On this page you’ll find a number of resources for understanding the key concepts of learning theory, including classical conditioning, operant conditioning, observational learning, and more. If I’ve missed a good resource, please share it in the comments section!
General Resources
Learning Theory Pinterest Page
Master Introductory Psychology Volume 2 (Amazon link)
General Video Resources
Specific Concepts
- Classical Conditioning
- Wikipedia page
- Ivan Pavlov – Wikipedia page
- Discovering Psychology – Classical Conditioning
- John B. Watson – Wikipedia page
- Watson’s “Little Albert” study – Wikipedia page
- “Little Albert” study video
- Learned Taste Aversion – Wikipedia page
- John Garcia – Wikipedia page
- Taste Aversion and Cancer Treatment
- Operant Conditioning
- Wikipedia page
- Edward Thorndike – Wikipedia page
- B.F. Skinner – Wikipedia page
- Reinforcement – Wikipedia page
- Can you catch the error in this clip from Big Bang?
- Correcting the error…
- Schedules of Reinforcement – Wikipedia
- Random Rewards and Superstitious Behavior
- Chaining
- Chicken obstacle course
- Using chaining for behavioral therapy – autism example
- Shaping
- Pigeon Ping-Pong
- Rat Basketball Finals
- Rats taught to sniff out landmines and tuberculosis
- Instinctual Drift – Wikipedia page
- Premack Principle – Wikipedia page
- Rescorla-Wagner Model – Wikipedia page
- Observational Learning – Wikipedia page
- Albert Bandura – Wikipedia page
- Crash Course Psychology video
- The Brain:A Secret History – Observational Learning
- Latent Learning
- Wikipedia page
- Tolman Cognitive Maps in Rats and Men paper (1948)
- Rat Cognitive Map video
- Dog demonstrating Cognitive Map
- Abstract Learning
- Pigeons identify art
- Original paper here (Watanabe, Sakamoto, & Wakita, 1995)
- Pigeons identifying cancer – Scientific American
- Pigeons identify art
- Insight Learning
- Wikipedia page
- Wolfgang Köhler – Wikipedia page
- Köhler video
Other Resources
Walden Two – B. F. Skinner (Amazon link)
A Clockwork Orange – Anthony Burgess (Amazon link)