24 Questions
According to Alhassan (2000), what is the difference between how psychologists and laymen view learning?
Psychologists see learning as a complex process, while laymen see it as simple.
What is the main emphasis of Kohler's (1925) perceptual process theory of learning?
Study of relationships and how people learn to see relationships among various items of experience.
What is the term used to describe the sudden flash of understanding in which a pupil or student sees through a problem or reform their responses into a more complex habit?
Insight learning
Who is credited with discovering the phenomenon of insight learning in apes?
Worgang Kohler
According to Aristotle, what are the laws that govern the association of ideas in learning?
Laws of similarity, contrast, and continuity
What is the main characteristic of insight learning, as demonstrated by Kohler's apes?
Sudden and rapid learning process
What is the term used to describe the process of learning and remembering things that are alike, striking because of their difference, and that occur together in space and time?
Association of ideas
What is the central idea of Kohler's (1925) theory of learning?
Learning is a perceptual process with an emphasis on relationships
According to Bugelski, what is the nature of the activity that forms relatively permanent neural circuits during learning?
Change in cell structure through growth
Lindgren's view on human behavior is that it is primarily:
Learned through experience
Alhassan's definition of learning includes the acquisition of:
Factual information, skills, and behavioral patterns
According to Gagne, what is the indicator of learning?
Change in performance over time
What is the challenge in defining learning, according to the text?
It is difficult to observe directly
What is learning, according to the text?
A dynamic process of problem-solving and cognitive structure change
What is the role of experience in learning, according to the text?
It interacts with the learner to change performance
What is the ultimate goal of learning, according to the text?
To develop problem-solving skills for future guidance
What is the primary focus of behaviourists in understanding human behaviour?
Observable behaviour and environmental factors
According to the behaviourist approach, what reinforces a behaviour?
Environmental factors and reinforcement
What approach sees humans as thinking, rationalizing individuals who can solve problems and plan their actions?
Cognitive approach
What is the primary concern of the cognitive approach?
Thinking, problem-solving, and perception
What is the role of the teacher in the behaviourist approach to dealing with a disruptive boy?
To ignore the boy when he is disruptive and reinforce good behaviour
What is the significance of the last 30 years in the cognitive approach?
The cognitive approach has gained influence
What is an example of the cognitive approach in this course?
The study of perception
What is the primary difference between the behaviourist and cognitive approaches?
The behaviourist approach focuses on environmental factors, while the cognitive approach focuses on thinking and problem-solving processes
Study Notes
Learning in Psychology
- Psychologists and laymen have different views on learning, despite its importance and pervasiveness in human activity.
Kohler's Perspective
- Kohler (1925) defined learning as a perceptual process, emphasizing the study of relationships and how people learn to see relationships among various items of experience.
- This phenomenon is evident in insight, where individuals suddenly understand a problem or skill after a period of little progress.
- Kohler's famous experiment on apes demonstrated a sudden perceptual change in which they saw the relationship of sticks or boxes to themselves and the goal in a new way.
Aristotle's Perspective
- Aristotle viewed learning as an association of ideas following the laws of similarity, contrast, and continuity.
- He believed that people learn and remember things that are alike, strikingly different, or occur together in space and time.
Bugelski's Perspective
- Bugelski (1956) saw learning as the formation of relatively permanent neural circuits through the simultaneous activity of the elements of the circuit.
- This process involves changes in cell structure through growth, facilitating the arousal of the entire circuit when a component element is activated.
Lindgren's Perspective
- Lindgren (1961) considered learning a central process in understanding human behavior, arguing that most aspects of human behavior are learned rather than instinctive.
Alhassan's Perspective
- Alhassan (1985) defined learning as the totality of acquiring factual information, mastering skills, and aiding further study.
- Learning is a dynamic process where insights or cognitive structures are changed through interactive experience, becoming more useful for future guidance.
Gagne's Perspective
- Gagne (1970) defined learning as a change in performance due to a stimulus situation, where the learner's performance changes from before to after being in that situation.
The Behaviourist Approach
- Behaviourists focus on observable behavior and environmental factors that sustain or discourage it.
- Examples include Ivan Pavlov and B.F. Skinner, who study behavior and environmental conditions to explain it.
- Behaviourists believe that any piece of behavior can be explained by reference to environmental factors.
The Cognitive Approach
- The cognitive approach understands behavior by reference to how people think and process information.
- It focuses on thinking, perception, memory, problem-solving, and consciousness, seeing humans as thinking, rationalizing individuals who can solve problems and plan their actions.
- The cognitive approach has gained influence over the last 30 years and is concerned with the areas of perception.
Understand the concept of learning from a psychological perspective, including the differences between how psychologists and laymen view learning. Explore the ideas of Kohler and Alhassan on learning as a perceptual process.
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