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 Key Terms

Learning Theory Pinterest Page

OpenStax Learning Chapter

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
• 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)