Learning And
Memory
B.S zoology
4 semester
th
, LEARNING
Definition: Learning is often defined as a relatively lasting change in behavior that is the result
of experience. One important thing to remember is that learning can involve both beneficial and
negative behaviors. Learning is a natural and ongoing part of life that takes place continually,
both for better and for worse.
Types of Learning:
Classical Conditioning: Classical conditioning is a type of learning that takes place through the
formation of associations.
Learning through association is one of the most fundamental ways that people learn new things.
Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov discovered one method of learning during his experiments on
the digestive systems of dogs. He noted that the dogs would naturally salivate at the sight of
food, but that eventually the dogs also began to salivate whenever they spotted the
experimenter’s white lab coat.
Later experiments involve pairing the sight of food with the sound of a bell tone. After multiple
pairings, the dogs eventually began to salivate to the sound of the bell alone. A neutral stimulus
that naturally and automatically triggers a response is paired with a neutral stimulus. Eventually,
an association forms and the previously neutral stimulus becomes known as a conditioned
stimulus that then triggers a conditioned response.
Operant Conditioning: The consequences of your actions can also play a role in determining
how and what you learn. Behaviorist B.F. Skinner noted that while classical conditioning could
be used to explain some types of learning, it could not account for everything. Instead, he
suggested that reinforcements and punishments were responsible for some types of learning.
When something immediately follows a behavior, it can either increase or decrease the
likelihood that the behavior will occur again in the future. This process is referred to as operant
conditioning.
For example, imagine that you just got a new puppy, and you would like to begin training it to
behave in specific ways. Whenever the puppy does what you want it to do, you reward it with a
small treat or a gentle pat. When the puppy misbehaves, you scold him and do not offer
affection. Eventually, the reinforcement leads to an increase in the desired behaviors and a
decrease in the unwanted behaviors.
Observational Learning: Observational learning occurs by observing the actions and
consequences of other people’s behavior (such as with latent learning).
Memory
B.S zoology
4 semester
th
, LEARNING
Definition: Learning is often defined as a relatively lasting change in behavior that is the result
of experience. One important thing to remember is that learning can involve both beneficial and
negative behaviors. Learning is a natural and ongoing part of life that takes place continually,
both for better and for worse.
Types of Learning:
Classical Conditioning: Classical conditioning is a type of learning that takes place through the
formation of associations.
Learning through association is one of the most fundamental ways that people learn new things.
Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov discovered one method of learning during his experiments on
the digestive systems of dogs. He noted that the dogs would naturally salivate at the sight of
food, but that eventually the dogs also began to salivate whenever they spotted the
experimenter’s white lab coat.
Later experiments involve pairing the sight of food with the sound of a bell tone. After multiple
pairings, the dogs eventually began to salivate to the sound of the bell alone. A neutral stimulus
that naturally and automatically triggers a response is paired with a neutral stimulus. Eventually,
an association forms and the previously neutral stimulus becomes known as a conditioned
stimulus that then triggers a conditioned response.
Operant Conditioning: The consequences of your actions can also play a role in determining
how and what you learn. Behaviorist B.F. Skinner noted that while classical conditioning could
be used to explain some types of learning, it could not account for everything. Instead, he
suggested that reinforcements and punishments were responsible for some types of learning.
When something immediately follows a behavior, it can either increase or decrease the
likelihood that the behavior will occur again in the future. This process is referred to as operant
conditioning.
For example, imagine that you just got a new puppy, and you would like to begin training it to
behave in specific ways. Whenever the puppy does what you want it to do, you reward it with a
small treat or a gentle pat. When the puppy misbehaves, you scold him and do not offer
affection. Eventually, the reinforcement leads to an increase in the desired behaviors and a
decrease in the unwanted behaviors.
Observational Learning: Observational learning occurs by observing the actions and
consequences of other people’s behavior (such as with latent learning).
