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Related Concept Videos

Purposive Learning01:22

Purposive Learning

E. C. Tolman emphasized the purposiveness of behavior — the idea that much of our behavior is goal-directed. For instance, employees who aim for a promotion work diligently to meet their targets. Tolman argued that when classical conditioning and operant conditioning occur, the organism acquires certain expectations. In classical conditioning, a child might fear a dog because they expect it to bite. In operant conditioning, a person might consistently work overtime because they expect a bonus...
Introduction to Learning01:18

Introduction to Learning

Learning is the process of acquiring knowledge or skills through practice or experience, leading to long-lasting behavioral changes. This acquisition occurs through interaction with the environment and requires practice or experience. For instance, mastering a skill such as surfing requires considerable practice and experience, highlighting the essential role of repeated interactions with the environment in learning.
In contrast to learned behaviors, unlearned behaviors such as crying, sexual...
Cognitive Learning01:21

Cognitive Learning

Cognitive learning is based on purposive behavior, incidental learning, and insight learning.
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
Observational Learning01:12

Observational Learning

Albert Bandura's observational learning, also known as imitation or modeling, occurs when a person observes and imitates another's behavior. It is a quicker process than operant conditioning. A well-known example is the Bobo doll study, where children who saw an adult acting aggressively towards the doll were more likely to act aggressively when left alone, compared to those who observed a nonaggressive adult. Many psychologists view observational learning as a form of latent learning because...
Associative Learning01:27

Associative Learning

Associative learning is a fundamental concept in behavioral psychology, wherein a connection is established between two stimuli or events, leading to a learned response. This process is critical in understanding how behaviors are acquired and modified. Conditioning, the mechanism through which associations are formed, can be divided into two main types: classical conditioning and operant conditioning, each elucidating different aspects of associative learning.
Classical conditioning, also known...
Law of Effect01:06

Law of Effect

B.F. Skinner, a prominent figure in behavioral psychology, introduced operant conditioning by emphasizing the role of consequences in shaping behavior. This theory builds upon the law of effect proposed by Edward Thorndike, which posits that behaviors followed by satisfying outcomes are likely to be repeated. In contrast, those followed by unsatisfying outcomes are less likely to recur.
Edward Thorndike's foundational work involved studying learning in animals, particularly using puzzle boxes...

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Related Experiment Video

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Quantifying Learning in Young Infants: Tracking Leg Actions During a Discovery-learning Task
11:18

Quantifying Learning in Young Infants: Tracking Leg Actions During a Discovery-learning Task

Published on: June 1, 2015

Learning at any rate: action-effect learning for stimulus-based actions.

Roland Pfister1, Andrea Kiesel, Joachim Hoffmann

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Röntgenring 11, 97070, Würzburg, Germany. roland_pfister@t-online.de

Psychological Research
|May 22, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Action control modes influence how we use action-effect associations, not how we learn them. This research clarifies the role of intention-based versus stimulus-based modes in forming these associations.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Action-effect associations are crucial for goal-directed behavior.
  • Previous research suggested intention-based action control is necessary for forming these associations.
  • The role of action control modes in the acquisition versus usage of associations remained unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether action control modes moderate the acquisition or usage of action-effect associations.
  • To differentiate the influence of intention-based and stimulus-based action control on learning and applying action-effect contingencies.

Main Methods:

  • Two groups of participants underwent an acquisition phase with either free or forced choice key presses producing contingent effect tones.
  • A subsequent test phase involved participants freely choosing key presses after hearing effect tones.
  • The consistency effect (preference for the key previously linked to an effect) was measured in both groups.

Main Results:

  • A significant consistency effect was observed in both the free and forced choice groups.
  • Participants in both conditions preferred the key previously associated with the effect tone.
  • This indicates that action-effect associations were acquired regardless of the action control mode.

Conclusions:

  • The usage of action-effect associations, but not their acquisition, depends on an intention-based action control mode.
  • Findings suggest that while the learning of action-effect contingencies is flexible, their application in free choice situations relies on intentional control.