1. A.P. Psychology 6.3 Oct. 25th Objective:
Show understanding of cognitive and observational learning by taking notes and analyzing an article.
Opener
Aside from classical and operant conditioning what other ways can we learn?

2. Thorndike's Puzzle Box: Introduction
Edward Thorndike conducted studies to demonstrate the
Law of effect: When an animal's behavior is rewarded, it is likely to repeat the behavior.
A reenactment shows Edward Thorndike conducting his puzzle box experiments with cats. A hungry cat, placed in the puzzle box and motivated by food just outside the box, learns by trial and error how to escape from the box. The cat escapes faster in each subsequent trial.

3. Thorndike's Puzzle Box: Questions
How does the cat find the way to escape from the box the first time it is placed inside?
Thorndike was most struck by the gradual nature of the cat's learning in these trials. What did this finding indicate about the learning process?
Based on his puzzle box studies, what general conclusion did Thorndike reach about learning?
Discuss some examples of "real-life" trial-and-error learning.
5. Is this an example of Classical or Operant Conditioning?
(c) 2003 Worth Publishers

4. Cognitive Learning
Sometimes we have “flashes of insight” when dealing with a problem where we have been experiencing trial and error.
This type of learning is called cognitive learning, which is explained as changes in mental processes, rather than as changes in behavior alone.

5. Sultan the Chimp

6. Cognitive Maps: Introduction
Cognitive processes—thoughts, perceptions and understandings—are important to learning.
Animals display these cognitive processes through their cognitive maps—their mental representations of the world around them.
They display these mental maps both in the wild as well as in laboratory experiments.
Through use of maze learning, researchers demonstrated that animals learn from experience even without rewards.
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7. Elephants use mental maps to locate water in the desert.
Cognitive Maps
Elephants use mental maps to locate water in the desert.
Video 1
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8. Laboratory rats use mental maps to perform tasks.
Cognitive Maps
Laboratory rats use mental maps to perform tasks.
Video 2
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9. Cognitive Maps: Questions
How do animals’ mental maps contradict some of Skinner’s beliefs about learning?
How did researchers show that rats use cognitive maps?
Do rats learn to use cognitive maps even if they are not rewarded?
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10. Latent Learning

11. What is Observational Learning?
Modeling: Learning by observing and imitating the behavior of others

12. Prosocial vs. Antisocial Behavior
Prosocial Behavior: positive, constructive, and helpful behavior
Prosocial modeling is most effective when actions and words are consistent!

13. Prosocial vs. Antisocial Behavior
Antisocial Behavior: negative, destructive, and hurtful behavior

14. Bandura's Bobo Doll Experiment: Introduction
Not all learning occurs through first-hand experience. In observational learning, we learn by observing and imitating another person's (a model's) behavior.
Children learn many types of social behavior, both prosocial and antisocial, by observing and imitating models. They imitate what a model does and says.
Albert Bandura was the first to conduct controlled experiments on observational learning in children.
(c) 2003 Worth Publishers

15. Bandura's Bobo Doll Experiment
Albert Bandura narrates a video of one his most famous experiments in observational learning. An adult models for a child both aggressive behavior and aggressive language.
(c) 2003 Worth Publishers

16. Bandura's Bobo Doll Experiment: Questions
1. Summarize how Bandura set up his experiment.
2. What role did the control group play in the experiment? What difference in behavior was noted between the control group and the experimental group?
Discuss what this experiment tells us about the possible "cathartic" role of watching people act aggressively.
4. What does the experiment suggest about the effects of violent films and TV shows on children? What factors might affect whether a child imitates aggressive behavior that he or she sees on TV?
(c) 2003 Worth Publishers

17. PARENTESE
Imprinting

18. FASHION TRENDS

19. DANCE CLASSES

20. MOVIES AND TV “And then…”
Did You Know? During their first 18 years, the average United States child spends more time watching TV than they spend in school. By age 75, you will have spent 9 years staring at the television. The average child views 8,000 TV murders and 100,000 other acts of violence before finishing elementary school.

21. NEW JOBS

22. PARENTS FOR ‘RELATIONSHIP SCRIPTS’

23. Media and Violence
Does violence on tv/movies/video games have an impact on the learning of children?
Correlation evidence from over 50 studies shows that observing violence is associated with violent behavior.
In addition, experiment evidence shows that viewers of media violence show a reduction in emotional arousal and distress when they subsequently observe violent acts-a condition known as psychic numbing.

24. Review See Aggression Study article
Summarize the theoretical propositions of this study. (What aspect of human behavior were the researchers interested?
What questions were they trying to answer?):
Describe the methods of study (Summarize how they conducted their research):
Summarize the results of the experiment (Did the researchers find what they expected?) Explain.
Summarize the discussion. (What was the significance of the study? Be sure to include any criticisms directed toward the research).
What subsequent research has been done in this area? Describe any recent applications of this study.

25. Nature v Nurture Socratic Seminar on Thursday
Which has a greater influence on behavior? Nature or Nurture?
Annotate the article, noting connections to the textbook, other sources, class discussion, other classes or personal experience.
Reading Guide checked off Thursday
Crash Courses are Posted
Exam Monday