PSİKOLOJİ - Deneme Sınavı - 1

Edward Tolman was interested in hidden mental processes. To explore mind, he conducted studies in rats. In his experiments by training rats in a maze, Tolman further developed the ‘latent learning’ phenomenon.

Unlike classical and operant conditioning, Bandura’s social learning theory suggests that it is not necessary to perform any behavior or receive any reinforcer to learn.

Bandura’s Social Learning Theory emphasizes the importance of observation, imitation, memory, and self-reward.

Wolfgang Köhler (1924) conducted experiments on chimpanzees. Köhler hang a banana from the ceiling in a room. There was also a box inside the room. Since the banana was hanging from the ceiling, it was impossible for a chimpanzee to reach the banana. However, after about 5 minutes what the chimpanzee did was amazing. The chimpanzee got the box, placed it properly to stand on it, stepped on it and finally jumped to get the banana. And it got it! After this experience, Köhler suggested that, chimpanzees solve problems in a flash of insight. It is like the ah-ha feeling. So, insight learning is also called ‘ah-ha experience’ because it occurs all of a sudden.

Bandura’s famous Bobo Doll experiment shows that learning a behavior and performing it are two different things, which is an example of the learning–performance distinction. Thus, Bandura’s Social Learning Theory distingushes between learning and performance.

In Bandura’s famous Bobo Doll experiment children watched the model’s aggressive behaviors and learned all behaviors through observation, but they did not choose to perform them until they were reinforced for doing so. This result was interesting because it indicates that learning a behavior and performing it are two different things. This is actually an example of the learning–performance distinction.

In Variable Ratio, the reinforcer is presented after a varying, unpredictable number of responses. For example, on a variable ratio 5 schedule, a rat produces an average of 5 lever presses for each food pellet. In variable ratio schedules, response rate is fast. Slot machines at a gambling casino, buying lottery tickets, and fishing are examples of cases available for this type of schedule.