1. Neurobiology and Communication
Unit 3 (the last one!)
Neurobiology and Communication

2. Neurobiology and Communication: Key Areas
Divisions of the nervous system and parts of the brain
Perception and memory
The cells of the nervous system and neurotransmitters at synapses
Communication and social behaviour

3. KA 4: Communication and Social Behaviour
(d) The effect of group behaviour and social influence
(a) The effect of infant attachment, socialisation and learning
Communication and Social Behaviour
(b) The effect of communication
(c) The effect of experience

4. Learning is a change in behaviour as a result of experience.
The repeated use of a motor skill results in a motor pathway being established.
Human behaviour may be learned by observation and imitation.
Reinforcement, shaping and extinction of behaviour as seen in trial and error learning.
Reinforcement is when behaviour patterns that have positive consequences for the individual are likely to be repeated. Shaping is the rewarding of behaviour that approximates to the desired behaviour. Extinction happens when behaviour patterns are not rewarded and so are likely to disappear.
Generalisation and discrimination
Generalisation and discrimination may result in, for example, a child who has been bitten by a dog to fear all dogs (generalisation) or only to fear large dogs (discrimination).
What is learning?
Learning is a change in behaviour as a result of experience.

5. The effect of experience
What effect does practice have on motor skills?
The repeated use of a motor skill results in a motor pathway being established.
This leads to the formation of “motor memory”
Practice improves motor skills
Lack of practice results in the skill becoming ‘rusty’
Learning is a change in behaviour as a result of experience.
The repeated use of a motor skill results in a motor pathway being established.
Human behaviour may be learned by observation and imitation.
Reinforcement, shaping and extinction of behaviour as seen in trial and error learning.
Reinforcement is when behaviour patterns that have positive consequences for the individual are likely to be repeated. Shaping is the rewarding of behaviour that approximates to the desired behaviour. Extinction happens when behaviour patterns are not rewarded and so are likely to disappear.
Generalisation and discrimination
Generalisation and discrimination may result in, for example, a child who has been bitten by a dog to fear all dogs (generalisation) or only to fear large dogs (discrimination).

6. How do we learn? Practice Observation & imitation Trial and error
Watching someone build something and then copying them afterwards
Trial and error

7. How do we learn? Reinforcement Shaping Extinction Generalisation
Discrimination

8. Rats learning that when the lever is pressed a reward (food) is given
Reinforcement
When behaviour patterns that have positive consequences for the individual are likely to be repeated
Rats learning that when the lever is pressed a reward (food) is given

9. The rewarding of behaviour that approximates to the desired behaviour
2. Shaping
The rewarding of behaviour that approximates to the desired behaviour
Animal trainers teaching dolphins to balance balloons on their snouts.
Sheldon shaping Penny (the big abng theory) video clip

10. Supernanny – extinction (video clip)
When behaviour patterns are not rewarded and so are likely to disappear
Rats learning that pressing a lever fails to give food, meaning that they press the lever less and less frequently
Supernanny – extinction (video clip)

11. A child who has been bitten by a dog, now fears all dogs
4. Generalisation
Ability to respond in the same way to many different but related stimuli
A child who has been bitten by a dog, now fears all dogs
5. Discrimination
Ability to distinguish between different but related stimuli and give different responses
A child who has been bitten by a dog, now fears only large dogs