Psychology 1100E Chapter 8: Learning and Adaptation Textbook
10 Apr 2020
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Behaviourists focus on how organisms learn, examining processes by which experience influences behaviour. Assumed that there are laws of learning that apply to all organism. Treated the organism as a blank tablet in which learning experiences were inscribed - most conducted with non human species in a lab. Calls attention to the importance of adapting to the environment. Cognitive and biological factors play an important role in learning. Cultures impact plays huge role - not surprising given that learning represents adaptation to the environment and culture is the human-made part of our environment. Habituation: a decrease in the strength of response to a repeated stimulus. May be the simplest form of learning and occurs across species. You do not need to constantly respond to the pressure of clothing on your skin or to the hum of distant traffic. By learning not to respond to uneventful familiar stimuli, organisms conserve energy and can attend to other stimuli that are important.
