Chapter 5 defines learning as a relatively permanent change in behavior brought about by experience. To understand what learning is you must distinguish between performance changes due to maturation and changes brought about by experience. Similarly you must distinguish short-term changes in behavior due to factors other than learning, such as declines in performance resulting from fatigue or lack of effort, from performance changes due to actual learning.
Some psychologists have approached learning by considering learning as simply any change in behavior.
This chapter first examines the type of learning that explains responses ranging from a dog salivating when it hears the can opener to the emotions we feel when our national anthem is played. Then theories that consider how learning is a consequence of rewarding circumstances are examined. Finally, approaches that focus on the cognitive aspects of learning are reviewed.
To further investigate the topics covered in this chapter, you can visit the related websites by visiting the following link: http://www.mhhe.com/feldmaness5-05links.
Prologue: A Friend Named Ike
Looking Ahead
Section 1: Classical Conditioning
The Basics of Classical Conditioning
Applying Conditioning Principles to Human Behavior
Extinction
Generalization and Discrimination
Beyond Traditional Classical Conditioning: Challenging Basic Assumptions
Section 2: Operant Conditioning
Thorndike's Law of Effect
The Basics of Operant Conditioning
Positive Reinforcers, Negative Reinforcers, and Punishment
The Pros and Cons of Punishment: Why Reinforcement Beats Punishment
Schedules of Reinforcement: Timing Life's Rewards
Discrimination and Generalization in Operant Conditioning
Superstitious Behavior
Shaping: Reinforcing What Doesn't Come Naturally
Biological Constraints on Learning: You Can't Teach an Old Dog Just Any Trick
Psychology at Work: Lynne Calero,
Dolphin Researcher
Section 3: Cognitive-Social Approaches to Learning
Latent Learning
Observational Learning: Learning Through Imitation
Violence on Television and in Movies: Does the Media's Message Matter?
Applying Psychology in the 21st Century: Does
Virtual Aggression Lead to Actual Aggression?
Exploring Diversity: Does Culture Influence How We
Learn?
The Unresolved Controversy of Cognitive-Social Learning Theory
Becoming an Informed Consumer of Psychology: Using
Behavior Analysis and Behavior Modification
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