What is the difference between associative and non associative learning?

Associative learning occurs through the association of two previously unrelated stimuli, and includes reinforcement, whereas non-associative learning occurs in response to a single stimulus, without reinforcement.Click to see full answer. Then, what is associative and nonassociative learning?Associative learning is when you learn something new about a new kind of stimulus (that is, an extra stimulus). Non-associative learning is when you’re not pairing a stimulus with a behavior. Non-associative learning can be either habituation or sensitization. Noise is a great example of something that we habituate to.Additionally, what is the definition of associative learning? Associative Learning and Behavior Associative learning is a form of conditioning, a theory that states behavior can be modified or learned based on a stimulus and a response. Much like conditioning, associative memory can be called upon based on the relationship between two stimuli. Regarding this, which is an example of associative learning? The most famous example is Ivan Pavlov’s use of dogs to demonstrate that a stimulus, such as the ringing of a bell, leads to a reward, or food. Two types of associative learning exist: classical conditioning, such as in Pavlov’s dog; and operant conditioning, or the use of reinforcement through rewards and punishments.What are two types of non associative learning?And what’s important here is that habituation and sensitization are the two key forms of non-associative learning. And when I say non-associative learning, focus on the associative. And this is different to associative and operant conditioning, which do involve things like reinforcement and punishment, for example.

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Most animals show some degree of non-associative learning. This means they change their response to a stimuli without association with a positive or negative reinforcement. Animals frequently subjected to a stimulus will often become habituated to that stimulus--they will show a reduction or total elimination of response to a stimulus without positive or negative reinforcement. If you poke them, sea slugs (Aplysia) will curl inwards. However, if you poke them repeatedly, the response will become less and less extreme until they do not withdraw at all. When presented with a novel stimulus, such as an electric shock, the sea slugs will recover their withdrawal response to poking. This phenomenon in which the habituation disappears is, conveniently, known as dishabituation. Furthermore, the sea slugs can be sensitized, whereby they will show an increased response to poking after first being presented with a strong or novel stimulus. The difference between dishabituation and sensitization is that dishabituation involves the recovery of the original response while sensitization produces a response stronger than the original one.

Associative Learning

Classical Conditioning

In 1902, the Russian physiologist, Ivan Pavlov, began his famous experiments on conditioning. Pavlov repeatedly presented a dog with food following the ringing of a bell. When the bell sounded without the presentation of food, the dog would still respond to the bell as if it were food. Pavlov collected the dogs' saliva and found that the amount of saliva produced by bell ringing increased as the dogs were more frequently exposed to the coupling of food presentation and bell ringing. The dog had learned to associate the sound of the bell with food. Pavlov called the food an unconditional stimulus, or UCS, because the dog's normal reaction would be to salivate at the presentation of food. The bell he termed the conditional stimulus, or CS, because response to the bell was conditional upon the association between the bell and food. For the same reasons, salivation in response to food was labeled the unconditional response, or UCR, while salivation in response to the bell was called the conditional response, or CR. Conditioning the dog to salivate at the sound of the bell occurred as a result of a contingency between the UCS and the CS. Pavlov's experiment was an example of positive conditioning. It is also possible to negatively condition an animal by using an unpleasant UCS.

Operant Conditioning

In classical conditioning, the animal receives no benefit from associating the CS with the UCS. However, in operant conditioning, an unassociated behavior becomes associated with a reward. B.F. Skinner designed an apparatus called a "Skinner box" to test the interaction between UCS and CS. A rat was placed inside the Skinner box; if the rat pressed down a lever inside the box then the box would release a food pellet. Soon, the rat pressed the lever far more often than he would just by chance. Most likely, the first time the rat pressed the lever it was by chance. But with each instance of lever pressing, the operant is reinforced by reward with food. The rat learns that pressing the lever is associated with food, and so he will increasingly press it. Almost any operant and reward system can be used effectively.

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Associative and Non-Associative learning are two types of learning between which a key difference can be identified. Associative learning refers to a variety of learning in which ideas and experiences are connected. On the other hand, Non-associative learning is another variety of learning in which an association between stimuli does not take place. The key difference is while stimuli are linked in associative learning; in non-associative learning this does not take place.

What is Associative Learning?

Associative learning refers to a variety of learning in which ideas and experiences are connected. The human brain is organized in such a way that recalling a single piece of information in isolation is often difficult. This is because it is connected to other types of information.  The theory of associative learning highlights this connection or link between ideas.

According to psychologists, associative learning takes place when we learn something with the assistance of a new stimulus. Here the theory of conditioning comes into play. Through conditioning, psychologists emphasize how human behavior can be altered or how new patterns of behavior can be created in the individual. The process of associative learning takes place through two types of conditioning. They are,

1. Classical conditioning
2. Operant conditioning

Classical conditioning was a technique introduced by Ivan Pavlov where he conducts an experiment using a dog. In the first phase of the experiment, he presents the dog with food and notices how it salivates. Then he introduces a bell just as the food is being presented and notices how the dog salivates. Thirdly he rings the bell without presenting the food but notices that the dog salivates. Through this, he explains how a natural response to a stimulus can be conditioned where a conditioned response can be created from a conditioned stimulus.

In Operant conditioning, B. F Skinner explains how rewards and punishments can be used to train new behavior. For instance, imagine a child is given a bar of chocolate after getting good marks at an exam. This is an example of a reward. Or else imagine a child is grounded for misbehaving. This is an example of punishment. Through associative learning, a new behavior is promoted based on a new stimulus.

What is Non-Associative Learning?

Non-associative learning is another variety of learning in which an association between stimuli does not take place. To be more descriptive, in non-associative learning the behavior and stimulus are not paired or linked together. This form of learning is quite common in animals.   Mainly there are two types of non-associative learning. They are,

1. Habituation
2. Sensitization

Habituation is when the responsiveness of an organism to a repeatedly exposed stimulus decreases.  Simply, it is when a person or animal reacts less and less to something due to exposure. For example, imagine a child who is always being scolded. Although the child may first react to this, as he begins to experience it all the time, the child reacts less and less. Sensitization is when the responsiveness of an organism to a repeatedly exposed stimulus increases or else the person or animal reacts even more each time it is exposed to the stimulus.

What is the difference between Associative and Non-Associative Learning?

Definitions of Associative and Non-Associative Learning:

Associative Learning: Associative learning refers to a variety of learning in which ideas and experiences are connected.

Non-Associative Learning: Non-associative learning is another variety of learning in which an association between stimuli does not take place.

Characteristics of Associative and Non-Associative Learning:

Linking:

Associative Learning: Linking takes place between behavior and new stimulus.

Non-Associative Learning: Linking does not take place.

Types:

Associative Learning: Classical and Operant conditioning can be considered as types of associative learning.

Non-Associative Learning: Habituation and Sensitization can be considered as types of non-associative learning.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Dog training” by Moshe Blank – Own work. [CC BY-SA 3.0] via Commons

2. “Aplysia californica” by Genny Anderson [CC BY-SA 4.0] via Commons