Learning theory

Ivan Pavlov

• Anatomist, original interest in dog's digestive system 
  
• Looked at how much dog's salivate when the see food 
• 1. before conditioning 
• - food (UCS) = salivate (UCR)
• 2. before conditioning
• - tuning fork (NS) = no salivation (UCR)
• 3. during conditioning 
• - tuning fork (NS) + food = salivate (UCR)
• 4. after conditioning 
• - tuning fork (CS) = salivate (CR) 
• == classical conditioning (learning through association) 

John B. Watson  

• Radical Behaviourism was his central idea 
• Demonstrated that human emotional responses can be manipulated using classical conditioning, most famous for 'Little Albert'
• Albert initially displayed no fear of lab rats, but produced a fear response to a loud bang
• Albert reached for rat as the noise sounded, distressing and scaring him 
• After few repetitions, Albert learnt to fear rat as associated it with feelings of fear, showing how a child can learn an emotional response 
• Fear of white rats was generalised to other similar stimuli 

B.F Skinner 

• Worked with animals, extend Watson's philosophy to include inner states eg. thoughts and feelings, rejected personality as a cause for behaviour
  
• Believed we don't know the real cause of behaviour, in terms of what environmental stimuli triggers specific behaviour 
• Behaviour = consequences = likelihood of behaviour being increased/decreased
• == operant conditioning (learning through consequences)
• Operant conditioning operates via positive or…