Learning and Cognition Relationship - Literature review Example

Discipline-Based Literature Review

Asia T. Steele

PSY 620 Learning and Cognition

Dr. Kendra Jackson

11/27/2017

Introduction

What is the relationship between learning and cognition? What is the connection between the two in relations to classical and operant conditioning, behaviorism, and social learning theory? You really cannot have one without the others. This introduction to the subjects explains the differences between the two, and how they complement each other, as well as reviewing theorist behind them. For many all four subjects may seem the same, but they all value in difference. Take for instance Social learning theory and classical conditioning. They both have similarities such as: Behaviorist theories; learning can occur unintentionally involve learning by positive and negative consequences, require motivation of some kind and involve reinforcement and repetition, form a foundation on which to build more learning but both can lose effectiveness without reinforcement, neither addresses biological factors that might affect learning application (Kirsch & Lynn, 2004).

Look at behaviorism in relations to classical and operant conditioning. All are learned and processed through cognition and develop into a based behavior. Classical condition and operant condition are non-behaviors, but a develop condition in how a behavior starts. Which can be reinforced, consequences (positive & negative), and learning by association. For example Classical conditioning used to be viewed as a type of learning that involves the acquisi-tion of elicited responses (i.e., responses, like the defensive eye blink, that are preceded reliably by an identifiable eliciting stimulus and that are experienced phenomenologi-cally as automatic or reflexive). Similarly, instrumental (operant) conditioning was regardedas a type of learning that involves the acquisition of emitted responses (i.e., responses, like a wink of the eye, that can occur in the absence of reliable or well-defined antecedent stimuli and are experienced as voluntary)- (Kirsch & Lynn, 2004). In this review, I will give a prospective of how learning and cognition is a broad discipline to all four subjects.

Operant conditioning

According to Tittle, Antonaccio, and Botchkovar, (2012), Social Learning, Reinforcement and Crime, Learning theories are among the most popular approaches for explaining the behavior of individuals. Yet, learning theories permit incorporation of structural influences into the socialization process. While learning theories have been applied to many types of behavior, they have been particularly prominent in efforts to explain criminal or deviant conduct. Theorizing about misbehavior early in the past century placed heavy emphasis on family influences that bear on learning while the well-known theory of “differential association” enunciated the idea that criminal behavior is learned. In Skinner work he defines this behavior approach as operant conditioning. Operant conditioning deals with operants - intentional actions that have an effect on the surrounding environment.

Skinner is regarded as the father of Operant Conditioning, but his work was based on Thorndike’s law of effect. Skinner introduced a new term into the Law of Effect - Reinforcement. Behavior which is reinforced tends to be repeated (strengthened); behavior which is not reinforced tends to die out-or be extinguished (weakened). Skinner studied operant conditioning by conducting experiments using animals, which he placed in a 'Skinner Box' or chamber (Staddon, 2014). This experiment was not so much as an ethical approach, but in other essence an ethical concern. According to the APA ethical guidelines: section 8:09

Humane Care and Use of Animals in Research- (b) Psychologists trained in research methods and experienced in the care of laboratory animals supervise all procedures involving animals and are responsible for ensuring appropriate consideration of their comfort, health, and humane treatment (American Psychological Association, 2016). Operant conditioning can be used to explain a wide variety of behaviors, from the process of learning, to addiction and language acquisitions. On the other hand it fails to take into account the role of inherited and cognitive factors in learning, and thus is an incomplete explanation of the learning process in humans and animals. Also, social learning theory Albert Bandura, suggests that humans can learn automatically through observation rather than through personal experience (McLeod, 2015).

Classical conditioning

Classical conditioning used to be viewed as a type of learning that involves the acquisition of elicited responses meaning- to associate an unconditioned stimulus that already brings about a particular response ( a reflex) with a new (conditioned) stimulus, so that the new stimulus brings about the same response( Mcleod, 2013). Ivan Pavlov was the first pioneer to event classical conditioning and evolve it into a type of behavior through associating it with a stimulus. Pavlov did this by presenting a dog with a bowl of food and then measuring its salivary secretions (Unconditioned Stimulus (Food) > Unconditioned Response (Salivate) (Bichler, Zhao, Alibart, Pleutin, Lenfant, Vuillaume, & Gamrat, 2013). He accidentally discovered the neutral stimulus by noticing the same responses from the dog when the dog associated (food) with his lab assistant. This response was called a neutral stimulus (McLeod, 2013; Bichler, et.al, 2013).

Looking into the ethical dilemmas within this theoretical approach one may fine an ethical concern with the experiment in general. Section 2.05 Delegation of Work to Others- “Psychologists who delegate work to employees, supervisees, or research or teaching assistants or who use the services of others, such as interpreters, take reasonable steps to (1) avoid delegating such work to persons who have a multiple relationship with those being served that would likely lead to exploitation or loss of objectivity; (2) authorize only those responsibilities that such persons can be expected to perform competently on the basis of their education, training, or experience, either independently or with the level of supervision being provided; and (3) see that such persons perform these services competently”(American Psychological Association, 2016). The lab assistance in this case my raise an eyebrow, because of his position he played. Not only is the lab assistant position an ethical concern, but the use of the dog for an experiment to. Section- 8.09 Humane Care and Use of Animals in Research- (See page 3) explains the clause”( American Psychological Association, 2016).

According to the article “The role of cognition in classical and operant conditioning”.

Classical conditioning associations are learned during conditioning between a stimuli and responses (Kirsch, & Lynn, 2004). The matter of fact is that classical and operant conditioning stated to be discipline behaviors, but some argue that the conditioning is defined narrowly as types of learning in which S–R associations are formed, one can question whether they exist at all. Another theorist wrote a review title “There is No Convincing Evidence for Operant or Classical Conditioning in Adult Humans” questioning the developmental state of learned behavior relating to humans (Kirsch, & Lynn, 2004).

Behaviorism

One can say behaviorism evolved from learned behavior thru operant conditioning. Neither to say it is a worldview that operates on a principle of “stimulus-response.” Behaviorism emphasizes the role of environmental factors in influencing behavior, to the near exclusion of innate or inherited factors (McLeod, 2007). This amounts essentially to a focus on learning. We learn new behavior through classical or operant conditioning ('learning theory'). Therefore, when we are born our mind is 'tabula rasa' (a blank slate) and behavior is shaped through positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement according to B.F. Skinner (McLeod, 2015). Both positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement increase the probability that the antecedent behavior will happen again. In contrast, punishment (both positive and negative) decreases the likelihood that the antecedent behavior will happen again.

Positive indicates the application of a stimulus and Negative indicates the withholding of a stimulus. Learning is therefore defined as a change in behavior in the learner. Lots of (early) behaviorist work was done with animals (Pavlov’s dogs) and generalized to humans (David, 2007). As mention earlier in the review not all theorist believed the theory behind learned behavior in references to humans. This leads me to the ethical concern of this matter the APA Section 2.03 Maintaining Competence -Psychologists undertake ongoing efforts to develop and maintain their competence. (American Psychological Association, 2016).

Social learning theory

When it comes to SLT Albert Bandura developed his own theory and concluded it behind classical and operant conditioning. Bandura was one of the theorist who did agree with the developments of classical and operant conditioning theories. He concluded his own two important ideas about SLT (Mediating processes occur between stimuli & responses, Behavior is learned from the environment through the process of observational learning). On the contrary social learning theory can be viewed as a discipline because how we learn. As children we learn from our parents or environment and then shape a behavior behind it (Thomas, & Simpson, 2014). SLT is often described as the ‘bridge’ between traditional learning theory and the cognitive approach. Unlike Skinner, Bandura believes that humans are active information processors and think about the relationship between their behavior and its consequences (Thomas, & Simpson, 2014). You have other theorist like Akers who is being regarded by many as the leading theory of criminality.

He develop the concept of the notion that learning occurs as a consequence of a history of rewards and costs associated with given lines of action, with insights about social reinforcements (Tittle, Antonaccio, & Botchkovar, 2012). The ethical ironing behind this approach is the causal processes implied by SLT are relatively rare, and studies bearing on SLT that use random samples of adults in locations not known for social scientific surveys are unusual- APA Section 9.03 Informed Consent in Assessments and 9.05 Test Construction.

Conclusion

In the beginning of the review I asked, “What is the relationship between learning and cognition? What is the connection between the two in relations to classical and operant conditioning, behaviorism, and social learning theory”? According to my review we have learned that none of the discipline subjects can’t function without the other. We know classical and operant conditions works with association, which leads to learning. Cognition help us process the learned association to behaviorism which shapes the behavior into either positive or negative responses thru reinforcement, consequences. Then we have Social learning theory, which is taught or influenced form parenting/ environmental factors. All four discipline are linked together thru learning and cognition. This helps us develop complicities of behaviors.