General Information
The aim of this subject is to introduce students to the theories and basic findings from experimental research employing principles of associative learning. The subject offers students the opportunity to acquire an understanding of human and animal behaviour derived from the principles of Pavlovian conditioning, operant conditioning and observational learning. This subject aims to develop a critical thinking perspective on issues and findings in learning research.
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Details
Academic unit: Faculty of Society & Design Subject code: PSYC12-250 Subject title: Learning and Behaviour Subject level: Undergraduate Semester/Year: January 2020 Credit points: 10.000 -
Delivery & attendance
Timetable: https://bond.edu.au/timetable Delivery mode: Standard Workload items: - Lecture: x12 (Total hours: 24) - Weekly Lecture
- Tutorial: x12 (Total hours: 24) - Weekly Tutorial
Attendance and learning activities: -
Resources
Prescribed resources: Books
- Russell A. Powell,P. Lynne Honey,Diane G. Symbaluk (2016). Introduction to Learning and Behavior. 5th, USA Wadsworth/Cengage Learning 640
Others
- American Psychological Association (APA) (2020). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th Edition). USA APA Available at: https://apastyle.apa.org/products/publication-manual-7th-edition?tab=1
iLearn@Bond & Email: iLearn@Bond is the online learning environment at Bond University and is used to provide access to subject materials, lecture recordings and detailed subject information regarding the subject curriculum, assessment and timing. Both iLearn and the Student Email facility are used to provide important subject notifications. Additionally, official correspondence from the University will be forwarded to students’ Bond email account and must be monitored by the student. To access these services, log on to the Student Portal from the Bond University website as www.bond.edu.au
| Academic unit: | Faculty of Society & Design |
|---|---|
| Subject code: | PSYC12-250 |
| Subject title: | Learning and Behaviour |
| Subject level: | Undergraduate |
| Semester/Year: | January 2020 |
| Credit points: | 10.000 |
| Timetable: | https://bond.edu.au/timetable |
|---|---|
| Delivery mode: | Standard |
| Workload items: |
|
| Attendance and learning activities: |
| Prescribed resources: | Books
Others
|
|---|---|
| iLearn@Bond & Email: | iLearn@Bond is the online learning environment at Bond University and is used to provide access to subject materials, lecture recordings and detailed subject information regarding the subject curriculum, assessment and timing. Both iLearn and the Student Email facility are used to provide important subject notifications. Additionally, official correspondence from the University will be forwarded to students’ Bond email account and must be monitored by the student. To access these services, log on to the Student Portal from the Bond University website as www.bond.edu.au |
Enrolment requirements
| Requisites: |
Nil |
|---|---|
| Assumed knowledge: |
Assumed knowledge is the minimum level of knowledge of a subject area that students are assumed to have acquired through previous study. It is the responsibility of students to ensure they meet the assumed knowledge expectations of the subject. Students who do not possess this prior knowledge are strongly recommended against enrolling and do so at their own risk. No concessions will be made for students’ lack of prior knowledge. All Psychology programs are accredited in the sequence presented and designed to provide students with learning and graduate outcomes in line with APAC accreditation standards. In order to meet these outcomes, students in the Undergraduate program should complete PSYC11, then PSYC12, and finally PSYC13 subjects in the order sequenced. |
| Restrictions: |
Nil |
Assurance of learning
Assurance of Learning means that universities take responsibility for creating, monitoring and updating curriculum, teaching and assessment so that students graduate with the knowledge, skills and attributes they need for employability and/or further study.
At Bond University, we carefully develop subject and program outcomes to ensure that student learning in each subject contributes to the whole student experience. Students are encouraged to carefully read and consider subject and program outcomes as combined elements.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Program Learning Outcomes provide a broad and measurable set of standards that incorporate a range of knowledge and skills that will be achieved on completion of the program. If you are undertaking this subject as part of a degree program, you should refer to the relevant degree program outcomes and graduate attributes as they relate to this subject.
Subject Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
On successful completion of this subject the learner will be able to:
- Demonstrate understanding of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings and historical trends in learning research.
- Understand, apply and evaluate basic research methods in psychology, including research design, data analysis and interpretation.
- Respect and use critical and creative thinking, sceptical enquiry, and the scientific approach to solve problems related to behaviour and mental processes.
- Use information in an ethical manner.
- Communicate effectively in a variety of formats and in a variety of contexts.
- Understand and apply psychological principles to personal issues.
Generative Artificial Intelligence in Assessment
The University acknowledges that Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen-AI) tools are an important facet of contemporary life. Their use in assessment is considered in line with students’ development of the skills and knowledge which demonstrate learning outcomes and underpin study and career success. Instructions on the use of Gen-AI are given for each assessment task; it is your responsibility to adhere to these instructions.
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Assessment details
Type Task % Timing* Outcomes assessed Paper-based Examination (Closed) Final Examination 50.00% Final Examination Period 1,2,3,4,5 Presentation Small Group Presentations Weeks 4, 5, 6 15.00% Week 4 1,2,3,4,5 Laboratory Report Behaviour change project due day of tutorial 35.00% Week 10 1,2,3,4,5,6 - * Assessment timing is indicative of the week that the assessment is due or begins (where conducted over multiple weeks), and is based on the standard University academic calendar
- C = Students must reach a level of competency to successfully complete this assessment.
Pass requirement
Nil. However completion of all pieces of assessment to the appropriate standard facilitates success.
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Assessment criteria
Assessment criteria
High Distinction 85-100 Outstanding or exemplary performance in the following areas: interpretative ability; intellectual initiative in response to questions; mastery of the skills required by the subject, general levels of knowledge and analytic ability or clear thinking. Distinction 75-84 Usually awarded to students whose performance goes well beyond the minimum requirements set for tasks required in assessment, and who perform well in most of the above areas. Credit 65-74 Usually awarded to students whose performance is considered to go beyond the minimum requirements for work set for assessment. Assessable work is typically characterised by a strong performance in some of the capacities listed above. Pass 50-64 Usually awarded to students whose performance meets the requirements set for work provided for assessment. Fail 0-49 Usually awarded to students whose performance is not considered to meet the minimum requirements set for particular tasks. The fail grade may be a result of insufficient preparation, of inattention to assignment guidelines or lack of academic ability. A frequent cause of failure is lack of attention to subject or assignment guidelines. Quality assurance
For the purposes of quality assurance, Bond University conducts an evaluation process to measure and document student assessment as evidence of the extent to which program and subject learning outcomes are achieved. Some examples of student work will be retained for potential research and quality auditing purposes only. Any student work used will be treated confidentially and no student grades will be affected.
| Type | Task | % | Timing* | Outcomes assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper-based Examination (Closed) | Final Examination | 50.00% | Final Examination Period | 1,2,3,4,5 |
| Presentation | Small Group Presentations Weeks 4, 5, 6 | 15.00% | Week 4 | 1,2,3,4,5 |
| Laboratory Report | Behaviour change project due day of tutorial | 35.00% | Week 10 | 1,2,3,4,5,6 |
- * Assessment timing is indicative of the week that the assessment is due or begins (where conducted over multiple weeks), and is based on the standard University academic calendar
- C = Students must reach a level of competency to successfully complete this assessment.
Pass requirement
Nil. However completion of all pieces of assessment to the appropriate standard facilitates success.
Assessment criteria
| High Distinction | 85-100 | Outstanding or exemplary performance in the following areas: interpretative ability; intellectual initiative in response to questions; mastery of the skills required by the subject, general levels of knowledge and analytic ability or clear thinking. |
|---|---|---|
| Distinction | 75-84 | Usually awarded to students whose performance goes well beyond the minimum requirements set for tasks required in assessment, and who perform well in most of the above areas. |
| Credit | 65-74 | Usually awarded to students whose performance is considered to go beyond the minimum requirements for work set for assessment. Assessable work is typically characterised by a strong performance in some of the capacities listed above. |
| Pass | 50-64 | Usually awarded to students whose performance meets the requirements set for work provided for assessment. |
| Fail | 0-49 | Usually awarded to students whose performance is not considered to meet the minimum requirements set for particular tasks. The fail grade may be a result of insufficient preparation, of inattention to assignment guidelines or lack of academic ability. A frequent cause of failure is lack of attention to subject or assignment guidelines. |
Quality assurance
For the purposes of quality assurance, Bond University conducts an evaluation process to measure and document student assessment as evidence of the extent to which program and subject learning outcomes are achieved. Some examples of student work will be retained for potential research and quality auditing purposes only. Any student work used will be treated confidentially and no student grades will be affected.
Study Information
Submission procedures
Students must check the iLearn@Bond subject site for detailed assessment information and submission procedures.
Policy on late submission and extensions
A late penalty will be applied to all overdue assessment tasks unless an extension is granted by the subject coordinator. The standard penalty will be 10% of marks awarded to that assessment per day late with no assessment to be accepted seven days after the due date. Where a student is granted an extension, the penalty of 10% per day late starts from the new due date.
Academic Integrity
University’s Academic Integrity Policy defines plagiarism as the act of misrepresenting as one’s own original work: another’s ideas, interpretations, words, or creative works; and/or one’s own previous ideas, interpretations, words, or creative work without acknowledging that it was used previously (i.e., self-plagiarism). The University considers the act of plagiarising to be a breach of the Student Conduct Code and, therefore, subject to the Discipline Regulations which provide for a range of penalties including the reduction of marks or grades, fines and suspension from the University.
Bond University utilises Originality Reporting software to inform academic integrity.Feedback on assessment
Feedback on assessment will be provided to students within two weeks of the assessment submission due date, as per the Assessment Policy.
Accessibility and Inclusion Support
If you have a disability, illness, injury or health condition that impacts your capacity to complete studies, exams or assessment tasks, it is important you let us know your special requirements, early in the semester. Students will need to make an application for support and submit it with recent, comprehensive documentation at an appointment with a Disability Officer. Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Office at the earliest possible time, to meet staff and learn about the services available to meet your specific needs. Please note that late notification or failure to disclose your disability can be to your disadvantage as the University cannot guarantee support under such circumstances.
Additional subject information
Subject curriculum
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1. Introduction,evolution of behaviourism and research methods
This lecture provides an overview of the subject requirements and introduces basic principles of learning and behaviour. Schools of behaviourism and applied behaviour analysis is reviewed. Key research methods terms, approaches to measurement and research design is reviewed.
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2. Classical conditioning and elicited behaviours
This lecture outlines the development of involuntary reactions to specific stimuli. Mechanisms for differing classical conditioning are reviewed, including appetitive, aversive, excitatory and inhibitory conditioning. Classical conditioning differs according to the temporal arrangements between neutral and unconditioned stimuli. Who we are attacted to can be shaped by classical conditioning.
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3. Classical conditioning: Underlying processes and practical applications
This lecture outlines major theoretical approaches to explain the complexity of classical conditioning: Stimulus-substitution, preparatory-response, and the Rescorla-Wagner theory. Practical applications of classical conditioning are described for understanding and treating phobias, aversion therapy for problem behaviours, and medical applications.
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4. Classical Conditioning: Basic phenomena and various complexities
This lecture describes basic conditioning phenomena including acquisition, extinction, generalisation and discrimination. Classical conditioning is extended to consider the effects of mutiple stimuli presented simultaneously. Situations that can interfere with the process of conditioning are reviewed, and the mechanism by which exposure to unpredictable events can result in experimental neurosis is outlined.
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5. Operant conditioning
Operant conditioning explains how the recurrence of a behaviour is dependent upon the consequences produced. The consequences may result in an increase (reinforcement) or decrease (punishment) in the probability of the behaviour re-occurring. Differing forms of reinforcement influence the extent to which behaviours are likely to continue. Shaping, the reinforcement of gradual approximations to novel behaviour, has an important role in training animals, and humans, engaging in complex behaviours.
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6. Schedules and theories of reinforcement
Schedules of reinforcement refers to the response requirement that must be met to obtain reinforcement. The effects of differing schedules for behaviour acquisition and persistence of behaviours are outlined. This has important implication for understanding how some problematic behaviours persist over time. The practical importance of reinforcement is highlighted while describing the major theories of reinforcement.
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7. Extinction and stimulus control
This lecture outlines how the nonreinforcement of a previously reinforced response leads to a decrease in that response (extinction) and how the presence of a stimulus influences the tendency for an operant response to occur (stimulus control). Understanding extinction has important implications for assisting parents with children’s temper tantrums, while stimulus control is useful for enhancing study environments.
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8. Escape, avoidance and punishment
This lecture describes how negative reinforcement contributes to escape and avoidance behaviours, with important implications for the persistence of phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The use of punishment in suppressing problematic behaviours is described, highlighting the challenges to ensuring effective behaviour change from the administration of punishment.
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9. Choice, matching, and self-control
This lecture outlines the role of choice in differentiating alternative sources of reinforcement, and how the amount of behaviour is often proportional to the amount of reinforcement (matching). Enacted behaviour is not always automatic and may be involve selecting a larger later reward over a smaller sooner reward (self-control). Self-control, as opposed to impulsiveness (selecting smaller rewards sooner over later larger rewards), contributes to the development of problem behaviours such as drug use.
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10. Observational learning and rule-governed behaviour
Beyond direct consequences for behaviour, humans learn by witnessing another person's behaviour (observational learning). This has provided an understanding for how children learn aggressive actions from watching other people enact similar behaviours. Learning also arises indirectly through the exposure to rules (rule-governed behaviour). This lecture outlines the process by which observational learning and rule-governed behaviour develops.
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11. Biological dispositions and comparative cognition
This lecture describes the role of biological preparedness in how easily an organism learns certain types of behaviours, and how genetically based, fixed action patterns can displace learned behaviours. This facilitates understanding how some responses are learned quickly, while other learned behaviours dissipate. In contrast, comparative cognition refers to the study of information processing in various animals to understand differences in learning across species.
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12. Review
Summary of weeks 1-11 with exam tips.