Learning and cognition paper Essay

Learning as it is commonly used is defined as the acquisition of knowledge, skills, behavior, preferences and understanding from experiences, whether real, induced or vicarious. Technically, however, learning is used more broadly by the psychologists, making it almost impossible to give it an exact definition. What can only be done is to describe it in terms of phenomena to which it can or cannot be applied. For example, psychologists say that learning need not be correct or adaptive, or it does not have to be conscious or deliberate (Hill, 1980). This process is not limited to humans. Animals, and even machines may also undergo this process, although each individual’s learning processes follow different learning curves. The role of behavior in an individual’s learning process is best explained by Bandura’s Social Learning Theory. This theory posits that individuals learn by observing, imitating and modeling other individuals’ skills, behaviors and attitudes, in relation to the outcomes of such skills, behaviors and attitudes. The information gathered from these behaviors, skills and attitudes then, are interpreted, consciously or unconsciously to determine whether such behaviors, skills and attitudes would be serve some future beneficial purpose (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2009). In other words, people use these behaviors and its consequences as guide for their subsequent behaviors. 2. What are the two different types of learning? The two types of learning usually examined by psychologists are classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning is the type of learning wherein a reflexive response is evoked by a stimulus (stimulus B) which is different from the stimulus (stimulus A) that originally evoked such reflexive response (Learning and Conditioning, 2009). For example, a person had very fond memories of his/her 10th birthday which was held at restaurant A. When asked what his/favorite restaurant is, that person would immediately blurt out restaurant A. In this example, the positive feeling brought about by the memories of the person’s 10th birthday had been transferred, or rather, had been extended to the place where the person’s birthday was held. The other type of learning is called Operant conditioning. This is the type of learning wherein punishment causes the weakening or non-reinforcement of a non-reflexive behavior, and reinforcement strengthens a non-reflexive behavior. Unlike classical conditioning, in operant conditioning, an individual has more control. Meaning, presentation of a stimulus does not necessarily mean that a certain reaction will be evoked. In order to receive a certain reinforcement, an individual must behave in certain manner (Learning and Conditioning, 2009). One example of operant conditioning involves a professor’s attempt to improve his students’ attendance. To do this, he made a rule that students who obtain a certain number of absences will have an automatic one-point deduction in their final grades. Although he said nothing about any reward for full attendance, the threat of lower grades forced the students to limit their absences. 3. What is the relationship between learning and condition? Provide a specific example. Jean Piaget’s theory of cognition lays out 4 stages of cognition that is experienced by children as they progress. From the sensorimotor period when the child’s cognitive system is still limited to his/her motor reflexes, the cognitive system will develop to preoperational thought wherein a child acquires representational skills especially in mental imagery and language. The third stage is the concrete operations wherein the child acquires an ability to take another person’s point of view. Lastly, although, not everyone reaches this stage, a child becomes capable of logical and abstract thinking (Sandwell, 1995). Learning as defined earlier refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills and behavior based on experience. Note that the definition involves the world acquisition. Naturally, for an individual who learns and therefore undergo the process of ‘acquisition,’ he/she should have the capacity to acquire. This is where cognition comes in. Assuming that Piaget’s theory is indubitable, each individual must necessarily be in one of the four stages. It is the individual’s ability or capacity as described in each of the four stages that limits the knowledge, skills or behavior that such individual can acquire or learn. An individual who is still in level one of Piaget’s cognitive development cannot be expected to reason out with a person who has already attained a Doctorate degree since his/her cognition is limited to motor skills. Such individual cannot also be expected to understand or learn Algebra because such requires logic and therefore the skills attained in Piaget’s fourth stage. References Hill, W.(1980). Learning: A survey of psychological interpretations. Taylor and Francis: USA. Learning and Conditioning. (2009). Alleydog. Retrieved 26 April 2009 from http://www. alleydog. com/101notes/conditioning. html. Learning Theories Knowledgebase (2009). Social Learning Theory (Bandura) at Learning-Theories. com. Retrieved April 27, 2009 from http://www. learning-theories. com/social-learning-theory-bandura. html Sandwell, J. (1995). Piaget’s stage theory of development. Retrieved 26 April 2009 from http://penta. ufrgs. br/edu/telelab/3/piaget%27s. htm.