Learning - Learning Has Been

Learning - Learning has been integral to the survival and evolution of the human being. It is acquiring new, or modifying existing knowledge, behavior, skills, or values -- or even modifying past knowledge in a new manner. Human learning is complex, and takes into account any number of factors: the environment, genetics, need, motivation, etc. As societies have become more complex, its citizens require more and more learning. For example, in a hunter-gatherer society, learning is about survival; which plants to eat, how to hunt, seasonal patterns, etc. Someone with a PhD in physics would not be valuable. However, in a complex technological society, information has become so rampant and complex that it takes years to master the basic skills necessary to be part of society (compulsory education), with most needing specialty or advanced learning environments for their careers. As humans, we seem to gravitate towards three different ways of acquiring knowledge: learning by doing, learning from others, and learning by investment. Within each of these broad categories, however, there are individual ways of acquiring knowledge.

In its most basic form, we learn through stimulus and response; if we touch a hot stove, we respond negatively with pain, and therefore learn that the stove may be hot. When we learn, say in school and are rewarded with recognition or a grade, we are receiving positive reinforcement if we get the answer right; negative reinforcement if we do not. The three ways of learning have different outcomes for different individuals, and we all tend to learn a bit different within those frameworks. For instance, there is aural learning (primarily through listening), kinesthetic learning (primarily by doing and manipulating), verbal (everything must be put into language), visual (pictures in one's head), and tactiles (things must be touched). Within each of these are discriminatory and generalized patterns of learning; and can be incorporated into learning models.

My own learning style is a combination of listening (learning from others) and then doing. It depends on the material; for any tactile operation, I find it easier to understand by touching and manipulating than simply reading in a manual how to perform the task. I believe I make clear use of discrimination in learning; responding to different stimuli with different responses. When the learning task is more scholarly in nature, I tend to combine visual and aural methods with kinesthetic and write down, or outline material.

Burton, N. (March 15, 2012). Hide and Seek: Understanding Self-Deception, Self-Sabotage

And More. Psychology Today. Retrieved from:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/hide-and-seek/201203/self-deception-series-repression-and-denial