Learning is a central concept for psychology, not only with regard to theories that try to explain animal and human behavior, but also with regard to various fields of application of knowledge, such as education and health. , among others. Psychologists generally view learning as a long-term change in behavior or mental associations as a result of experience, and the psychology of learning is a theoretical science that covers the various psychological theories related to learning. With this Psychology-Online article we will discover What is the psychology of learning, its history, as well as its books and authors reference.
What is learning
To know the definition of learning psychology, we will first see what learning is in psychology. He learning it’s a process that consists of the acquisition or transformation of knowledge, skills, behaviors, beliefs or orientations through experience; a relatively stable change, derived from a unique new experience, or its repetition. Furthermore, learning can refer to the synthesis of different types of content (theoretical-declarative, practical, procedural, experiential, valuable, etc.).
The experiences carried out have the capacity to significantly influence the neural connections (that is, the messages exchanged by the cells that make up the tissue of our brain structures) both in functional terms (variation in the amount of neurotransmitter released) and in terms of structure (expansion or reduction of connections). This phenomenon, called neuronal plasticity, is particularly present in childhood, and is fulfilled in the presence of one of the following two conditions:
- During the development normal brain, when it begins to process sensory information, until adulthood (plasticity of development and plasticity of learning and memory).
- As a compensatory mechanism due to loss of function and/or maximization of the potential of surviving functions as a consequence of brain damage.
The environment has a great influence on the Neuronal plasticity: Environments rich in stimuli adapted to the child’s developmental needs favor this phenomenon. In this article you can see.
The psychology of learning is the science that studies all of this. Next we will see the objectives of the psychology of learning.
What the psychology of learning studies
The psychology of learning is a discipline that falls within the tradition of experimental psychology that tries to explain and predict the acquisition, maintenance and change in the behavior of organisms as a result of experience.
Behavior, from the point of view of this discipline, is everything that an organism does, including covert phenomena such as thinking or consciousness. However, “mental” processes are not the explanation of behavior, but rather another behavior that must be explained. Modern learning theories point out that behavior is due to a complete interaction between genetic factors and environmental experiences. These theories are based on observation and controlled experimentation, providing an explanation of learning and behavior within the framework of natural science.
History of the psychology of learning
Until two or three centuries ago, the idea of behavioral learning had secondary weight. It was considered that while animals act fundamentally moved by their innate instincts, people behave guided by our free and conscious will (free will), thus escaping natural laws. Such a conception of man began to change in the 17th century when Rene Descarteswithin his dualistic mind-body philosophy, distinguished between voluntary and involuntary behavior. Only the first, originating in the mind, would be guided through the brain by deliberate intentionality and would not depend on external stimuli. The second type of behavior (reflexes), originating in the physical world and mediated by the nervous system, would consist of automatic reactions triggered by external stimuli.
From this dichotomy two traditions emerged:
- He mentalismwho was in charge of studying the contents and way of operating of the mind.
- The reflexologywhich was responsible for analyzing the nature and mechanisms of reflex actions.
And in both fields the idea of learning was progressively implemented.
Theories and authors of the psychology of learning
There are numerous sources of knowledge that can be considered as antecedents of the psychology of learning. Among them, the classical associationist theoryhe british empiricismhe cartesian dualismthe reflexology and the theory of evolution.
Throughout history, there have been many different theories of psychological learning. Some approaches take a more behavioral line that focuses on input and reinforcement; Others, such as theories of neuroscience and social cognition, focus more on the organization and structure of the brain to define learning. Theories like social constructivism, on the other hand, focus more on their own interaction with the environment and with others; others, such as those related to the motivationfocus primarily on the individual.
Below is a list of some people whose contributions, discoveries and theories were important for the development of the psychology of learning:
- Socrates (469-399 BC), has introduced a learning method known as pilotagethrough which one arrives at one’s own answers through the power of reasoning.
- Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850-1909) examined learning, studying the mechanical memory and oblivion.
- Edward Thorndike (1874-1949) presented his theory of “Law of Effect” in 1898, according to which humans and other animals learn behaviors through trial and error methods.
- Ivan P. Pavlov (1849-1936), Russian physiologist who contributed to research on learning: his approach was behavioral, later known as classical conditioning. In this article you will find the.
- Burrhus F. Skinner (1904-1990) developed a operant conditioning, in which specific behaviors derived from stimuli that made them appear more or less frequently. Here you can read.
- Jean Piaget (1896-1980) is known for his theory of cognitive development which describes how children create a mental model of the world around them; important because one of the first theories disagreed with the idea that intelligence was a strong trait. Know all the.
- Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934), best known for his theory of cognitive development known as theory of social development. Here we explain the.
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Bibliography
- Foufe Torres, M. (2011). Psychology of Learning. Behavioral principles and applications. Madrid: Paraninfo Editions.
- Miglino, O. (2020). Psicologia dell’apprendimento. Retrieved from: https://www.federica.eu/c/psicologia_dellapprendimento/
- Ormrod, J. E. (2012). Psychology of Learning (Overview Article). Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6_792
- Pellón Suárez de Puga, R. (et al.) (2015). Learning psychology. Madrid: UNED.
- Ribes Iñesta, E. (2002). Psychology of Learning. Mexico City: Editorial El Manual Moderno.