- Describe innate and learned causes for behavior
- Explain classical conditioning
- Identify the various types of stimuli and responses seen in classical conditioning situations
Innate and Learned Causes for Behavior
Learning isn’t just about going to school or studying; it also includes unlearned behaviors we naturally pick up, like reflexes and instincts. Let’s start by understanding what we mean by “unlearned behaviors.”
Unlearned behaviors, such as a dog shaking off water or birds building nests, are instinctive actions that organisms are born with. Reflexes are simpler reactions to specific stimuli, like our knee-jerk response or our pupil contracting in bright light. Instincts, on the other hand, are more complex behaviors triggered by events like maturation or seasonal changes.
Unlike unlearned behaviors, learning involves change and experience. It’s a permanent change in behavior or knowledge that comes from our experiences. Learning allows us to adapt to our environment, and it involves acquiring new knowledge and skills through our experiences. There are several types of learning, including:
- Associative learning: this type of learning occurs when we connect events or stimuli that happen together in our environment. For example, in classical conditioning, we learn to associate two events that happen together, like lightning and thunder. When we repeatedly experience lightning before thunder, we start to jump at the sight of lightning because we associate it with the loud noise that follows.
- Operant conditioning: this type of learning occurs when we learn to associate our voluntary behaviors with consequences. If a behavior leads to a pleasant consequence, like receiving a treat for sitting, we’re encouraged to repeat that behavior. Conversely, if a behavior is punished, we learn to avoid it.
- Observational learning: this type of learning occurs when we learn by watching and imitating others. We can learn a lot by observing others’ actions, like how to roller skate or perform certain tasks.
These approaches to learning are part of behaviorism, a field in psychology. However, it’s important to know that learning is also studied in other areas, such as memory and cognition. By understanding how learning works, we can better grasp how our behaviors are shaped and how we can adapt and grow through our experiences.
Classical Conditioning
You can view the transcript for “Pavlov’s Classical Conditioning” here (opens in new window).
View the following video to learn more about Pavlov and his dogs: