The Role of Behavior in Relation to Learning

1057 Words3 Pages

In modern psychology, learning is an important topic. To understand learning, one must also understand the role of behavior in relation to learning. In psychology, classical conditioning, and instrumental conditioning are two types of learning that explain changes in behavior. The relationship between learning and cognition is necessary and their relationship helps to understand learning. With a definition of learning along with an understanding of behavior, the types of learning, and cognition, one can understand what learning is.

Definition of Learning

The extensiveness of learning unfortunately results in no agreed upon definition of learning. There is no definition of learning in which theorists agree that includes the phenomena they want to call learning that excludes other phenomena. The following definition is a fairly good definition: Learning is a relatively permanent change in behavioral potentiality resulting from the occurrence of reinforced practice (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2013). Further examination of this definition can provide more details about what learning is. This definition begins with a relatively permanent change that refers to learning as a relatively stable change in behavior occurring within an organism (Mikulas, 1977). This behavioral change is neither transitory nor fixed, and this change may occur immediately or may not; therefore it occurs at a later time.

When the definition of learning is a change in behavior potential, it pinpoints the distinction between learning and performance. Learning is always translated into measurable behavior. As for performance, this refers to the translation of this potentiality into behavior or what an organism does. The last part of the de...

... middle of paper ...

...ess of importance in psychology. It is a relatively permanent change in behavioral potentiality, which occurs as a result of reinforced practice (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2013). The role of behavior in relation to learning is that behavior provides a measurable and observable means to study learning. Two types of learning are instrumental and classical conditioning. Instrumental and classical conditioning result in learning but the processes for learning differ because instrumental conditioning makes an association between voluntary behaviors and consequences, whereas classical conditioning involves making associations between involuntary responses and stimuli.

References

Olson, M. H. & Hergenhahn, B. R. (2013). An introduction to theories of learning (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Mikulas, W.L. (1977). Psychology of Learning. Chicago, IL: Nelson-Hall.

Open Document