Essay presented for introduction to psychology

Explain the influence of learning and memory on personal behavior.. Propose some solutions to enhance positive and reduce negative effects of learning and memory on personal behavior in

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION & TRAINING

UEH UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

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ESSAY

Essay presented for

INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY

FULLNAME: PHAM TUAN CHUONG

STUDENT ID: 31231026657

LECTURE: 24D1BUS50327207

INSTRUCTOR: MR DANG VAN THAC

Ho Chi Minh City

June 2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I LEARNING 3

1 Classical Conditioning 3

a Classical Conditioning: 3

b Additional phenomena of Classical Conditioning: 3

2 Operant Conditioning 3

a Operant Conditioning: 3

b Additional phenomena of Operant Conditioning 3

3 Variations of Learning 4

4 Importance of learning: 4

II MEMORY 5

1 Types of Memory: 5

a Memory 5

b Methods of Testing Memory: 5

c The Information Processing View of Memory 5

d Working Memory: 6

2 Encoding, Storage, and Retrieval 6

a Encoding: 6

b Storage: 6

c Retrieval: 6

3 Forgetting: 7

a Retrieval and Interference 7

b Amnesia: 7

4 Importance of memory: 7

III INFLUENCE OF LEARNING AND MEMORY ON PERSONAL BEHAVIOR 8

1 Learning's influence on personal behavior: 8

2 Memory's influence on personal behavior: 8

IV Solutions 8

1 In study environment 8

b Reducing negative effects 9

2 In social environment: 9

a Enhancing positive effects: 9

b Reducing negative effects: 9

-Final test – Introduction of Psychology

Topic 2: Briefly summarize the content and the importance of learning and memory module Explain the influence of learning and memory on personal behavior Propose some solutions to enhance positive and reduce negative effects of learning and memory on personal behavior in study and social environment

I LEARNING

1 Classical Conditioning (or Pavlovian conditioning):

a Classical Conditioning: The process by which an organism learns a new

asociation between two stimuli-a neutral stimulus and one that already evokes a reflexive response

- Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) is an event that automatically elicits an unconditioned response

- Unconditioned response (UCR) is the action that the unconditioned stimulus elicits

- Conditioned stimulus (CS) is a response to it depends on the preceding conditions-that is, pairing the CS with the UCS

- Conditioned response (CR) response the conditioned stimulus elicits as a result of the conditioning (training) procedure

b Additional phenomena of Classical Conditioning:

- Extinction: The process that weakens a conditioned response by presenting the conditioned stimulus without the unconditioned stimulus

- Spontaneous recovery: A temporary return of an extinguished response after a delay

- Stimulus Generalization: Extension of a conditioned response from the training stimulus to similar stimuli

- Discrimination: To respond differently to stimuli that predict different outcomes

2 Operant Conditioning

a Operant Conditioning: is a learning process in which behaviors are formed or

changed through rewards and punishment

- Primary and Secondary Reinforcers: primary reinforcers (or unconditioned reinforcers) that are reinforcing because of their own properties and secondary reinforcers (or conditioned reinforcers) that became reinforcing by association with something else For example, food and water are primary reinforcers money (a secondary reinforcer) becomes reinforcing because we can exchange it for food or other primary reinforcers

- Punishment: punishment decreases the probability of a response For example, the burn you feel from touching a hot stove is highly effective in teaching you something to avoid

- Extinction: occurs if responses stop producing reinforcement.

- Generalization: The more similar a new stimulus is to the original reinforced stimulus, the more likely is the same response

- Discrimination: If reinforcement occurs for responding to one stimulus and not another, the result is discrimination between them, yielding a response to one stimulus and not the other

- Discriminative stimulus: a stimulus that indicates which response is appropriate

3 Variations of Learning

- Preparedness: Concept that evolution has prepared any species to learn some associations more easily than others (Seligman, 1970)

- Conditioned Taste Aversions: is associating a food with illness

- Birdsong Learning: For most songbirds outside the tropics, songs are mostly by males during the mating season Some species have a builtin song, but others have to learn it In species that depend on learning, the learning occurs most readily during a sensitive period early

in the first year of life (Marler, 1997)

- Social Learning:

Social-learning approach (Bandura, 1977, 1986): Learning about many behaviors by observing the behaviors of others

 Modeling and Imitation: You model your behavior after others or imitate others

 Vicarious Reinforcement and Punishment: Learning by substituting someone else’s experience for your own

 Self-Efficacy: The belief of being able to perform the task successfully

 Self-Reinforcement and Self-Punishment: When people set a goal, sometimes they decide to reinforce or punish themselves, just as if they were training someone else

4 Importance of learning:

Learning is essential for:

- Personal growth: Enhances knowledge, skills, and self-awareness for individuals

- Career advancement: Opens up new job opportunities and keeps skills relevant

- Cultural understanding: Promotes empathy and effective communication

- Societal progress: Drives economic growth, innovation, and social equality.

So that, Learning enriches personal and professional life, improves mental health, and contributes to a better society

II MEMORY

1 Types of Memory:

a Memory is the retention of information It includes skills such as riding a bicycle or

tying your shoelaces It also includes facts that never change (your birthday), facts that seldom change (your mailing address), and facts that frequently change (where you left your cell phone)

b Methods of Testing Memory:

Explicit memory: someone who states an answer regards it as a product of memory.

- Free Recall: to produce a response, as you do on essay tests or short-answer tests

- Cued Recall: your accuracy improves with cued recall, in which you receive significant hints about the material

- Recognition: someone chooses the correct item among several options

- Savings (or relearning method): comparing the speed of original learning to the speed of relearning

Implicit memory: an experience influences what you say or do even though you might not

be aware of the influence

Procedural Memories and Probabilistic Learning: Procedural Memories, memories of how

to do something, such as juggling balls, riding a bicycle, or eating with chopsticks, are a special kind of memory Psychologists distinguish procedural memories from Declarative Memories, memories we can readily state in words

c The Information Processing View of Memory

Today’s information processing model compares human memory to that of a computer: Information that enters the system is processed, coded, and stored

- The Sensory Store: sensory store that maintains an image- an iconic image- that lasts for only a fraction of a second

- Short-Term and Long-Term Memory:

+ Short-term memory: temporary storage of recent events

+ Long-term memory: a more permanent store

 Semantic memory: memory of principles and facts, like what you are taught

in school

 Episodic memory: memory for specific events in your life, almost like reliving those events

 Source Amnesia is forgetting when, where, or how you learned something

d Working Memory:

- Working memory: a system for working with current information

- Executive functioning: governs shifts of attention The hallmark of good working memory is the ability to shift attention as needed Another way to measure executive processes is the n-back task

2 Encoding, Storage, and Retrieval

a Encoding:

- Factors That Influence Encoding:

+ One influence on memory formation is simply trying to remember

+ Emotional arousal enhances memory encoding

+ Others: primacy effect is the tendency to remember the first items, recency effect is the tendency to remember the final items, depth-of-processing principle: how easily you retrieve

a memory depends on the associations you form

- Encoding Specificity:

+ Retrieval cues: Can serve as reminders to prompt your memory later

+ Encoding specificity principle: The associations you form at the time of learning will be the most effective retrieval cues later

b Storage:

- Consolidation: converting a short-term memory into a long-term memory

c Retrieval:

- Hypermnesia: gain of memory over time

- Reconstruction: During an experience, you construct a memory When you try to retrieve that memory, you reconstruct an account based partly on distinct memories and partly by inferring what else must have happened

+ Reconstruction and Inference in List Memory

+ Reconstructing Stories

later turned out.

3 Forgetting:

a Retrieval and Interference

- The old materials increase forgetting of new materials by proactive interference (acting forward in time)

- The new materials increase forgetting of old materials by retroactive interference (acting backward)

b Amnesia: loss of memory.

- Anterograde amnesia: inability to store new long-term memories

- Retrograde amnesia, loss of memory for events that occurred shortly before the brain damage

- Alzheimer’s Disease: a condition occurring mostly in old age, characterized by increasingly severe memory loss, confusion, depression, disordered thinking, and impaired attention

- Early childhood amnesia or infantile amnesia: scarcity of early episodic memories

4 Importance of memory:

Memory is crucial for several reasons:

- Learning and Retention: Memory allows us to retain and recall information, which is essential for learning new skills and knowledge

- Identity and Continuity: It helps maintain our sense of self by preserving personal experiences and knowledge of our past

- Decision-Making: Memory provides the information needed to make informed decisions based on past experiences

- Problem-Solving: It enables us to apply past knowledge and experiences to new situations

- Social Connections: Memory helps us remember people, relationships, and social norms, fostering social interactions and bonds

- Daily Functioning: It supports everyday tasks, such as remembering where we placed items, how to perform routine activities, and fulfilling responsibilities

basic daily activities to complex cognitive processes.

III INFLUENCE OF LEARNING AND MEMORY ON PERSONAL

BEHAVIOR

1 Learning's influence on personal behavior:

Learning affects personal behavior by providing new information, skills, and perspectives, which in turn affect how individuals interact with their environment and others

- Behavioral change: Learning new information can lead to changes in behavior For example, learning about healthy eating can lead to better dietary choices

- Skill development: Acquiring new skills through learning can change how individuals perform tasks and solve problems, leading to more efficient and effective behavior

- Attitude and perspective shifts: Exposure to new ideas and cultures through learning can broaden perspectives and alter attitudes, fostering more open-minded and tolerant behavior

- Motivation and goals: Learning can influence personal aspirations and goals, motivating individuals to pursue new interests and career paths

2 Memory's influence on personal behavior:

Memory plays a critical role in shaping behavior by retaining past experiences and knowledge, which inform future actions and decisions

- Habit formation: Repeated behaviors stored in memory become habits, which influence daily routines and automatic actions

- Decision-making: Past experiences stored in memory guide decision-making processes, helping individuals make informed choices based on previous outcomes

- Problem-solving: Memory of past solutions and strategies helps individuals tackle new problems more effectively

- Emotional responses: Memories of past emotional experiences influence how individuals react to similar situations in the future, affecting emotional regulation and behavior

- Social interactions: Memory helps maintain social relationships by enabling individuals to remember personal details, past interactions, and social norms, leading to more meaningful and consistent social behavior

IV Solutions

To enhance positive and reduce negative effects of learning and memory on personal behavior in study and social environment, I propose the following solutions:

1 In study environment:

a Enhancing positive effects:

- Effective study techniques: Apply various of effective study techniques, such as spaced repetition, active recall, and mnemonic devices, to improve memory retention and academic performance

- Goal setting and time management: Teachers or tutors help students to set realistic goals and manage their time effectively to reduce stress and enhance motivation

- Mindfulness and stress-reduction practices: Incorporate mindfulness practices, such as meditation and deep breathing exercises, to reduce stress and improve focus

b Reducing negative effects:

- Supportive learning environment: Create a supportive and non-judgmental learning environment where students feel safe to take risks and make mistakes

- Addressing fear of failure: Encourage a growth mindset by emphasizing effort and improvement rather than solely focusing on grades and outcomes

- Mental health support: Provide access to mental health resources, such as counseling and stress-management workshops, to help students cope with academic pressure

2 In social environment:

a Enhancing positive effects:

- Social skills training: Offer training in social skills, such as active listening, empathy, and effective communication, to improve social interactions and relationships

- Cultural awareness programs: Implement programs that promote cultural awareness and diversity, encouraging understanding and acceptance of different perspectives

- Positive reinforcement: Reinforce positive social behaviors through praise and recognition, encouraging individuals to continue engaging in prosocial actions

b Reducing negative effects:

- Addressing social anxiety: Provide support for individuals with social anxiety through therapy, social skills training, and gradual exposure to social situations

stereotypes and biases, and encourage critical thinking and open-mindedness.

- Creating inclusive environments: Foster inclusive environments where diversity is valued and individuals feel accepted and respected regardless of their background