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Related Concept Videos

Cognitive Learning01:21

Cognitive Learning

Cognitive learning is based on purposive behavior, incidental learning, and insight learning.
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
Associative Learning01:27

Associative Learning

Associative learning is a fundamental concept in behavioral psychology, wherein a connection is established between two stimuli or events, leading to a learned response. This process is critical in understanding how behaviors are acquired and modified. Conditioning, the mechanism through which associations are formed, can be divided into two main types: classical conditioning and operant conditioning, each elucidating different aspects of associative learning.
Classical conditioning, also known...
Cognitivism01:17

Cognitivism

Cognitive psychology emerged as a significant field in the mid-20th century. It focused on understanding humans' internal mental processes. This approach emphasizes how people perceive, remember, think, and solve problems—elements critical to human cognition.
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process information is...
Behaviorism01:28

Behaviorism

The field of behaviorism was pioneered by figures such as Ivan Pavlov, John B. Watson, and B.F. Skinner fundamentally shifted the focus of psychology to the observable and controllable aspects of human and animal behavior. This shift marked a critical evolution in the discipline, emphasizing scientific rigor and experimental methodology.
The core premise of behaviorism is its focus on observable behavior rather than internal thoughts or feelings. This approach argues that true scientific...
Introduction to Cognitive Psychology01:20

Introduction to Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive psychology is the field of psychology dedicated to examining how people think. It attempts to explain how and why we think the way we do by studying the interactions among human thinking, emotion, creativity, language, and problem-solving, as well as other cognitive processes. Cognitive psychology studies how information is processed and manipulated in remembering, thinking, and knowing.
This field emerged in the mid-20th century, following a period dominated by behaviorism, which...
Real-World Application of Classical Conditioning01:15

Real-World Application of Classical Conditioning

Classical conditioning not only includes the initial pairing of stimuli but also extends to more complex forms, such as higher-order conditioning. Higher-order conditioning involves creating associations beyond the primary conditioned stimulus, resulting in a chain of conditioned responses.
Higher-order, or second-order, conditioning occurs when a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an already established conditioned stimulus through repeated pairings. For instance, if a dog has been...

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Related Experiment Video

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Assessment of Social Cognition in Non-human Primates Using a Network of Computerized Automated Learning Device (ALDM) Test Systems
08:42

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Published on: May 5, 2015

Associationism and cognition: human contingency learning at 25.

David R Shanks1

  • 1Department of Psychology, University College London. London. UK. d.shanks@ucl.ac.uk

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology (2006)
|March 17, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Contingency judgement, a key area of human learning, has seen a shift from associationism to cognitive approaches. This article explores the differences and methods used to distinguish these learning theories.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Human Learning and Memory

Background:

  • The field of contingency judgement emerged 25 years ago, significantly influenced by research on depressive realism.
  • Associationism has historically dominated theoretical frameworks for contingency learning.

Observation:

  • Recent years have seen a challenge to associationism by an alternative cognitive or inferential approach.
  • This article examines the core conceptual distinctions between these two theoretical frameworks.

Findings:

  • Key conceptual differences between associationist and cognitive/inferential approaches to contingency learning are outlined.
  • Methods for empirically distinguishing between these learning paradigms are summarized.

Implications:

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  • Understanding these theoretical shifts is crucial for advancing research in human learning and judgment.
  • This work provides a foundation for future research differentiating cognitive and associative learning mechanisms.