Learning Approach: How We Learn (and Sometimes, Unlearn)

The learning approach in psychology is all about how we acquire new behaviors and knowledge. It's like a giant toolbox filled with different methods for changing our behavior, and it's used to explain everything from language development to phobias.

#1. Classical Conditioning: Pavlov's Dogs and You

Imagine this: You're at a party, and you hear a song you really like. Suddenly, you feel happy and excited. What if that song played every time you saw your crush? Pretty soon, you'd feel happy just by seeing your crush, even without the song. This is classical conditioning in action!

• Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): The stimulus that automatically triggers a response (the song in our example).
• Unconditioned Response (UCR): The automatic response to the UCS (feeling happy).
• Conditioned Stimulus (CS): A neutral stimulus that becomes associated with the UCS (seeing your crush).
• Conditioned Response (CR): The learned response to the CS (feeling happy just by seeing your crush).

Real-world Example: Think about how a baby learns to associate the sight of their mother's face with the feeling of warmth and comfort.

#2. Operant Conditioning: Rewards and Punishments

Imagine you're playing a video game. You keep trying to complete a level, and each time you get closer, you get a reward (a power-up, points, etc.). Pretty soon, you'll be motivated to keep playing and trying to win. That's operant conditioning!

• Reinforcement: Anything that makes a behavior more likely to happen again.
  • Positive Reinforcement: Adding something good (like a reward) to increase a behavior.
  • Negative Reinforcement: Removing something bad (like a nagging parent) to increase a behavior.
• Punishment: Anything that makes a behavior less likely to happen again.
  • Positive Punishment: Adding something bad (like getting a detention) to decrease a behavior.
  • Negative Punishment: Removing something good (like losing your phone) to decrease a behavior.

Real-world Example: Think about how a student studies more after getting a good grade on a test, or how a dog learns to sit after being rewarded with a treat.

#3. Social Learning: Learning from Others

Have you ever learned a new dance move by watching a friend? Or picked up a new slang word from hearing someone use it? That's social learning! We learn by watching and imitating others.

• Modeling: Observing and imitating the behavior of others.
• Vicarious Reinforcement: Learning by observing the consequences of someone else's behavior.

Real-world Example: We learn how to behave in social situations by watching our parents, friends, and other role models.

Case Study: Saavedra and Silverman (2002): Button Phobia

Saavedra and Silverman (2002) studied a boy named "Peter" who had a fear of buttons. Peter's phobia was so severe that it affected his everyday life, preventing him from dressing himself or even being near buttons.

-How did they use the learning approach?

• They used classical conditioning to help Peter associate buttons with positive experiences.
• They started by exposing Peter to buttons in a safe environment while providing him with rewards (like candy or praise).
• Gradually, they increased the exposure to buttons, making them more prominent and closer to Peter.
• They also used operant conditioning by rewarding Peter for approaching buttons and gradually getting closer to them.

Results: Through consistent exposure and reinforcement, Peter's fear of buttons gradually decreased, and he was able to overcome his phobia.

Key takeaways:

• Learning approaches provide a framework for understanding how we acquire and change our behaviors.
• Classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and social learning are powerful tools that explain a wide range of human behavior.
• Understanding these tools can help us to overcome phobias and other challenges in our lives.