Biological preparedness is the idea that people and animals are inherently inclined to form associations between certain stimuli and responses. This concept plays an important role in learning, particularly in understanding the classical conditioning process. Show
Some associations form easily because we are predisposed to form such connections, while other associations are much more difficult to form because we are not naturally predisposed to form them. For example, it has been suggested that biological preparedness explains why certain types of phobias tend to form more easily. We tend to develop a fear of things that may pose a threat to our survival, such as heights, spiders, and snakes. Those who learned to fear such dangers more readily were more likely to survive and reproduce. Biological Preparedness Working With Classical ConditioningOne great example of biological preparedness at work in the classical conditioning process is the development of taste aversions. Have you ever eaten something and then gotten sick afterward? Chances are probably good that you avoided eating that particular food again in the future, even if it was not the food that caused your illness. Why do we form associations between the taste of food and illness so easily? We could just as easily form such associations between people who were present when we became ill, the location of the illness, or specific objects that were present. Biological preparedness is the key. People (and animals) are innately predisposed to form associations between tastes and illness. Why? It is most likely due to the evolution of survival mechanisms. Species that readily form such associations between food and illness are more likely to avoid those foods again in the future, thus ensuring their chances for survival and the likelihood that they will reproduce. Many phobia objects involve things that potentially pose a threat to safety and well-being. Snakes, spiders, and dangerous heights are all things that can potentially be deadly. Biological preparedness makes it so that people tend to form fear associations with these threatening options. Because of that fear, people tend to avoid those possible dangers, making it more likely that they will survive. Since these people are more likely to survive, they are also more likely to have children and pass down the genes that contribute to such fear responses. Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
 By Kendra Cherry
Thanks for your feedback! Biological Processes that Affect Associative LearningTopic: Associative Learning While many extrinsic factors can influence learning, biological processes can affect associative learning. Learning is a change in behavior as a result of experience. While many extrinsic factors can influence learning, learning is also limited by the biological constraints of organisms. For example, chimpanzees can learn to communicate using basic sign language, but they cannot learn to speak, in part because they are constrained by a lack of specialized vocal chords that would enable them to do so. It was long believed that learning could occur using any two stimuli or any response and any reinforcer. But again, biology serves as an important constraint. Associative learning is most easily achieved using stimuli that are somehow relevant to survival. Furthermore, not all reinforcers are equally effective. Humans and organisms have some kind of biological predisposition: we are predisposed through evolution to learn some associations better than others. A dramatic example of this is illustrated by food aversions. If an organism consumes something that tastes strongly of vanilla and becomes nauseous a few hours later (even if the nausea was not caused by the vanilla food), that organisms will develop a strong aversion to both the taste and the smell of vanilla, even if the nausea occurred hours after consuming the food. This aversion defies many of the principles of associative learning because it occurs after one instance, it can offer after a significant time delay of hours, and it is often an aversion that can last for a very long time, sometimes indefinitely. In studies, researchers tried to condition organisms to associate the feeling of nausea with other things, such as a sound or light but were unable to do so. Therefore, food aversions demonstrated another important face of learning: learning occurs more quickly if it is biologically relevant. Should an organism (or human) try to overcome this aversion through operant conditioning, there is a chance they would experience instinctive drift. Try as they might, organisms have a tendency to revert to unconscious and automatic behavior that could interfere with learned behaviors from operant conditioning. Learning and memory are two processes that work together in shaping behavior, and it is impossible to discuss how learning is processed in the brain without discussing memory. Certain synaptic connections develop in the brain when a memory is formed. Short-term memory lasts for seconds to hours, and can potentially be converted into long-term memory through a process called consolidation. Newly acquired information (such as the knowledge that a reward follows a certain behavior) is temporarily stored in short-term memory and can be transferred into long-term memory under the right conditions. Practice Questions MCAT Official Prep (AAMC) Sample Test P/S Section Passage 4 Question 19 Section Bank P/S Section Passage 12 Question 95
• While many extrinsic factors can influence learning, learning is also limited by the biological constraints of organisms. • It was long believed that learning could occur using any two stimuli or any response and any reinforcer. But again, biology serves as an important constraint. Associative learning is most easily achieved using stimuli that are somehow relevant to survival. • Humans and organisms have some kind of biological predisposition: we are predisposed through evolution to learn some associations better than others. • Instinctive drift occurs when organisms have a tendency to revert to unconscious and automatic behavior that could interfere with learned behaviors from operant conditioning. • Learning and memory are two processes that work together in shaping behavior. Certain synaptic connections develop in the brain when a memory is formed. Short-term memory lasts for seconds to hours, and can potentially be converted into long-term memory through a process called consolidation.
associative learning: a type of learning in which associations are made between events that occur together biological predisposition: when a subject (human, animal, plant) possesses some internal quality that gives them an increased likelihood of having a condition short-term memory: the capacity for holding a small amount of information in an active, readily available state for a brief period of time long-term memory: where lots of information is stored for us to recall at a later time consolidation: when newly acquired information (such as the knowledge that a reward follows a certain behavior) is temporarily stored in short-term memory and can be transferred into long-term memory under the right conditions operant conditioning: initially described by B. F. Skinner, is the learning process by which a response is strengthened or extinguished through the reinforcement or punishment of a behavior reinforcer: something that increases the likelihood that specific behavior or response will occur aversion: a dislike to instinctive drift: the tendency of an animal to revert to unconscious and automatic behaviour synaptic: the end of an axon or a neuron between neurons What is a biological predisposition to learn associations?Biological preparedness is the idea that people and animals are inherently inclined to form associations between certain stimuli and responses. This concept plays an important role in learning, particularly in understanding the classical conditioning process.
What is the best example of social learning?1. Children's Behaviour. The behaviour shown by the children by observing their parents or the other family members is the most prominent example of the social learning theory. If the children feel that their behaviour is being rewarded by the others they keep on imitating that behaviour.
Which of the following is the best example of stimulus generalization?Little Albert's fear of white furry objects is a great example of how stimulus generalization works in classical conditioning. While the child had originally been conditioned to fear a white rat, his fear also generalized to similar objects.
Which of the following is true regarding the application of operant conditioning to learning?Which of the following statements is true regarding the application of operant conditioning to learning? Immediately reinforcing correct responses enhances student learning, because immediate reinforcement has shown to be most effective with regard to learning.
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