Study on Various Types of Learning in the Movie: Finding Nemo

  

Study on Various Types of Learning in the Movie: Finding Nemo

 Pratik Raj Pathak

East Central University

General Psychology PSYCH

Study on Various Types of Learning in the Movie: Finding Nemo

“Finding Nemo” is an American computer animated comedy, drama adventure movie released during 2003. This movie shows the story of overprotective clownfish whose name was Marlin and his son called “Nemo”. Marlin and his son Nemo were left on his family when a predator attack. On Nemo’s first day of school, he was captured by a scuba diver and taken in a fish tank of dentist home. Marlin and his friend Dory who was suffered from short term memory loss set a plan to find and protect Nemo. Marlin and his friend Dory finally reached Sidney where Nemo has been kept and they protect Nemo.

During the movie, there are some scenes which illustrates Operant Conditioning. Operant Conditioning can be best described as the process which tries to modify the behavior by using reinforcement either positive or negative (Laura, 2010). As the movie plays, Marlin and his wife were talking with each other and looking for their children. About fourteen minutes of the movie, there happened an event. It was the first day of school for Nemo and he was with his friends. They saw a boat and except him, all other friends try to go near to that boat but unfortunately his father thought that he was also going near to it so he scold him not to go near to that boat. Nemo tried to convince him that he was not going with his friends but he scold him again. His father tried to be overprotective which Nemo didn’t like. That’s why he swim near to the boat to show that he can do it. His father tried to stop him but he refused and get near to the boat. Suddenly, a Scuba diver reached there and Nemo was in caught. He take Nemo away from his father. Another scene is that, at around last of the movie, Marlin and his friend reached to the Sidney and they were captured by a duck. From there, they were able to get out, but a duck told them that he know his son Nemo, then they were ready to get inside the mouth of the duck. Finally, Marlin saw his son Nemo in the dentist home (Walters & Stanton, 2003).

The first scene shows the negative reinforcement. As negative reinforcement reflects that behavior which tends to increase it by removing something (Laura, 2010). We can relate it to the movie. Here behavior is, Nemo swim near to the boat and reward is that he get succeed to swim near to the boat”. He show others that he can swim. He was angry with his father because he tried to humiliate him. He leaved his father advice to show that he can do which is his achievement. The second scene shows the Positive reinforcement. As positive reinforcement shows that behavior which tends to increase by adding something (Laura, 2010). In the movie the Marlin and his friend Dory were ready to sit inside the mouth of duck. Here behavior is “Taking risk by Marlin and Dory” and the reward would be getting chance to meet his son Nemo. Marlin and his friend take something to increase their behavior and hence they get that chance.

There are also some scenes that illustrates the Operant Conditioning using punishment. Operant Conditioning using punishment can be defined as the decrease in the behavior with the increase of something undesirable attempts. It is of two types Positive and Negative (Laura, 2010). In the movie, when Nemo was kept in a fish tank with other fish, one of the fish made a plan to escape from there. So, that Nemo tried to block the filter by pebbles of the tank to get out of there. But suddenly, the pebble slip and fan began to rotate. At that time Nemo has just climbed from the hole and everybody tried to protect him with the help of flower. At that time Nemo began to cry and the fish said that “No it’s done”. They never want to do it again because they face a big trouble. Also, on the last part of the movie, When Marlin and Dory meet duck to help Nemo, they have to return back without Nemo because they cannot save him. The duck said “I am sorry” and Marlin saw Nemo in a different situation. Due to this, Marlin changed his route and ready to return back to home. Marlin stop his journey because he thought that his son Nemo wasn’t in this world now. He was ready to leave that place with sadness (Walters & Stanton, 2003).     

The first scene of the movie shows the negative punishment. Here negative punishment decreases the behavior and is removing something pleasant after that behavior (Laura, 2010). The fishes in fish tank decides not to do that work again refers to the decrease in behavior whereas the problem faced by that activity reflects the punishment. They tend to remove it for not getting problem again and again. On the other side the second scene shows the Operant positive punishment. Basically, positive punishment means the decrease in behavior and is presenting something unpleasant after that behavior. Like this, the second scene shows that when Marlin tried to protect Nemo, but he didn’t get success. He thought that it was too late to save his child so he decide to return back with the memory of Nemo. He thought that he can’t protect his child that’s why he stop his attempt for saving him. Here Marlin wants to return back, reflects the decrease in behavior whereas he had only his memory of Nemo as he was dead in his opinion reflects the positive punishment.

On the movie, we can see some of the scenes that shows the Observational learning. On the starting of eleventh minute, when Nemo was in school with his friend, tried to go near to the boat but Nemo refused to go there. This is because his father Marlin told him not to go near boat, it’s not safe for fish. That’s why he didn’t go there with his friend (Walters & Stanton, 2003).

Observational learning can be described as the process where someone gets an idea of how to do something by observing the activity performed by others. Observational learning requires attention, interest, memory and motivation (Laura, 2010). By observing his father’s suggestion, Nemo refused to go near to the boat. He observes his father suggestion before he did the work. According to the Bandura’s Model of Observational Learning, attention, retention, motor reproduction and reinforcement are the four steps of learning. Attention is the process of developing cognitive process to see the model to know what it means. For observational learning, it is important to observe the model accurately enough to imitate behavior so attention is essential. Retention is the second stage of observational learning. Retention refers to the process in which the person must remember the aspect of the behavior for the future. The information can be retain by imagine internal representation or by verbal system. The third process is motor reproduction. This includes the process of taking imaginable and verbal representation which then translate into practical behavior and the last one is reinforcement. It includes with incentive, observation into action, pay more attention and retain more information (Laura, 2010). On the movie, first Nemo pay attention to his father. He keeps in mind of all the sentences of his father which shows retention and then slowly translate it into imaginable representation and when his friend tell him to come near to boat, he memorizes these things and disagree to go which shows his reinforcement.

At the time of movie, there was a scene where the Nemo and his friend made a plan to escape from there whenever the dentist leaves the room. When the door closed, they know that it’s the right time to escape. They tried to get out from the filter which is only the way to escape and they have only 4.2 min to get out of there. They saw that when dentist go out of there, the door was closed (Walters & Stanton, 2003).

This is the learning called Classical Conditioning. Classical conditioning is the process of learning where two stimuli are repeatedly paired; a response by the first stimulus which is associated with the second stimulus to give the final result (Laura, 2010). According to the scenes of the movie, the first stimulus is the door which is associated with closing and opening and the final response is either dentist went out or in. As the door closed, they knew that dentist went outside for certain time which illustrates the classical conditioning.

                                                         References

Laura, A. King (2010). Experience Psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Walters, G (Producer), & Stanton, A (Director). (2003). Finding Nemo [Motion picture]. USA: Pixar Animation Studios, Buena Vista Pictures.