Known for his clear and engaging writing style, James E. Mazur's text examines how learning takes place everywhere, by animals of all species and people of all ages. Introducing students to key research from the field, Mazur uses pedagogcial tools to help readers comprehend and apply the material. New learning objectives start each chapter and clearly lay out the content; in chapter quizzes and review questions help readers apply the material; finally the end of text glossary is a useful tool for defining the key terms.
Table of Contents:
1. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING AND BEHAVIOR
The Search for General Principles in Learning
The Nature of Scientific Theories
Behavioral and Cognitive Approaches to Learning
On Free Will, Determinism, and Chaos Theory
Summary
Review Questions
2. SIMPLE IDEAS, SIMPLE ASSOCIATIONS, AND SIMPLE CELLS
Early Theories about the Association of Ideas
Ebbinghaus's Experiments on Memory
Physiological Facts and Theories Related to Associationism
Summary
Review Questions
3. INNATE BEHAVIOR PATTERNS AND HABITUATION
Characteristics of Goal-Directed Systems
Reflexes
Tropisms and Orientation
Sequences of Behavior
Innate Human Abilities and Predispositions
Habituation
Summary
Review Questions
4. BASIC PRINCIPLES OF CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
Pavlov's Discovery and Its Impact
Basic Conditioning Phenomena
The Importance of Timing in Classical Conditioning
Higher Order Conditioning
Classical Conditioning
Summary
Review Questions
5. THEORIES AND RESEARCH ON CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
Theories of Associative Learning
Types of Associations
Biological Constraints on Classical Conditioning
The Form of the Conditioned Response
Physiological Research on Classical Conditioning
Summary
Review Questions
6. BASIC PRINCIPLES OF OPERANT CONDITIONING
The Law of Effect
The Procedure of Shaping, or Successive Approximations
The Research of B.F. Skinner
Biological Constraints on Operant Conditioning
Summary
Review Questions
7. REINFORCEMENT SCHEDULES: EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSES AND APPLICATIONS
Plotting Moment-to-Moment Behavior: The Cumulative Recorder
The Four Simple Reinforcement Schedules
Factors Affecting Performance on Reinforcement Schedules
Applications of Operant Conditioning
Summary
Review Questions
8. AVOIDANCE AND PUNISHMENT
Avoidance
Learned Helplessness
Punishment
Behavior Decelerators in Behavior Therapy
Summary
Review Questions
9. THEORIES AND RESEARCH ON OPERANT CONDITIONING
The Role of the Response
The Role of the Reinforcer
How Can we Predict What Will be a Reinforcer?
Behavioral Economics
Summary
Review Questions
10. STIMULUS CONTROL AND CONCEPT FORMATION
Generalization Gradients
Is Stimulus Control Absolute or Relational?
Behavioral Contrast
"Errorless" Discrimination Learning
Transfer of Learning after Discrimination Training
Concept Formation
Stimulus Control in Behavioral Modification
Summary
Review Questions
11. COMPARATIVE COGNITION
Memory and Rehearsal
Time, Number, and Serial Patterns
Language and Reasoning
Summary
Review Questions
12. LEARNING BY OBSERVATION
Theories of Imitation
Factors that Affect the Likelihood of Imitation
Interactions Between Observational Learning and Operant Conditioning
Media Violence and Aggression Behavior
What Can be Learned Through Observation?
Modeling in Behavioral Therapy
Conclusions: The Sophisticated Skill of Learning by Observation
Summary
Review Questions
13. LEARNING MOTOR SKILLS
The Variety of Motor Skills
Variables Affecting Motor Learning and Performance
Theories of Motor-Skill Learning
Learning Movement Sequences
Summary
Review Questions
14. CHOICE
The Matching Law
Theories of Choice Behavior
Self-Control Choices
Other Choice Situations
Summary
Review Questions
Glossary
References
Acknowledgments
Author Index
Subject Index
