Download Chapter-7-Lecture

Basic Principles of
Learning
Chapter 7, Lecture 1
“Learning breeds hope. What is learnable we
can potentially teach – a fact that encourages
parents, educators, coaches, and animal
trainers.”
- David Myers
In your notes (and without consulting your
reading notes or textbook), answer the question:
What is learning?
Now, in pairs, take a look at Handout 7-2…
…let’s apply your definitions…
Definition
Learning refers to the relatively permanent
change in a person’s behavior to a given
situation brought about by her (or his) repeated
experiences in that situation, provided that the
behavior change cannot be explained on the
basis of native response tendencies, maturation,
or temporary states of the person or other
animal (e.g., fatigue, drugs, etc.).
How Do We Learn?
We learn by association. Our minds naturally
connect events that occur in sequence.
2000 years ago, Aristotle suggested this law
of association. Then 200 years ago Locke and
Hume reiterated this law.
Associative Learning
Learning to associate one stimulus with another.
Associative Learning
Learning to associate one stimulus with another.
Associative Learning
Learning to associate a response with a consequence.
Associative Learning
Learning to associate a response with a consequence.
Homework
Read p.294-304
“We learn to expect and prepare for significant events
such as food or pain (classical conditioning). We also
learn to repeat acts that bring good results and to avoid
acts that bring bad results (operant conditioning). By
watching others we learn new behaviors
(observational learning). And through language, we
also learn things we have neither experienced nor
observed.”
- David Myers