LEARNING
General Psychology Notes
LEARNING
Crucial role in the development of an individual
learning is a continuous process which starts right from the
time of birth of an individual and continues till the death
Learning involves a behavioural change which can be better or
worse.
This behavioural change should take place as a result of practice
and experience. Changes resulting from maturity or growth cannot
be considered as learning
This behavioural change must be relatively permanent and last for a
long time enough.
LEARNING
Gales defined Learning as the “behavioural modification
which occurs as a result of experience as well as training”.
Crow and Crow defined learning as “the process of
acquisition of knowledge, habits and attitudes”.
According to E.A, Peel, “Learning can be described as a
change in the individual which takes place as a result of the
environmental change”.
H.J. Klausmeir described Learning as “a process which leads
to some behavioural change as a result of some experience,
training, observation, activity, etc”.
NATURE OF LEARNING
It is a process not a product
It involves all those experiences and trainings of an individual
from womb to tomb
It produces positive or negative changes in behavior
It prepares the individuals to adjust and to adapt
Learning is purposeful and goal oriented
It covers almost all the domains of human behavior (cognitive,
affective, conative etc.)
It is universal and continuous
It is transferable from situation to situation
It helps in growth and development
Promotes balanced development of personality
TYPES OF LEARNING
Motor Learning: Our day to day activities like walking, running,
driving, etc, must be learnt for ensuring a good life. These activities to a
great extent involve muscular coordination.
Verbal Learning: It is related with the language which we use to
communicate and various other forms of verbal communication such as
symbols, words, languages, sounds, figures and signs.
Concept Learning: This form of learning is associated with higher
order cognitive processes like intelligence, thinking, reasoning, etc,
which we learn right from our childhood. Concept learning involves the
processes of abstraction and generalization, which is very useful for
identifying or recognizing things.
Stimulus – Response Learning: Occur by the conditioning of
respondent behavior through a process of stimulus association and
substitution
Classical conditioning
Operant conditioning
TYPES OF LEARNING
Discrimination Learning: Learning which distinguishes between
various stimuli with its appropriate and different responses is
regarded as discrimination stimuli.
Paired associate Learning: learned by a reason of association
Learning of Principles: Learning which is based on principles
helps in managing the work most effectively. Principles based
learning explains the relationship between various concepts.
Attitude Learning: Attitude shapes our behaviour to a very great
extent, as our positive or negative behaviour is based on our
attitudinal predisposition.
Perception Learning: Learning based on the sense organs and
the perceptual abilities(visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile)
Problem solving Learning: Higher order learning that makes use
of cognitive abilities
FACTORS INFLUENCING LEARNING
The learning process is based on
1. The learner ( whose behavior is expected to change)
2. The experience or training (The process that initiates change)
3. Resources – Men and material (used to initiate change)
Factors associated with learner
Physical health
Mental health
Basic potential of the learner
The level of motivation
Goals of life
Readiness and will power
Maturation
Age
Emotions
Gender
FACTORS INFLUENCING LEARNING
Factors associated with the experience or training
Nature of the training or experience
Meaningfulness of material
Length of the material
Factors associated with the resources
Quality of training
Availability of learning materials
Conducive environment
LAWS OF LEARNING
Law of readiness
Preparatory attitude or an appropriate mindset
The response is depend upon the readiness of sensory and motor
neurons
Law of effect
Responses that produce a satisfying effect in a particular situation
became more likely to occur again in that situation and vice versa
Edward Thorndike
Law of exercise or use
Familiar responses make the learning easier than their counter parts
Law of frequency
The more frequently a connection is exercised, the stronger the
connection becomes
LAWS OF LEARNING
Law of disuse
Disuse weakens the connection between stimulus and response
Law of recency
If the exercise is more recent, the connection will be stronger
Law of primacy
First impression attracts attention and learning
Law of purpose
A clear and definite goal or a purpose accelerates learning
Law of association
Association of ideas promote learning
LEARNING THEORIES
Trail and error learning
Learning is the process of internalizing the correct responses by excluding
the incorrect responses through trail and error
Classical conditioning
Learning is the result of the association of / the interaction between
stimulus and response
Operant conditioning
Learning is a voluntary response which can be strengthened or weakened
by favorable and unfavorable consequences
Gestalt theory
Learning is a purposeful, exploratory and creative process which
restructures the field of perception through insight
Cognitive theory
Learning the result of mental processes not just a stimulus response
reaction
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