimulus
that she wants to remove .The car makes this beeping noise in order to increase the likelihood
of buckling her seatbelt in the future.

Answer 2 :

Type of reinforcement/punishment: Positive punishment

Definition: Behavior is punished by the addition or experiencing of an unpleasant stimulus to
decrease behaviour.

When my friends and I were walking around the mall,we saw a child was throwing a
tantrum.He started to throw all of his toys on the ground and did not want to pick the toys
up.His parents told him to pick the toys back. We could hear that his father was scolding him
for being misbehave in public.Subsequently ,he started crying and he quickly pick up his toys
back. From this situation , we could identify scolding as an unpleasant stimulus that was
added in order to decrease the frequency of being misbehaved in public in the future.
QUESTION 3