Learning and Cognition Definition of Learning Merriam-Webster

Learning and Cognition Definition of Learning Merriam-Webster defines learning as "knowledge or skill acquired by instruction or study; modification of a behavioral tendency by experience (as exposure to conditioning)" (Merriam-Webster, 2011). Other experts defines learning as a process, one that leads to behavioral change or potential behavior change that is relatively permanent. That is, as people learn, his or her learning alters the way one perceives the environment, the way he or she interprets incoming stimuli, and therefore, the way one interacts or behaves (Introduction to Learning Theory, 2004).

According to Cherry (2011), learning is a permanent change in behavior that is the result of experience. The common characteristic that all these definitions share is their identification of a behavioral component as part of the process of learning. In other words, for learning to occur, a change in behavior takes place. The Role of Behavior For the early part of the twentieth century, learning was the primary focus of study in psychology.

This discipline evolved into a major school of thought known as behaviorism that attempted to explain the learning process. Currently the topic of learning continues to be a significant concept in many areas of psychology. (Cherry, 2011). Behaviorism attempted to measure only observable behaviors. John B. Watson, founder of behaviorism, believed psychology to be an experimental and objective science; he also held that internal mental processes ought not be considered given that they are not directly observable and measurable (Cherry, 2011).

Watson's influence shaped the direction of learning psychology for decades to come. According to Stoker, a complete understanding of the mechanism of learning is based largely on understanding the role of behavior, as well as understanding the different types of learning, and the relationship between cognition and learning. Stoker argues that since the neurological processes of learning cannot be directly observed, behavior is the only means left to science by which one can infer the actual mechanics of learning.

Stoker also argues that behavior is the end result of learning and that it provides the only scientifically verifiable method which can be used to study learning (Stoker, 2009). Types of Learning Behavioral psychology recognizes three types of learning: classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational. According to Cherry, classical conditioning is defined as a learning process which forms an association between a previously neutral stimulus and a stimulus which naturally elicits a response.

A well-known experiment in classical conditioning is that of Pavlov's dogs, wherein the smell of food was the naturally occurring stimulus that was paired with the ringing of the bell, a previously neutral stimulus. Once the dogs made an association between the two stimuli, the ringing bell alone could evoke a response (Cherry, 2011). A second type of learning occurs with operant conditioning. For this learning process, the likelihood of response happening is increased or decreased due to the use of either reinforcement or punishment.

The basis for operant conditioning is the concept that the consequences of one's actions shape voluntary behavior (Cherry, 2011). Observational learning is still another type of learning. This process occurs through observing and imitating others. As various experiments demonstrate, people tend to imitate the actions of others even in the absence of reinforcement. According to Cherry, there are four essential elements that are required for observational learning to take place effectively: attention, motivation, motivation, and memory (Cherry, 2011). Relationship between Learning and Cognition Bietz (2010) explores the relationship between learning and cognition.

She notes that one cannot really occur without the other, then explores their differences as well as how they complement each other. Even though the words learning and cognition may seem interchangeable to some, Bietz points out that their differences. Cognition is concerned with the processes used in acquiring learning, which processes include thinking, along with knowing, remembering, and problem-solving. According to Bietz, learning happens after one goes through several cognitive processes.

ThinkQuest discusses the concept of cognitive learning, noting that the process of learning would be extremely inefficient if human beings had to rely completely on conditioning for all learning. Cognitive learning is the acquisition of knowledge and skill using mental or cognitive processes; or to put it another way, cognitive learning describes the procedures humans have for manipulating information in one's head. Cognitive processes include such activities as creating mental representations of events and physical objects, along with other forms of information processing.

How does one learn cognitively? Cognitive learning happens when the individual listens, watches, touches, reads, or experiences, then processes or remembers the information. Cognitive learning should not be confused with passive learning simply because no motor movement is involved. Rather, the learner is quite active in a cognitive sense, in processing and remembering incoming information. Cognitive learning allows humans to create and transmit a complex culture that consists of symbols, values, beliefs and norms. It might seem that, because cognitive activity makes up so many components of human behavior,.