Psychology 1000 Chapter Notes - Chapter 7: Ethology, Cognitive Map, Scientific Method

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 1000
• Professor: Dr.Mike

Document Summary

Chapter 7: learning and adaptation: the role of experience. Learning a process by which experience produces a relatively enduring change in an organism"s behaviour or capabilities. Capabilities knowing how or learning, versus doing or performance. Historically, behaviorists focused on the processes by which organisms learn, and ethologists focused on the adaptive significance of learning. Today, these 2 perspectives have crossed paths, and more attention is paid also to how mental processes and cultural environments influence learning. Habituation a decrease in the strength of response to a repeated stimulus. May be the simplest form of learning and serves a key adaptive function. Occurs within the central nervous system you learn to get used to things. Sensitization an increase in he strength of response to a repeated stimulus. Tends to occur to strong or noxious stimuli and its purpose is to increase responses to a potentially dangerous stimulus you learn to fear things.