Theories Of Learning: Important Theories Of Learning By Pavlov, Humanists And More!

Learning is how our behavior changes because of experience. It allows humans to gain knowledge and skills. There are different theories of learning to depict how learning happens. Let us look at learning theories in education and psychology below.

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Pavlov's Classical Conditioning Model

Pavlov's Classical Conditioning Model is one of the most important theories of learning. In classical conditioning, an organism learns to connect a stimulus with a response. The organism learns to react to things that do not automatically cause that response.

• Pavlov studied classical conditioning in his experiments with dogs. He taught us a lot about how it works.
• In Pavlov's experiments, there were 3 important things:
• Unconditioned stimulus: This causes an automatic response without any learning. In Pavlov's experiment, food was an unconditioned stimulus. When the dogs smelled food, they automatically salivated.
• Unconditioned response: This is the natural response to the unconditioned stimulus without any learning. In Pavlov's experiment, salivating was the unconditioned response to the smell of food.
• Neutral stimulus: This does not cause a response at first. In Pavlov's experiment, a bell was a neutral stimulus at first. The bell alone did not make the dogs salivate at first.
• In Pavlov's experiments, he paired the unconditioned stimulus with the neutral stimulus.
• He rang a bell while giving the dogs food. Food is the unconditioned stimulus. Salivating is the unconditioned response. The bell is a neutral stimulus at first.
• Pavlov rang the bell and gave the dogs food many times.
• After many pairings, the dogs learned to connect the bell and the food. The bell became a conditioned stimulus. When the dogs heard the bell, they started to salivate. Salivating became the conditioned response. The dogs learned to connect the 2 events.
• Conditioned stimulus: A neutral stimulus that, after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus, causes a conditioned response. In Pavlov's experiment, the bell became a conditioned stimulus.
• Conditioned response: The learned response to a conditioned stimulus. In Pavlov's experiment, salivating to the bell became the conditioned response.
• Classical conditioning has 3 stages:
• Acquisition: Repeated pairings of the unconditioned stimulus and neutral stimulus. The neutral stimulus starts to cause a response.
• Strength: The more pairings, the stronger the conditioned response becomes.
• Extinction: When the conditioned stimulus no longer predicts the unconditioned stimulus. The conditioned response goes away over time.
• Classical conditioning explains a lot:
• Phobias form if a dangerous event pairs with a neutral thing.
• Advertisers pair brands with good feelings to make people like their brands.
• Habits form from cues paired with rewards each day.
• Conditioning reduces pain responses in newborns.
• Pavlov's experiments showed learning can happen when a neutral stimulus becomes linked with an existing response. Classical conditioning forms associations that influence reactions and behaviors. The dogs learned to salivate to the bell because of its association with food.

In summary, Pavlov's work on classical conditioning taught us how organisms can learn to connect stimuli and responses through experience. It explains many important types of learning in simple but powerful terms.

Also Read About Methods of Psychology!

Behaviorism Learning Theory

Behaviorism learning theory is one of the most important theories of learning. Behaviorists study how animals and people behave and learn. They think you can measure and predict behaviors. Behaviorists focus on things you can see, not what people think.

• The behaviorist learning theory has 3 main ideas:
• Learning changes how you act in a visible way.
• The world around you shapes your behavior.
• Giving rewards or punishments changes behavior.
• Behaviorists do planned experiments to test their ideas. They want to predict and control behavior.
• Some important behaviorist ideas are:
• Classical conditioning - Pavlov showed organisms link things by what they experience. A neutral thing becomes tied to a response.
• Operant conditioning - Skinner showed rewards and punishments change behavior. Actions tied to rewards happen more. Actions tied to punishments happen less.
• Shaping - You build new behaviors by rewarding closer and closer tries. Rewards for small changes make the wanted behavior.
• Extinction- When a learned response goes away if things are no longer tied together. The behavior declines if rewards stop.
• Generalization - Organisms respond the same to things that are alike. What you learn, for one thing, spreads to similar things.
• Discrimination - Organisms learn to respond differently to things that are different. Learning to tell things apart and pick the right response.
• Some behaviorist strategies are:
• Positive reinforcement - Adding a reward to increase a behavior. Praise, prizes, and incentives.
• Negative reinforcement- Removing something unpleasant to increase a behavior. Avoiding bad feelings.
• Punishment - Adding something unpleasant to decrease a behavior. Reproofs, penalties, or loss of privileges.
• Extinction - Stopping rewards for an unwanted behavior to make it decrease. Ignoring the behavior.
• Behavior therapy uses behaviorist techniques to solve mental problems. It focuses on symptoms, not causes. Behavior therapy aims to:
• Reduce unwanted behaviors
• Increase helpful behaviors
• Change things in the world that shape behavior
• Use rewards and extinction instead of just talk
• Behaviorism makes learning simple by just focusing on things you can see and reasons in the world. It does not think about what people think. Behaviorists try using scientific rules to understand and change behavior.

In summary, behaviorism studies learning as changes you can see because of reasons in the world. Behaviorists try measuring, predicting, and controlling behavior with planned experiments. Behaviorist strategies focus on rewarding wanted behaviors while reducing or getting rid of unwanted behaviors using rewards and punishments.

Read Here About Difference between Qualitative and Quantitative Research!

Cognitive Learning Theory

Cognitive learning theory is one of the most important theories of learning. The cognitive learning theory focuses on how students process and store new information. It explains how we learn and remember new information based on our mental abilities and processes. Our senses help us gain information from our surroundings. But our brains help us make sense of this information, store it, and use it when needed.

• The cognitive theory explains that learning happens in three important steps:
• Attention - The learner pays attention to the new information by focusing on the senses and thinking.
• Encoding - The new information is put into long-term memory by organizing and changing it to fit existing knowledge.
• Storage and retrieval - The memory stores the information for future use and retrieves it when needed.
• Let's understand each of these steps in detail:
• Attention: For learning to happen, the learner must first notice and pay attention to the new information. To pay attention, the senses must focus on hearing words, seeing pictures, reading text, etc. But attention alone is not enough. The learner also needs to think about the new information for encoding and storage to happen.
• Encoding: When we pay attention to new information, our brains start the encoding process. The information travels from our senses to our working memory, which can only hold so much for a short time. For the information to move into long-term memory, the brain assigns meanings to facts, pictures, and words by relating them to already stored information. It organizes the new information and changes its form to attach it to memories that we already have. This process of organizing and changing the information for storage is called encoding.
• Storage and Retrieval: Once encoded, the information moves into long-term memory for storage. Memory stores information in the form of facts, images, stories, and concepts. Then whenever needed, the long-term memory retrieves this information for the learner to use and apply. The better we encode information, the easier it is for us to retrieve and use it. For effective encoding and good storage, learners need strategies like repeating information out loud, making outlines and webs, using mnemonics and pictures, comparing and contrasting, etc. These strategies help learners understand and remember new information easily.
• Important strengths of the cognitive theory are:
• It explains that learning depends on how information is processed and organized in the mind.
• It focuses on the mental activities that help turn information into knowledge and memories.
• It helps educators understand how to improve memory and thinking skills to aid learning.
• Some limitations of this theory are:
• It does not consider the role of emotions and motivation in learning.
• It ignores individual differences in the way people learn.
• It mainly focuses on rote memorization and not a deep understanding of concepts.

In summary, the cognitive view explains that learning happens through a series of mental processes like attention, encoding, and storage. It emphasizes the importance of how information is organized and processed in the mind for effective learning to happen. While it brings useful insights about memory and thinking, the theory does not consider some other important factors that impact learning.

Read About Types of Research in Psychology Here!

Humanism Learning Theory

Humanism learning theory is one of the most important theories of learning. This learning theory believes every student is different. People are born to grow up good. Humanism starts with this belief. The teacher helps the students find their potential.

• Humanism learning theory emphasizes the experience. Experience helps a student understand and gain knowledge. The student's experience connects with new knowledge. Experience makes learning meaningful to the student.
• Humanism focuses on the whole student. It cares for students' social and emotional development. Not just their intellectual growth. Humanism believes all students have potential. The teacher brings out this potential.
• The student is at the center. The teacher encourages creativity, curiosity, and independence in students. The teacher is a guide. The teacher helps students learn through their experiences. The teacher respects each student.
• The teacher connects lessons to real life. This connects new knowledge to the students' experiences. Lessons become meaningful. Interesting for students. The teacher uses multiple methods. Not just lecturing. But discussions, projects, activities, and experiments too.
• The teacher sets achievable goals with students. Not strict targets. The goals interest the student. The teacher-student relationship matters most. This relationship must be friendly and equal. The teacher listens carefully to students. Students feel free to speak their minds. The teacher does not judge. But understands students.
• Teachers create a classroom atmosphere of acceptance and safety. Students feel free to explore and make mistakes. Students learn more from their mistakes. The teacher corrects mistakes gently. Teachers also admit their own mistakes.
• Students take responsibility for their learning. The teacher gives choices. Students choose assignments as per their interests. Students reflect on their learning progress. Changes are made based on students' needs.
• Self-assessment and peer assessment also happen. Students learn from each other too. Students work in groups.
• This develops better social skills. Students collaborate on projects. Discuss lessons together. Students learn to respect others' ideas.
• The classroom has few rules. Teachers involve students in setting rules. Some flexibility exists. Rules change with situations. Rewards focus on student success. Not just scores or ranks.
• The curriculum, too, focuses on the whole student. Not just academics. It includes art, music, sports, and life skills. Students choose subjects of interest. The curriculum develops students physically, mentally, and emotionally.
• Learning occurs both within school walls and outside. Field trips and community service are used. Students connect with the outside world. This makes learning come alive!

In summary, the humanism learning theory thinks every student is unique. The teacher respects this individuality. The teacher helps students learn through their experiences. Lessons connect with students' lives. The classroom has a friendly environment. Students take responsibility for their own learning. The entire person is cared for. Not just the brain. Humanism learning theory provides a balanced approach. It focuses on nurturing students' minds, hearts, and souls. This helps develop well-rounded individuals. Who can think, feel and act with wisdom?

Check out the UPSC Psychology Syllabus for IAS Optional Subject Here!

Conclusion

Different theories of learning focus on different aspects of learning. Multiple factors influence how and why we learn. While there are some key differences, the theories of learning also complement and build on each other. Combining ideas from various theories of learning likely provides the most complete view of learning.

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