In modern psychology, learning is an important topic. To understand learning, one must also understand the role of behavior in relation to learning. In psychology, classical conditioning, and instrumental conditioning are two types of learning that explain changes in behavior. The relationship between learning and cognition is necessary and their relationship helps to understand learning. With a definition of learning along with an understanding of behavior, the types of learning, and cognition, one can understand what learning is.
Definition of Learning
The extensiveness of learning unfortunately results in no agreed upon definition of learning. There is no definition of learning in which theorists agree that includes the phenomena they want to call learning that excludes other phenomena. The following definition is a fairly good definition: Learning is a relatively permanent change in behavioral potentiality resulting from the occurrence of reinforced practice (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2013). Further examination of this definition can provide more details about what learning is. This definition begins with a relatively permanent change that refers to learning as a relatively stable change in behavior occurring within an organism (Mikulas, 1977). This behavioral change is neither transitory nor fixed, and this change may occur immediately or may not; therefore it occurs at a later time.
When the definition of learning is a change in behavior potential, it pinpoints the distinction between learning and performance. Learning is always translated into measurable behavior. As for performance, this refers to the translation of this potentiality into behavior or what an organism does. The last part of the de...
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...ess of importance in psychology. It is a relatively permanent change in behavioral potentiality, which occurs as a result of reinforced practice (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2013). The role of behavior in relation to learning is that behavior provides a measurable and observable means to study learning. Two types of learning are instrumental and classical conditioning. Instrumental and classical conditioning result in learning but the processes for learning differ because instrumental conditioning makes an association between voluntary behaviors and consequences, whereas classical conditioning involves making associations between involuntary responses and stimuli.
References
Olson, M. H. & Hergenhahn, B. R. (2013). An introduction to theories of learning (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Mikulas, W.L. (1977). Psychology of Learning. Chicago, IL: Nelson-Hall.
The two main forms of conditioning, are classical conditioning (learning by association), and operant condition (learning from consequences).Classical conditioning, is the learning process in which one is conditioned (learns) to respond to a neutral stimulus as if it were a meaningful stimulus. In operant conditioning, learning occurs through associations made between a behavior and the consequence that follows.
Coon, D. & Mitterer, J. (2013) Introduction to Psychology Belmont CA. : Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Retrieved May 07, 2014
Learning is one of the most fundamental ideas humans can process. The ability of humans to learn(a) certain task is the key to what separates them from other organisms. The dictionary definition of learning was previously stated. But thi...
Schunk, D. H. (2000) Learning theories. An educational perspective. (3rd ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
then replicating the behavior that was observed. Observational learning is an important area inthe field of psychology because according to www.ncbi.nlm.nin.gov research in observational learning represents a critical development in the history of psychology. There are many learningtheories such as classical conditioning and operant conditioning which emphasize how direct experiences, reinforcements, and punishment lead to learning, but most learning happens indirectly by watching and imitating others. Observational learning is also referred to as shaping, modeling,
Nevid, J. S. (2012). Essentials of psychology: Concepts and applications. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
...ese aspect of the behaviorist theory of learning avoid the notion that human beings have any power of free will or cognitive abilities, and that “there is little difference between the learning that takes place in humans and that in other animals” (McLeod, 2013).
There are many differences and similarities between each of these learning processes. For example, classical conditioning involves only involuntary or reflex responses where as operant conditioning involves both involuntary and voluntary reflexes. These different learning processes can be used independently in many different situations. Where Classical conditioning may be more effective in one situation it may be useless in another. For this reason each of these learning processes, Classical and operant conditioning, and observational and insight learning are each as important and effective as the other.
B. F. Skinner, the most well-known American Psychologist who was the top exponent of the school of psychology that was known as behaviorism, preserved the impression that learning is an end result of change in evident behavior. The changes in behavior are determined by the way individuals reply to stimuli (events) in the environment. B.F. Skinner defined this phenomenon as operant conditioning. Operant conditioning means changing of behavior by the use of reinforcement which is given after the desired response (McLeod, 2007). This
Learning is defined as a “process of change that occurs as a result of an individual’s experience” (Mazure, 2006). Researchers assume that the process of learning follows certain general principles, which were developed, into the general process learning theories. These include operant conditioning and classical conditioning which has been put forward by leading psychologists like Pavlov, B.F.Skinner and Thorndike. However, in learning, operant and classical conditoning are opposed by biological constraints that state that there are limitations to the theories. Some of these biological constraints on learning will be discussed below.
Behaviorism was developed to study observable behavior. Because behaviorism describes the learning process it is also known as the learning theory. Behaviorists indicate that learning and development progress over time, and that the process is due to natural behavior guidelines that control responses and actions. Behaviorism theorists explain conditioning as a response that is paired with a specific stimuli, and thus learning begins. The two types of conditioning are classical and operant. These two types of theories are different in many ways, but are also extremely similar.
Olson, M. H. & Hergenhahn, B. R. (2013). An introduction to theories of learning. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Classical conditioning and operant conditioning both played a key role in the history of the study of learning, but, as argued by B.F Skinner, there are key differences to be noted between the two (Gleitman, Gross, Reisberg, 2011).
Lieberman, D. A. (2000). Learning, Behavior and Cognition (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. [Chapter 7]
In contrast to classical conditioning, operant conditioning, discovered by B.F Skinner, is a learning process that involves either an increase or decrease in some behavior as a result of consequences (Amabile, 1985). Operant conditioning attempts to elicit new behavior through use of reinforcers and punishments.