Introduction
The more people are introduced to stimuli, the more information they learn associated with lifelong learning. As the brain has an indefinite number of nerve cells, increasing its plasticity, people can memorize and learn new concepts throughout their lives. The primary learning type is behavioral learning which believes that humans acquire new things through their experience with the stimuli.
Setting, Course, and Students
Setting
The setting is a college or university classroom with 50 undergraduate students taking a Psychology 101 course. The lecture topic is “Learning and Memory,” The objective is to teach the students about the different types of learning and memory, how they work, and how they can be improved. Students come from various backgrounds and have various levels of expertise and interest in the subject. They are most likely a mix of first-year and upperclassmen completing a general education requirement or exploring psychology as a potential major.
Objectives
- To educate pupils on the various types of learning and memory, how they function, and how they can be enhanced.
- To discuss the types of learning and memory.
- To explain how learning and memory work in the brain.
- To discuss memory-improvement methods.
Learning process
In class settings, the learning process starts with processing and understanding the given information. The lecture might have many unfamiliar terms for first-year students, so the lecturer only forces some to comprehend and explain them from the first moment. In contrast, learning is the graduate process, providing students with as many details as they need during their first session. Primarily, the class is based on attention and reflection, forcing the students to investigate their thoughts on the lecture’s topic, learning, and memory. The learning process may develop into abstract conceptualization when students talk with others about their findings and try to apply any new methods.
Behavioral Learning Categories
Behavioral learning is the psychological approach that acknowledges three types of conditioning: classical, operant, and observational. The former arises as the natural response to a neutral stimulus (Cherry, 2022). The Pavlov dog experiment serves as an example since dogs were trained to salivate at the sound of a bell. The second type, operant conditioning, is much more complicated as it is focused on the action’s consequences, such as rewards or penalties (Koblin, 2021). Meanwhile the third one is Observational Learning, a type of learning in which behavior is learned by observing others (Cherry, 2022). For example, a child who does not receive direct enforcement from his parents to do certain daily activities tries to imitate them. Attention, motor skills, motivation, and memory facilitate effective observational learning (Cherry, 2022). Therefore, behavioral learning is divided into these categories concerning the stimulus imposed on a person.
Operant Conditioning as the Most Frequently Utilized Type of Learning
The second type of behavioral learning, operant conditioning, attracts the most attention of scientists and observers. Several pieces of research are based on operant conditioning, introducing negative stimuli to animals, and observing their learning patterns (Cherry, 2022). Even parents frequently utilize this method while raising their children. How often did you mention the cases when mothers moms buy their favorite sweets for their children after they have done their homework without screaming or have gone to the doctor? In this case, sweets are the positive stimuli reinforcing favorable behavior. In contrast, punishment has the unintended effect of weakening behavior (Koblin, 2021). This image illustrates how a person trains his dog, like parents, based on positive and negative reinforcement. Thus, positive reinforcement reinforces behavior by removing a negative stimulus, whereas negative reinforcement encourages conduct by following it with an unfavorable outcome.
Sensory Stimulus as the First Step of Memorization
Learning and memory are essential processes in our daily lives. For example, learning new skills can help us advance in our careers while memorizing knowledge about new cultures and languages can broaden our horizons and enrich our personal lives. By understanding how learning works, we can improve our memory and ability to acquire and remember new information. Learning and memory are intertwined, meaning that people can easily understand one concept through another. For example, memory involves the process of encoding, storing, and retrieving information (Furst, 2021). The moment when a sensory stimulus is introduced in behavioral learning is associated with sensory memory. Then it develops into short-term and later into long-term memory. Therefore, learning and memory can be correlated, forcing people to train their memories based on the behavioral learning stimulus.
Mnemonic Devices as the Most Effective Way to Memorize
Remembering is a critical element of learning, and there are numerous ways to improve memory. Mnemonic devices, such as acronyms, acrostics, and rhymes, aid in remembering information by linking it with something more easily remembered. Another method is to divide information into smaller, more digestible portions to make it simpler to recall. Rehearsal is a process that requires repeatedly repeating information from short-term memory to long-term memory. Visualization forms mental representations to help remember information, such as imagining a list of objects to remember. These tactics can help you improve your memory and retention of knowledge.
Conclusion
By leveraging the power of learning and memory, people can enhance their cognitive abilities and ultimately lead more fulfilling and successful lives. Memorizing and understanding can be mapped on the lowest and the highest levels of scale. Nevertheless, one can not exist without another, meaning people do not reach behavioral learning without memorizing the stimulus and response.
References
Cherry, K. (2022). A study guide for your psychology of learning exam. Verywell Mind. Web.
Furst, E. (2021). The role of memory, knowledge and understanding in learning. The Education Hub. Web.
Koblin, J. (2023). Skinner’s operant conditioning: Rewards & punishments. Sprouts Learning Videos Social Sciences. Web.
SERC. (2023). A conceptual model of how memory works. Web.