Email correspondence from September 14, 2010
Demographics: Male, 13 years old, Chinese heritage, healthy otherwise, scores in 90th percentile in most intelligence tests; non-violent, intensely curious, we will call him Lon
Types of learning: classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning
Classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning theory have all had a major impact on education theories and strategies. This essay reviews these three theories of learning and then provides real-life examples of each. Particular attention is paid to the core elements of each theory, including positive and negative reinforcement, positive and negative punishment, and attention, retention, production, and motivation.