LEARNING AND MOTIVATION: BASIC PROCESSES

Undergraduate

This course provides a survey of learning theories presented by Thorndike, Pavlov, Hull, Skinner and others. It will concentrate on some of the controversial issues between the S-R and cognitive approaches, and explore some of the findings relating to the fundamental principles of learning, motivation, reinforcement, incentives, effects of punishment and the problem of generalization and discrimination in learning. The applicability of some of the basic principles discovered in the animal laboratory to the everyday behaviour of people will also be examined. PREREQUISITES: PSY 1010, 1020; AND, for Psychology Majors, EITHER all three of PSY 2700, 2730, 2750 OR PSY 2780 and 2790; AND, for non-majors, PSY 2510; or permission of instructor. Students who do not have PSY 2700, 2730, and 2750, OR 2780 and 2790 but do have equivalent statistics research methods courses may enrol with permission of the instructor Three hours a week class, two hours laboratory