Our mind works like an enormous memory in which most of the knowledge is achieved more by inferences of an analogical-associative type than by linear procedures of a logical-syllogistic type. Precisely, due to these modalities, a large part of the mind’s elaboration mechanisms escape us and much of the material collected remains below the threshold of consciousness.
Studying associations means, therefore, immersing yourself in this world, entering the field of uncertainty and assuming the risk of unverifiable connections. In this Psychology-Online article, we will see what What is associative learning, its characteristics and some examples.
What is associative learning
Associative learning is relevant for the brain representation of experiences and for the acquisition of their meaning. It is a form of learning based on experience in which several mental elements are combined to produce an idea, a memory or an action. The representation of these sets is deposited in the brain’s neural network. In this article, you will find information about .
To fully understand what associative learning is, it is important to differentiate it from others, specifically, repetition learning. Let’s see how each of them works at the neuronal level:
- Repetition learning: in mechanical repetition, among all possible neuronal connections, those in which they occur most frequently, but with many possibilities of error, are gradually consolidated.
- Associative learning: specific neural connections are established, and, at a mental level, resorting to associative techniques requires a greater dose of energy at first, but avoids risks. In the long term it translates into saving time and fatigue.
Types of associative learning
Associative learning, simple or mechanical, is based on the stimulus-response relationship that gives rise to habits. It should be noted that the types of association learning are , and combined response learning. Let’s see what they consist of and examples of them.
- Classical conditioning: one of the theories of associative learning. It is based on the experimental paradigms of PI who exposed dogs to some stimuli during food intake and noticed that, upon repeating the same stimuli, dogs produced salivary secretion in the absence of food, after a series of tests. This is how it was determined.
- Operant conditioning: reinforcement, extinction, generalization and discrimination. The theory was introduced after the experiments of EL Thorndike who studied instrumental conditioning, also called trial and error learning. This conditioning is based on the law of reaction effect, since responses, if reinforced by something the animal needs, are more likely to occur.
- Combined response learning: It no longer refers to a single response, as in classical and operant conditioning, but to a set of acts and/or behaviors coordinated with each other to obtain a specific response. Learning of combined responses is assessed by the learning curve, which records a person’s performance levels.
Characteristics of associative learning
To understand it better, let’s look at one of the examples of associative learning: to acquire the meaning of the word “fish” it is necessary to combine stimuli with different sensory modes related to this object, as well as stimuli related to the environmental conditions in which it is located. In fact, you can see, smell, taste or touch a fish while hearing the word itself.
These multimodal perceptions and actions are related to neural activity in different areas, therefore, they are activated in different sensory and motor areas at the same time as those located in the brain areas that contain word representations.
According to the American psychologist Donald O. Hebb, the greatest theorist of this type of learning, the characteristics of the associative learning process are:
- Neurons which are connected to each other and are often activated simultaneously, reinforce their connections and are structured in a set of a higher order that represents a concept in its motor, perceptual, mnesic, linguistic and semantic aspects.
- After the formation of the ensemble, a signal coming from a single perceptual channel is sufficient to activate the whole whole, including the semantic representation and vice versa. The set can be activated only by the semantic input.
- Thus, the frequent contemporary activation and the correlation of the word and the stimuli related to meaning, they are necessary only in the phase of the acquisition process.
- Next, strong higher-order connections within the whole ensure its full activation when a single part is activated. Therefore, they guarantee a high degree of correlation between the activities of all parts of the assembly and its stability.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Bortolato, C. (1999). I will stop the tabelline. Visual memory strategy and associative learning. Trent: Erickson.
- Encyclopedia of Science and Technology (2009). Associative learning. Retrieved from: https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/apprendimento-associativo_%28Enciclopedia-della-Scienza-e-della-Tecnica%29/
- Gatti, F., Gatti, C., Gatti, L.G. (2007). Cognitivism, problem solving and operational problems. Rome: Edizioni Universitarie Romane.