Biological Constraints

Biological constraints predispose organisms to learn associations that are naturally adaptive (we learn behaviours that will also us to survive and pass down our genes). It is very difficult to override these constraints; even training that attempts to override these tendencies will probably not endure, because the we will revert to our biologically predisposed patterns. This is the limit of classical conditioning; natural responses overpowering classic conditioning. For operant conditioning, biological constraints see that learned tasks will quickly deteriorate if the they are not naturally adaptive (liking forcing pigeons to peck to stop a shock and flap their wings for food, rather peck for food and flap to stop a shock). The main limit is the …show more content…
Cognitive processes affect classical conditioning by us learning the to expect an Unconditioned Stimulus (US) and may be aware of the link between the stimuli and the responses. These associations can influence attitudes; an example of this would be British Children coming to like characters that were associated with ice-cream in a cartoon more than characters associated with Brussel Sprouts. In operant conditioning, research (on cognitive mapping and latent learning) we can now know that that cognitive processes are important in learning. Cognitive mapping shows evidence through the study of mice in a maze, where after repeated explorations that could go through a maze easily. A cognitive map is the layout of one’s environment through mental representation. This allows the mice to utilize their latent learning: a type of learning that not until there is an incentive to demonstrate it is not apparent, but occurs. Other research shows that cognitive processes that begin to associate rewards as a motivation (extrinsic) can began to undermine intrinsic motivation since we begin to believe that it’s not worth doing with the