Characteristics of Learning - Essay Example

Name: Course: Lecturer: Date: Learning can be described as the ability to acquire new skills which can be in form of values knowledge or behavior. It can further be described as a way of trying to get information which can be by word of mouth or through action. Learning takes time hence the term learning curve as it is an activity that will have to be practiced over time. Learning as an activity can be adopted by plants animals and human beings. Though different traits are adopted by animals and plants, this discussion will dwell on the human behavior of learning (Hill, 1985, p.12). Most parts of the world refer learning as personal development while others call it schooling hence learning psychology is developed. Different philosophers have come up with different theories trying to describe the process of learning. These theories outline how ideas and thoughts is absorbed in the brain and translated to meaningful information. This is however influenced by conditions which may include the environment and the emotions that are to be portrayed. This discussion will lead us to how many theorists describe learning as a behavior and as a process. Learning has to come out of a specified language which takes different forms. Spoken language is the first language that one acquires before one comes to written language. In a written language, different societies use different words to communicate. Words put together create sensible meaning where rules are made and followed. This is why when a foreigner speaks ones language; they may not be fluent in their pronunciation of words as they are not following the rules in your language (Petty and Cacioppo, 1981, p. 53). This therefore means that language has to follow a certain context and has to fall within it. There are various ways in which we experience words. This can be as a way of representing where different objects can be used. An example might be the pronunciation of the word duck. This is coined from the sound that the bird produces hence the sound is the representation of the object. Words can also be represented as something belonging to something else. An example will be when naming children. In a situation where there are many girls and want to address one, mothers choose specific words that will be belonging to their children which will distinguish them from the rest. Words can also represent things. This can be experienced in the environment where two actions can be replaced by a word. An example is instead of putting legs on a bicycle, we can say one is riding. In order to come up with speech, different body parts have to coordinate to generate and produce proper words (Hollway, Lucey and Phoenix, 2007, p.8). Speech is the last result when the brain receives the idea form the ears. After coding it into information, the pronunciation is supported by the lips mouth, lungs and tongue to produce a sound which is called a speech. It is this speech that is termed to be making of noise to children as they are learning their language which is copied from the mother hence the language mother tongue. Mother tongue is the first language that a baby learns and this is seen as a way of exploring different words and testing them in different environments (Pavlov, 1927, p.47). Through playing with words a child comes with a systematic way in which they can address the society as they have developed different rules which they use to interact. As a child is learning to distinguish different words and actions helped by different body parts and the nervous system, all this is possible due to the availability of a language acquisition device which is possessed by every child as they are growing. It is this device that allows a child to choose words which are arranged grammatically and brought out as speech. This device helps the child to relate differently in different environments and it becomes stronger through active interaction with the mother. Learning should be an experience which once mastered should not be easily forgotten not unless it is instances of an abnormality. It therefore means that it’s a two way traffic where there has to be production and reception of speech. The talker has to produce meaningful speech so that the listener can give a correct response. There has to be active participation of either party. This leads us to written language where after mastering how to put different words or ides in the brain and uttering them through the mouth, one has to learn how to write them. A written language comes in different forms and it depends on the culture one is exposed to (Hollway, Lucey and Phoenix, 2007, p.10). Many people usually adopt two languages hence are referred to as bilingual and those who know more than two are referred to as multilingual. Trough learning many languages, there is raise in socialization. Just as a baby learns from the mum, interaction increases and spreads through the community. Due to the changing dynamics in the modern society, it has become requirement to learn another language to better socialize with others (Hollway, Lucey and Phoenix, 2007, p.15). This can also be referred to as imitation learning where one learns skills that had been previously acquired by someone else. In most societies this is called apprenticeship. This kind of inheriting special skills is what modern societies refer to as education. Traditionally, young people left their homes and stayed with a person who had special skills known as a master and work with time develop similar practices and perform them just as the master did. Ivan Pavlov discovered a learning process known as classical conditioning which involved responding to certain stimulus. This was experimented using a dog and till date has been proven to be the best explanation of learning. In his research, Pavlov came up with ways of studying the digestive system of a dog over time. In his procedure, he sought for a way in which he would measure the dog’s digestive fluids in an external environment (Pavlov, 1927, p.57). It was discovered that once the dog saw its feeder, there were high chances that it would salivate compared to when the dog saw food. After doing this for a period of time and observing this behavior, he referred this as psychic secretion. He therefore concluded that the stimulus was as a result of food which caused the production of saliva. This was as a result of responding to stimulus as he concluded of the existence of a conditioning response being associated to environmental stimulus. In learning, forward conditioning is the fastest because the CS (conditional stimulus) produces a signal to the US (unconditioned stimulus).This brings the development of two forms of conditioning: Delayed conditioning and trace conditioning. Differences arise where US comes before CS while in trace conditioning, there is first the CS begins before there is US. In second order conditioning, learning becomes useful in the initial stages where the first stimulus is used to generate more learning stimulus (Pavlov, 1927, p.77). This is seen in an example of a rat where it sees a bulb, it will first think of food. This is stimulus reflecting what it wants hence first order conditioning. After learning to interact with the bulb, the stimulus will learn to associate the bulb with light hence second conditioning. Simultaneous conditioning occurs where both the US and CS occur and end at the same time. The classical conditioning brings us to four basic phenomena as stated by Terry (2006, p.59).In acquisition, a conditioned stimulus will only occur when there is a conditioned response. This is clearly illustrated in the blinking of an eye. Extinction will occur when there is a conditioned stimulus which is singular and in the absence of unconditioned stimulus. The presence of the unconditioned stimulus will result to a decrease in conditioned response. Exposure brings in generalization where the CS works without the presence of US (Rescorla and Wagner, 1972, p.35). This mostly happens in distinguishing colors shapes and sounds .Discrimination brings in situations where the CS has to bring out the differences in patterns. This means that the CS and the US work together but at the end the CS ceases to operate for the US to bring a conditioned response. Some of the strengths in Pavlov’s theory are that it can be used to study behaviorism and the results can be presented through an experiment. This theory can be used for self awareness as it does not fully represent an active human agency with the ability to have forethought .One weakness is that the theory does not give a presentation of human ability to make decisions while faced with different opinions. Lastly it cannot be used to distinguish how different humans learn. This is because people have different personalities which cannot be conditioned or influenced. This theory cannot be used to explain ethical problems on how to solve certain behaviors such as mental disorders. Reference list Hill, W. (1985). Learning: A survey of psychological interpretations. (4th. Ed.). New York:             Harper and Row. Petty, R., & Cacioppo, J. (1981). Attitudes and persuasion: Classic and contemporary               approaches. Dubuque, IA: William C. Brown. Terry, W.S. (2006). Learning and memory: Basic principles, processes, and procedures.           Boston, MA: Pearson/Allyn Bacon. Pavlov, I.P. (1927). Conditioned Reflexes: An Investigation of the Physiological Activity of the Cerebral Cortex (translated by G.V. Anrep). London: Oxford University Press Rescorla, R.A. & Wagner, A.R. (1972). A theory of Pavlovian conditioning. Variations in effectiveness of reinforcement and non-reinforcement. In A. Black & W.F. Prokasky, Jr. (eds.), Classical Conditioning II New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts. Hollway, W, Lucey, H & Phoenix, A (2007) Social Psychology Matters, Maidenhead: Open University Press. Kalat, J M (2013) Introduction to Psychology, 10th edn, Belmont: Cengage Learning. Read More

Through playing with words a child comes with a systematic way in which they can address the society as they have developed different rules which they use to interact. As a child is learning to distinguish different words and actions helped by different body parts and the nervous system, all this is possible due to the availability of a language acquisition device which is possessed by every child as they are growing. It is this device that allows a child to choose words which are arranged grammatically and brought out as speech.

This device helps the child to relate differently in different environments and it becomes stronger through active interaction with the mother. Learning should be an experience which once mastered should not be easily forgotten not unless it is instances of an abnormality. It therefore means that it’s a two way traffic where there has to be production and reception of speech. The talker has to produce meaningful speech so that the listener can give a correct response. There has to be active participation of either party.

This leads us to written language where after mastering how to put different words or ides in the brain and uttering them through the mouth, one has to learn how to write them. A written language comes in different forms and it depends on the culture one is exposed to (Hollway, Lucey and Phoenix, 2007, p.10). Many people usually adopt two languages hence are referred to as bilingual and those who know more than two are referred to as multilingual. Trough learning many languages, there is raise in socialization.

Just as a baby learns from the mum, interaction increases and spreads through the community. Due to the changing dynamics in the modern society, it has become requirement to learn another language to better socialize with others (Hollway, Lucey and Phoenix, 2007, p.15). This can also be referred to as imitation learning where one learns skills that had been previously acquired by someone else. In most societies this is called apprenticeship. This kind of inheriting special skills is what modern societies refer to as education.

Traditionally, young people left their homes and stayed with a person who had special skills known as a master and work with time develop similar practices and perform them just as the master did. Ivan Pavlov discovered a learning process known as classical conditioning which involved responding to certain stimulus. This was experimented using a dog and till date has been proven to be the best explanation of learning. In his research, Pavlov came up with ways of studying the digestive system of a dog over time.

In his procedure, he sought for a way in which he would measure the dog’s digestive fluids in an external environment (Pavlov, 1927, p.57). It was discovered that once the dog saw its feeder, there were high chances that it would salivate compared to when the dog saw food. After doing this for a period of time and observing this behavior, he referred this as psychic secretion. He therefore concluded that the stimulus was as a result of food which caused the production of saliva. This was as a result of responding to stimulus as he concluded of the existence of a conditioning response being associated to environmental stimulus.

In learning, forward conditioning is the fastest because the CS (conditional stimulus) produces a signal to the US (unconditioned stimulus).This brings the development of two forms of conditioning: Delayed conditioning and trace conditioning. Differences arise where US comes before CS while in trace conditioning, there is first the CS begins before there is US. In second order conditioning, learning becomes useful in the initial stages where the first stimulus is used to generate more learning stimulus (Pavlov, 1927, p.77). This is seen in an example of a rat where it sees a bulb, it will first think of food.

This is stimulus reflecting what it wants hence first order conditioning. After learning to interact with the bulb, the stimulus will learn to associate the bulb with light hence second conditioning.

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