Learning Techniques
The techniques found in this chapter are among the most helpful and applicable things we will talk about this year. I use what I've learned in this unit every day, if not every hour that I'm awake. Whether it is parenting my children, interacting with my cats, planning lessons, motivating students, working with my department, or fundraising, these learning theories are everywhere. For each of the following, Classical Conditioning, Operant Conditioning, and Social Cognitive Learning Theory, you are to identify a situation in your life now (or in the future) and create a plan for how you do (or would) use these techniques in your life by answering each of the questions. Make sure you answer each question with complete thoughts.
Classical Conditioning
- What is the situation?
- What is the desired response?
- What will the UCS, UCR, CS, and CR be?
- How will contingency play into the conditioning of your subject?
- Why will time be important in pairing the UCS with the CS?
- How will extinction, stimulus generalization, and spontaneous recovery play a role in your conditioning?
- How will you observe/measure your effectiveness?
Operant Conditioning
- What is the situation?
- What is the target behavior? (be very specific)
- What types of Reinforcers will be used and why?
- What type of reinforcement schedule will you use and why?
- Will you use punishment?
- Will you shape through successive approximations? If yes then how?
- How will you prevent against response generalization?
- How will you observe/measure your effectiveness?
Social Cognitive Learning Theory
- What is the situation?
- What is the target behavior? (be very specific)
- What type of model will you pick?
- Will the observer see vicarious punishment or reinforcement and why?
- How will you observe/measure your effectiveness?
Optional - Create a video of your conditioned subject that can be shared with the class.