Learning Theories of Psychology

Ivan Pavlov:

1. What was Pavlov actually studying when he developed his theory of classical conditioning?  

A. Pavlov was actually studying the digestive system through the dog’s salivation when he develop his theory of classical conditioning.

2. Explain (in detail) how Pavlov's experiment was conducted.

A. The dogs he used for his experiment were given food after the ringing of the bell. The dogs began associating their food at the ringing of the bell. They then began to salivate knowing the food was coming even though he could not see or smell his food. The dog’s salivation was recorded in surgical tubes in their cheeks where the saliva was stored.

3. Identify the conditioned stimulus, the unconditioned stimulus and the conditioned response from Pavlov's experiment.

A. Conditioned stimulus: the bell; unconditioned stimulus: food; conditions response: salivation for the bell’s sound.       

4. Explain what extinction means in relation to classical conditioning.

A. Extinction is when Pavlov presented the conditioned stimulus without presenting the unconditioned stimulus repetitively.

5. Explain what stimulus generalization means in relation to classical conditioning.

A. Stimulus generalization is when a stimuls that is similar to the conditioned stimulus produces a conditioned response.

6. Explain what stimulus discrimination means in relation to classical conditioning.

A.  Stimulus discrimination is when the new stimulus is very different to the first conditioned stimulus that causes the effect a person wants.

 7. Explain at least two limitations of this experiment.

A. Since the tubes were surgical and Pavlov was forced to alter the glands, it is very difficult to redo the experiment.

8. Explain what Pavlov theorized about how we learn.

A. We learn by responding to a stimulus.

http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/psychology/pavlov.html

http://www.eruptingmind.com/pavlov-classical-conditioning-theory/

http://nobelprize.org/educational/medicine/pavlov/readmore.html

John B. Watson:

1. Explain (in detail) how Watson's "Little Albert" study was conducted.

A.       Watson presented to “Little Albert” furry animals like a white rat to which he reacted happily. Then, Watson presented the animals with a loud noise that made the baby cry. “Little Albert” became scared of the furry animals because he associated them with the loud noise. This is called behaviorism.

2. Identify the conditioned stimulus, the unconditioned stimulus and the conditioned response from Watson's study.

A.       Conditioned stimulus: loud noise; unconditioned stimulus: furry animals; conditions response: scare for the animals.      

3. Explain at least two limitations of this study.

A.       Watson only made the experiment with one child which is not enough evidence and every child has a different reaction. Also, this experiment may not be repeated due to unethical means.

4. Explain Watson's law of frequency.

A.       A stronger association will be created among a response and a stimulus if someone responds often to the stimulus.

5. Explain Watson's law of recency.

A.       The Law of recency states that the response that happened closest to the stimulus is the response that will probably be acquire.

6. Explain the basic assumptions of behaviorism according to Watson.

A.        He theorized that behaviorism can be determined by our environment by behavior and not by mental processes.

http://teachnet.edb.utexas.edu/~Lynda_abbot/Behaviorism.html

Articles About Sleep High School Students With A Delayed School Start Time Sleep Longer, Report Less Daytime Sleepiness

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH A DELAYED SCHOOL START TIME SLEEP LONGER, REPORT LESS DAYTIME SLEEPINESS                                                                                                                     

259 high school students completed the School Sleep Habits Questionnaire by Zaw W. Htwe, MD, from Norwalk Hospital's Sleep Disorders Center in Norwalk in Connecticut. The results of this questionnaire consist of an increase in sleep time in these students which helped them with no problem in school. The school started 40 minutes later than usual (from 7:35am to 8:15am ) which increased 33 minutes in the teenagers sleep time on school nights. In my opinion, schools should start about 40 minutes later as shown in the method so learning is more successful. If students are having problems in school it may be regarding their sleep time and therefore schools should be concerned about a student's health as they care for their learning. 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080609071202.htm

BEING A NIGHT OWL IN HIGH SCHOOL IS LINKED WITH A LOWER COLLEGE GPA:

Many students have been experiencing deterioration in sleep hygiene during their high school and college years. Jennifer Peszka from Hendrix College of Conway, Arkansas made a research with 89 beginning their freshman year in college and other who had finished their freshman year in a liberal arts college. The results were surprising. They consisted on students sleeping 41 minutes less than other classmates and their GPAs were decreasing below a B (evening types) and above a B (morning and intermediate types).  In my opinion, if teachers want to see an academicals improvement in these students, victims of sleep deterioration, they must help them, especially those in evening types who don’t receive the sleep they need by educating them on this issue.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609072813.htm


WHY DOES LACK OF SLEEP AFFECT US DIFFERENTLY? STUDY HINTS IT MAY BE IN OUR GENES:

Namni Goel from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia preformed a study regarding DQB1*0602, a gene variant. 92 healthy adults and 37 adults with the gene variant were held for two nights with 10 hour sleep and five nights with a sleep restriction of 4 hours. The adults with the gene variant had less sleep desire and spent less time sleeping than those without the gene variant during the different nights. Though, people with this gene don’t have narcolepsy (a disorder that causes mayor sleepiness during the day). In my opinion, I think this article is very interesting since I learned that functioning with the time you slept has to do with your genes. I believe that people with the gene variant DQB1*0602 are very special because they can function properly sometimes even though they haven’t had the desire or the time to sleep.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101025161023.htm