Behavioral Ecology: Chapter Analysis

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Behaviourists regard behaviour as a response to a stimulus; pioneering the belief that internal cognitive processes are unnecessary when explaining behaviour. This view is supported by the behaviourist John Locke who proposed that children are born as ‘blank slates’ (‘tabula rasa’) whereby children are shaped by experience (Neaum, 2010). The behaviourist approach assumes that the process of learning is the same in all species; therefore concluding that human and animals learn in similar ways. Early behaviourists include Edward Thorndike, Edward Tolman and Edwin Guthrie conducted experiments on animals, under carefully observed conditions (Collin, 2011). However the three theorists, most associated with behaviourism are: Ivan Pavlov, John Watson and B.F. Skinner. These theorists identified two types of associative learning: classical and operant conditioning; these methods underpin the behaviourist perspective.

Are you the type of person who wants to be able to go to work everyday doing something you love, helping others who need it, and getting a smile on your face just by the smallest of things that someone does? That is the type of person I am, which is why I chose the career path of a Behavior Specialist. A Behavior Specialist is someone who works with a person who may have a disability, and they study and work with them to make things as easy as possible for their daily life. They focus on the perception of life, however sometimes hesitate to present the strong conclusions how behaviors cause certain emotion (Thompson). A Behavior Specialist is also known as a Social Psychologist, because they study how a person’s mental life and behavior are shaped by interactions with other people (“Pardon Our Interruption”). The four main behaviors that Behavior Specialists look for when studying the actions of a person are, “Self-awareness, emotion, motivation, and feelings” (“Modeling the Early Human Mind”). Although I believe being a Behavior Specialist is a dream job, there are always issues that go along with any job, in this case emotions play a role in the occupation working with people who need extra help.

In Psychology learning is seen as a change in behaviour caused by an experience. Behaviorism, is seen as a learning theory; an attempt to explain how people or animals learn by studying their behaviour. The Behaviourists Approach has two theories to help explain how we learn, Classical conditioning and operant conditioning. In this task I will attempt to describe and evaluate this approach.

Classical conditioning is often associated with physiologist Ivan Pavlov’s experiment with the salivating dog (Hutchinson, 2015). This experiment focused on conditioning the dog to associate food with the bell while salivating, and eventually salivates when the bell is rung even without the presence of food. Operant conditioning theory is changed behavior as the result of a reinforcement (Hutchinson, 2015). In our society, we associate positive reinforcements with compliments, smiles, high-fives in order to encourage a behavior more. Negative reinforcement involves jail, detention, and grounding, and this is to stop a behavior from continuing. A cognitive social learning theory states that behavior can be learned through observations, beliefs, expectations, and imitation of others (Hutchinson, 2015). A major difference between cognitive social learning theory and the others, is a lack of manipulation to encourage the individual to follow through with a behavior. Rather, cognitive social learning theories suggest that a change in thinking can ultimately result in a change in behavior (Hutchinson, 2015).

From birth throughout adulthood, our behavior changes as we learn new things. For example, I am going 65 mph on the I-95 towards Philadelphia and a car in the right lane cuts short in front of me, I am able use my fast reflexes to step on the brakes just in time so that I do not hit the back of the car. There are three different types of learning: associative, non-associative, and observational. Associative learning is when we form connections between stimuli, and behaviors. This type of learning helps us to predict the future based on past history. Associative learning is broken down into two subcategories: conditioning and operant conditioning. In classical conditioning, connections are made between pairs of stimuli that happen sequentially in time. For example, if someone sees a bee of the first time and then gets stung, a connection is made between seeing the bee and the pain of the sting. In order to understand the method of classical conditioning, you must know the difference between conditioned and unconditioned stimulus. A conditioned stimulus deals with an important environmental event that is

The learning process that was used on the planarian in the experiment was classical conditioning. Classical conditioning is being able to learn a new behavior

The behaviourists believed that all behaviour is learned through the environment. They suggest that we learn through classical conditioning and operant conditioning.

There are a few different approaches to modern Ecology including behavioral, cognitive, and evolutionary psychology. I thought that behavioral Ecology was interesting because it looked at the environment that certain behaviors take place (Petri & Govern, 2012). Even among animals, they adapt to the surrounding they are in and change their behaviors so that they may survive (Petri & Govern, 2012). This was interesting because it made me think of how my thoughts and reactions have changed as my surroundings have changed. While I lived in Puerto Rico I was depressed because of the environment that I was in until I was able to change departments. I was able to readjust to my surroundings and was motivated to do more and better.

Classical Conditioning: Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov first described this type of learning through conducting research on the salvation reflexes in dogs recording how much they salivated each time they were fed. The physiologist found that dogs started salivating before they were fed and as soon as they heard the door open which meant they had come to associate the door opening with the arrival of food.

There are many different kinds of ways that people and animals learn. People can adjust the way they learn to the different situations in which they are learning and what they have to learn. One form of learning is known as conditioning. Conditioning emphasises the relationship between stimuli and responses. The two types of conditioning found are Classical conditioning and Operant conditioning. Learning may occur in different ways. Psychologists have distinguished between different types of learning, these being Observational Learning and Insight Learning.

Rescorla advances original theory by acknowledging a previous flaw of Pavlovian Conditioning and attempts to express a more ‘modern’ view by illustrating the circumstances producing learning in animals, the context of learning and the manner it effects behaviour. Thus suggesting that Pavlovian Conditioning is a form of associative learning, rather than reflex tradition as previously suggested. Furthermore, Rescorla emphasised how Pavlovian Conditioning still plays a fundamental role in modern psychology. However, it must be considered that this research is era dependent; being modern at the time of writing of 1988. Resultantly, one must consider if these arguments are still valid in 21st Century psychology, and if so, how. To further demonstrate

For the second stage, a white rat was used as Watson’s CS, the CS must be a neutral stimulus that initially has no effect on the UR. Little Albert showed no phobia towards the rat before conditioning occurred. By pairing the US with the CS, the infant learned to associate the loud noise of the hammer and metal bar with the white rat. After strengthening the association between the US and the CS by repetition, Little Albert eventually became fearful and upset when only presented with the once neutral stimulus, the white rat. This response was the CR which marked the completion of step three. Little Albert was now afraid of the white rat because it triggered his fear of the loud noise. Classical conditioning can be used to prove many forms of behavior between subjects when looking at the the right unconditioned/ conditioned stimuli and unconditioned/ conditioned responses. The theory of classical conditioning can be used to explain the development of distrust and trust issues in the relationships between people.

A biological constraint in learning theory refers to an inherited tendency to learn and create certain relationships, and it has been said that some species are much more readily than others in learning such behaviour. Therefore it involves the factors which make populations resistant to evolutionary change and the animals biological make up. In this paper I will attempt to explain the bases of the original biological approaches to learning in classical conditioning in humans and animals, make comparison between animals and the association of fears

Psychology is a broad subject filled with many different theories, several theories of which that were particularly interesting fall under the topic “The Learning Perspective”. In fact, Learning is described as the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, study, or by being taught. This paper takes a leap further into the psychology and true meaning behind the Learning Perspective, as well as its Biological Importance in our everyday lives. The ideology behind his perspective basically revolves around the idea that behavior is trained, conditioned, reinforced and essentially reflexive. Two of the main theories are listed as follows; The Behaviorism theory and The Cognitive theory. Each theory draws a clear distinction about its differences and similarities with its connection to stimuli. For example, in both sub theories, such as Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning, an action is done and a specific response is given. What sets both theories apart are the positivity or negativity of the reward for the action. From this paper, the importance of Learning is discussed as well as the effectiveness of the different theories and its principles that define and set each other apart.