Behaviorism Blog Post 1 (Deep Reading of the Chapter)
- Discuss a question, confusion, or something you wonder about after reading the chapter (when commenting, look for these questions and answer them)
- When I read Module 9 I was having a hard time with classical conditioning because there is so much to go along with it. And when answering the second blog I kept having to revisit the terms to fully understand the concept but it was easier to understand the more and more I read.
- (Choose one) A behaviorism learning theorist believes that everything can be learned through paired associations. CAN everything be learned in this way? Why or why not?
- When I first read this question my immediate response was that there is no way everything can be learned through paired association. Although after I read module nine my opinion changed to believing that the majority of learning happens does in fact happen through paired association. If you go to a toy store and observe the toys that are for sale you will notice that the majority of them are great representations of paired associations. Many books will not only have a story but also pictures and in some cases even sounds to go along with it. Other toys may have pictures of objects with the word underneath it (example: a picture of an apple with the word "Apple" written underneath). I believe that learning is more efficient when it is taught through paired associations. In such situations as learning to read or write, the paired associations technique may not work as well because there are simply some words or phrases that can not be paired with anything.
Classical conditioning can definitely be confusing. One important thing to remember is that a neutral stimulus has to be given meaning by pairing it with another stimulus that ellicits an unconditioned response. This pairing connects in the mind of the person or animal being conditioned after enough repetition so that they start reacting to the neutral stimulus the same way they would to the stimulus that brings out their unconditioned response.
ReplyDeleteI agree, classical conditioning is very confusing. I have learned about it two times before this time, and I still get confused about it. In my psychology class last semester I learned it in a way, similar to a math problem, that helped me not confused it as much. I learned it like this: an Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) elicits an unconditioned response (UCR), so I would remember UCS-->UCR. Next, a Conditioned stimulus (CS) when paired on a number of trials with the unconditioned stimulus will elicit a conditioned response (CR), so I remembered it like CS + UCS=CR. It was easier for me to think of them as math like equations. Hope that can possibly help you!
ReplyDeleteHopefully this "picture" can help. I find it helpful to take out the extra words and put it into my own life.
ReplyDeleteClassical conditioning is good behavior, prize, good behavior, prize, good behavior, prize ... good behavior without needing a prize.
That's how Pavlov got the dogs to salivate without food when they hear the bell. It was: bell, salivate, food, bell, salivate, food, bell, salivate, food... bell, salivate, no more food needed.
Elementary School: Bad behavior=Pull a card. Good behavior day, get animal cracker at the end of the day, Good behavior day, get animal cracker at the end of the day, Good behavior day, get animal cracker at the end of the day, Good behavior day, no longer need animal cracker at the end of the day as a reward.
I do agree that most things can be learned through paired association, but I think it's more efficient to learn things through other ways as well. I can't think if a way to teach music through paired association.
ReplyDeleteIt's really not as important that you understand the distinction between classical and operant conditioning, but that you understand the general dynamics and what that means for learning.
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting that you have become a behaviorism fan, and wonder if you'll change once we go through the other parts of this section. Of course, everything can be learned in multiple ways, and sometimes learning something in its complexity (and then discussing simple parts of the concept) may have its benefits.
You say that word learning would be an exception, but I've always thought it is one place where behaviorism might be most useful. Children learn words (written words) through memorization and not much else. So, associating a particular meaning, story, picture, or feeling, with a written word (a symbol) can be pretty helpful. Of course, there are constructivist explanations for this same thing, saying that they are connecting to past experience....