Learning is a relatively permanent change in behavior brought about by experience. There are a number of different types of learning, which include habituation as well as associative, observational, and social learning.
Although people can learn new behaviors and change their attitudes, psychological, environmental, and biological factors influence whether those changes will be short-term or long-term. Understanding how people learn new behaviors and change their attitudes and which conditions affect learning helps us understand behavior and our interactions with others.
The content in this category covers learning and theories of attitude and behavior change. This includes the elaboration likelihood model and social cognitive theory.
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Our Social World |
Introduction to Sociology |
Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life |
Exploring Psychology |
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Habituation and Dishabituation (PSY)
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Associative Learning (PSY)
- Classical conditioning (PSY, BIO)
- Neutral, conditioned, and unconditioned stimuli
- Conditioned and unconditioned response
- Processes: acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, discrimination
- Operant conditioning (PSY, BIO)
- Processes of shaping and extinction
- Types of reinforcement: positive, negative, primary, conditional
- Reinforcement schedules: fixed-ratio, variable-ratio, fixed-interval, variable-interval
- Punishment
- Escape and avoidance learning
- The role of cognitive processes in associative learning
- Biological processes that affect associative learning (e.g., biological predispositions, instinctive drift) (PSY, BIO)
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NA |
NA |
NA |
- Ch. 7, pp. 236-257
- Ch. 11, pp. 396-397
- Ch. 15, pp. 540-543
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Observational Learning (PSY)
- Modeling
- Biological processes that affect observational learning
- Mirror neurons
- Role of the brain in experiencing vicarious emotions
- Applications of observational learning to explain individual behavior
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NA |
NA |
NA |
- Ch. 6, p. 223
- Ch. 7, pp. 258-264
- Ch. 12, pp. 443-445
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Theories of Attitude and Behavioral Change (PSY)
- Elaboration likelihood model
- Social cognitive theory
- Factors that affect attitude change (e.g., changing behavior, characteristics of the message and target, social factors)
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NA |
NA |
NA |
- Ch. 12, p. 418
- Ch. 13, pp. 482-485
- Ch. 15, pp. 537-548
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