What is Learning? - Henderson State University

What is Learning?

Chapter 1

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Learning

"To gain knowledge, comprehension, or mastery through experience or study" (American Heritage

Dictionary). The terms knowledge, comprehension, or mastery

are vague (Hergenhahn & Olson, 2004).

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Learning: Psychology

Learning simply refers to changes in observable and potential behavior. But before we get into the details of how psychology looks at learning let us study kinds of behavior.

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Kinds of Behaviors

There are two kinds of behaviors; innate (unlearnt, inherited, genetically controlled) and learnt

(practiced, experienced, reinforced) behaviors.

Behavior

Innate

Learnt

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Innate Behaviors

Innate or unlearnt behaviors are inflexible, preprogrammed, genetically determined and

controlled by our biology.

Innate Behaviors/Mechanisms

Homeostatic Mechanisms

Tropic behaviors

Sensory Adaptation

Reflexes

Sensory Potentiation

Instincts

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Homeostatic Mechanisms

Mechanisms (not really behaviors) that keep many physiological functions like body temperature, pH

balance, blood glucose levels, stabilized. These mechanisms optimize body's internal environment when changes in the external

environment take place.

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Sensory Adaptation

Sensory adaptation refers to lowered responsiveness (in receptors) due to continued

and prolonged stimulation. Band aid's itchiness on your skin does not last long. Receptors (Meissner's corpuscles) in the skin quickly adapt to prolonged stimulation from the band aid and make you unaware of its presence.

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Sensory Potentiation

Sensory potentiation refers to heightened responsiveness due to increased sensitivity in

receptors. Rubbing sandpaper on his fingers a thief increases

receptor sensitivity, thus heightens his responsiveness to crack open a safe.

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Tropic Behavior

Tropic (taxic) behaviors refer to organism's orientation to a direction. Fish engage in rheotropic behaviors to move upstream to their spawning grounds. Sunflowers trace the sun in the

sky using heliotropic behavior.

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Reflex Behaviors

An involuntary reaction (behavioral, skeletal, and glandular) to a specific stimulus. Sneezing, knee jerk, and salivary reflex are examples of reflexes.

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Instinctive Behaviors

Instincts are complex pre-programmed genetically controlled behaviors also called Fixed Action

Pattern (FAP). Migration and nest building, are but some examples.

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Characteristics of Instincts

1. Instincts are under innate genetic control. All geese roll the egg in the same way. 2. Instincts require little or no feedback. If hatchlings are lost, dominant "paternal instinct" leads cardinal to feed gapping minnows.

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Characteristics of Instincts

3. Instincts can be triggered by stimulating brain "trigger" cells. 4. Instincts require coordination of many muscles thus more complex than simple reflex actions.

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Instincts in Humans

Humans also show many instinctive behaviors, e.g., smiling, crying, frowning, kissing, cuddling and aggressive behaviors. Included in these is the the "Eyebrow-flash" during smiling (Eibl-Eibesfeldt

& Hass, 1972; 1990).

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Learnt Behaviors

Learnt behaviors are flexible, change over development or time, are interactive with

environment and based on experience.

Learnt Behaviors

Habituation

Conditioning

Sensitization

Observational learning

Imprinting

Insightful learning

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