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Related Concept Videos

Cognitive Learning01:21

Cognitive Learning

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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...
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Punishment01:27

Punishment

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Negative reinforcement and punishment are often confused but serve distinct functions in behavior modification. Reinforcement, whether positive or negative, increases the likelihood of a desired behavior, while punishment decreases it.
Punishment can be positive or negative. Positive punishment involves adding an undesirable stimulus, such as scolding, to decrease a behavior. Negative punishment involves removing a desirable stimulus, such as taking away a favorite toy, to decrease behavior....
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Lazarus's Cognitive Appraisal Theory01:20

Lazarus's Cognitive Appraisal Theory

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Cognitive psychologist Richard Lazarus proposed the cognitive-mediational theory of emotions, which emphasizes how individuals' assessments of stressors significantly affect their experience of stress. According to Lazarus, the stress response is determined by a two-step appraisal process: primary appraisal and secondary appraisal. These cognitive appraisals help individuals evaluate the potential impact of a stressor and determine the adequacy of their coping resources.
Primary Appraisal:...
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Timing and Consequences on Behavior01:08

Timing and Consequences on Behavior

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In operant conditioning, the timing of reinforcement is crucial. For animals like rats and cats, immediate reinforcement (within a few seconds) is much more effective than delayed reinforcement. For example, a food reward for a rat needs to follow within 30 seconds of pressing a bar to be effective. 
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Cognitive Theories: Lazarus Mediational Theory of Emotion01:17

Cognitive Theories: Lazarus Mediational Theory of Emotion

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Richard Lazarus' cognitive mediational theory highlights the pivotal role of cognitive appraisal in shaping emotional responses. According to this theory, the evaluation of a stimulus — based on personal values, goals, beliefs, and expectations — mediates the emotional response. This appraisal process is immediate and often occurs unconsciously, influencing the intensity and nature of the resulting emotion.
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Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness01:14

Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness

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Avoidance learning and learned helplessness are critical concepts in understanding behavioral responses to negative stimuli.
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...
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A cognitive pathway to punishment insensitivity.

Philip Jean-Richard-Dit-Bressel1, Jessica C Lee1, Shi Xian Liew1

  • 1School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|April 3, 2023
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Individuals vary in how they learn from punishment. A new cognitive pathway shows that understanding punishment is key to avoiding maladaptive behaviors, especially when punishment is infrequent.

Keywords:
compulsivityindividual differencespunishment

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Individual differences exist in sensitivity to negative consequences, contributing to persistent maladaptive behaviors.
  • Previous research identified motivational and behavioral pathways for this insensitivity.
  • A cognitive pathway involving punishment knowledge and its application is proposed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and characterize a third, cognitive pathway of punishment insensitivity.
  • To investigate how learning about punishment influences behavior and the formation of causal beliefs.
  • To explore distinct phenotypes of punishment sensitivity based on acquired knowledge.

Main Methods:

  • Exposing participants to identical punishment contingencies.
  • Analyzing the formation of causal beliefs about actions and consequences.
  • Observing behavioral responses and updating mechanisms under varying punishment frequencies.

Main Results:

  • Three phenotypes emerged: sensitive (correct beliefs, adaptive behavior), unaware (incorrect beliefs, but responsive to feedback), and compulsive (incorrect beliefs, resistant to updating, especially with infrequent punishment).
  • Incorrect causal beliefs can be adaptive if individuals learn from feedback.
  • Infrequent punishment acts as a 'trap,' hindering cognitive and behavioral updating and promoting compulsive behavior.

Conclusions:

  • Punishment sensitivity is influenced by cognitive factors, specifically the knowledge of punishment and its causal link to behavior.
  • The 'compulsive phenotype' highlights how infrequent punishment can paradoxically reinforce maladaptive behaviors by preventing learning.
  • Understanding these cognitive pathways is crucial for developing interventions for individuals persisting in detrimental behaviors.