Psychology of learning

Psychology of learning

The psychology of learning is a theoretical science which seeks understanding of learning.

Learning is a process that depends on experience and leads to longterm changes in behavior potential. Behavior potential designates the possible behavior of an individual, not actual behavior. The main assumption behind all learning psychology is that the effects of the environment, conditioning, reinforcement, etc. provide psychologists with the best information from which to understand human behavior.

As opposed to "short term" changes in behavior potential (caused e.g. by fatigue) learning implies "long term" changes. As opposed to long term changes caused by "aging and development", learning implies changes related directly to "experience".

Learning theories try to better understand how the learning process works. Major research traditions are behaviorism, Cognitivism (psychology) and self-regulated learning. Neurosciences have provided important insights into learning, too, even when using much simpler organisms than humans (aplysia).

See also

*Learning
*Latent learning
*Learning theory (education)

Readings

* Zentall, T.R. (2006). Imitation: Definitions, evidence, and mechanisms. "Animal Cognition, 9," 335-353. (A thorough review of different types of social learning) [http://www.cogs.indiana.edu/spackled/imitation.pdf Full text]


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