Question #2:
Children learn through three primary methods: classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning. Describe each of these three learning paradigms. Then, choose a behavior and describe how this particular behavior could be acquired using each of the three paradigms. For classical conditioning, be sure to identify the neutral stimulus, the unconditioned response, and describe the process by which the behavior is learned. For operant conditioning, be sure to identify the reinforcer and the target behavior, and describe the process by which the behavior is learned.
Classical conditioning is when we do something as a reaction to something, like you hear your doorbell ring, so you answer your door. Operant conditioning is when you perform a task in order to produce an expected outcome. Observational learning is when we learn to model our behavior after someone else’s actions, such as a role model. Stopping at a stop sign is a behavior that can be acquired using classical conditioning by seeing the red octagon that says stop and relating it to stopping the car. When we are driving, we see the stop sign, and we stop. The stimulus is seeing the stop sign that we all relate to stopping. The unconditioned response is putting your foot on the brake pedal. This behavior is learned by seeing others do the same and knowing that if we do not do this we could either get a ticket or get into an accident. We acquire this behavior with operant conditioning because we know if we stop when we see the stop sign we will be obeying the law and being safe. We know that if we do not stop we could get a negative outcome which would be getting a ticket or getting into an accident. The reinforcer is that every time we stop like we are supposed to we avoid getting a ticket and we avoid an accident. The target behavior is to stop when and where we are supposed to every time we are supposed to. We acquire stopping at a stop sign with observational learning because as we all grow up we ride in the car with adults and see that they stop at stop signs. If you grew up riding with someone who stops completely at all stop signs you will be more likely to model your behavior after them and always stop at stop signs.
Question #3:
Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson each theorized how personality is developed in chronological stages. Describe the stages of Freud and Erikson's theories of personality. At each stage, give an example that is not used in the text or other readings, and that will highlight one of the major milestones that occur at each stage.
The stages of Freud’s theory are the id, the ego, and the superego. The id is a person’s instinctual behavior. At the id stage are our actions such as eating and sleeping. The ego reasons and makes decisions. The ego is our subconscious actions such as deciding what we want to eat. The superego tells us what is right or wrong. This stage consists of our conscience and morals. It makes us feel guilty when we do something we know we shouldn’t.
Erikson’s theory consists of the oral-sensory stage, the muscular-anal stage, locomotor, latency, adolescence, young adulthood, middle adulthood and maturity. Oral-sensory deals with the events that help a child to bond with a caregiver. This is the time when a baby and mother form a bond by spending time together and learn to love each other. Muscular-anal is the time when a child is developing and learning basic life actions. An event that occurs during this time is potty training and how to feed themselves. Locomotor is the point where the child learns initiative and guilt. During this time the child will learn about sharing toys and making friends. Latency is when the child learns new skills and starts to grow up. The child goes to school to gain insight and education. Adolescence is when the person learns their identity. As you grow you figure out who you are, this usually occurs sometime during adolescence. Young adulthood is the stage when the person deals with relationships. This is the time when one experiences love. Middle adulthood is when the person learns about parenting. Most people during this time have children and learn how to raise another human being. Maturity is when you reflect on your life and accept all events that have occurred. During this time you usually reminisce a lot and give others advice.
Question #4:
In this course, you have learned a great deal about both the environmental and genetic causes of mental disorders. Using research and material from the text, supplemental readings, and research that you conduct using either the UAH library or the Internet, discuss in what ways the environment and heredity may play a role in the development of schizophrenia. Your sources must be well-established scientific Internet sites and you must cite at least three different sources from which you obtained your information.
Environment plays a role in causing schizophrenia because people with a minority status are more at risk to develop schizophrenia. People who are born and grow up in the city are 35 times more likely to develop schizophrenia than people who grow up in less populated areas. If a person is in a hectic environment where they are very stressed most of the time they are more at risk for schizophrenia because once they start showing signs of schizophrenia the environment they are in can contribute and make the symptoms worse. When someone with schizophrenia is awakened in the middle of the night by noise outside their window, they may think that whomever or whatever made the noise is doing it on purpose as an attempt to interrupt the person’s sleep.
Heredity plays a role in schizophrenia because a person whose family members are schizophrenic is 10 times more likely to start exhibiting symptoms. People with schizophrenia have chemical imbalances in their brains which can also be blamed on genetics, therefore making the cause of schizophrenia hereditary.
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