The Psychology of Learning

At the conclusion of the course the successful student will be able to:

1. List the major historical figures in the history of the psychology of learning and describe their contributions.
2. Define learning and list the various types of learning included in the definition.
3. List the major traditional and contemporary theoretical approaches in the psychology of learning.
4. Describe the classical conditioning paradigm and the procedures for acquisition and extinction.
5. Explain how the principles of Pavlovian conditioning can be applied in clinical and other settings.
6. Describe instrumental conditioning procedures and the effects of various schedules of reinforcement.
7. Discuss the effects on behaviour of positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive and negative punishment.
8. Explain how the principles of instrumental conditioning can be applied to practical settings.
9. Define generalization and discrimination and describe the major paradigms and phenomena associated with these processes.
10. Explain the major biological constraints on the generality of the laws of learning.
11. List and describe the various biological influences on learning such as the Garcia Effect, Seligman's preparedness dimension, animal misbehaviour, sign tracking, imprinting, and species specific defence reactions.
12. Discuss the cognitive factors involved in learning and list the major contemporary cognitive theoretical approaches.
13. Compare and contrast the traditional behaviourist approach with expectancy theory, Tolman's purposive behaviourism, attribution theory and social learning theory.