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Related Concept Videos

Purposive Learning01:22

Purposive Learning

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E. C. Tolman emphasized the purposiveness of behavior — the idea that much of our behavior is goal-directed. For instance, employees who aim for a promotion work diligently to meet their targets. Tolman argued that when classical conditioning and operant conditioning occur, the organism acquires certain expectations. In classical conditioning, a child might fear a dog because they expect it to bite. In operant conditioning, a person might consistently work overtime because they expect a...
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Cognitive Learning01:21

Cognitive Learning

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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...
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Introduction to Learning01:18

Introduction to Learning

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Learning is the process of acquiring knowledge or skills through practice or experience, leading to long-lasting behavioral changes. This acquisition occurs through interaction with the environment and requires practice or experience. For instance, mastering a skill such as surfing requires considerable practice and experience, highlighting the essential role of repeated interactions with the environment in learning.
In contrast to learned behaviors, unlearned behaviors such as crying, sexual...
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Observational Learning01:12

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Albert Bandura's observational learning, also known as imitation or modeling, occurs when a person observes and imitates another's behavior. It is a quicker process than operant conditioning. A well-known example is the Bobo doll study, where children who saw an adult acting aggressively towards the doll were more likely to act aggressively when left alone, compared to those who observed a nonaggressive adult. Many psychologists view observational learning as a form of latent learning...
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Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness01:14

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Avoidance learning and learned helplessness are critical concepts in understanding behavioral responses to negative stimuli.
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...
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Law of Effect01:06

Law of Effect

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B.F. Skinner, a prominent figure in behavioral psychology, introduced operant conditioning by emphasizing the role of consequences in shaping behavior. This theory builds upon the law of effect proposed by Edward Thorndike, which posits that behaviors followed by satisfying outcomes are likely to be repeated. In contrast, those followed by unsatisfying outcomes are less likely to recur.
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Quantifying Learning in Young Infants: Tracking Leg Actions During a Discovery-learning Task
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Learnability theory.

Sean A Fulop1, Nick Chater2

  • 1Department of Linguistics, California State University Fresno, Fresno, CA, USA.

Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Cognitive Science
|August 26, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Learnability theory explores the fundamental conditions for learning, including necessary prior information and computational resources. It bridges machine learning and cognitive science by investigating how knowledge is derived from experience.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Science
  • Machine Learning Theory
  • Computational Learning Theory

Background:

  • Learnability theory investigates the possibility and requirements for learning.
  • It complements machine learning system development and cognitive science research on learning in humans and animals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To define the scope and foundational questions of learnability theory.
  • To highlight its role in understanding knowledge acquisition from experience.

Main Methods:

  • Examines theoretical frameworks such as identification in the limit and Bayesian learning.
  • Utilizes mathematical and computational analysis.

Main Results:

  • Identifies key questions: when learning is possible, required prior information, and necessary resources.
  • Demonstrates the complementary nature of learnability theory to computational and empirical approaches to learning.

Conclusions:

  • Learnability theory provides a foundational framework for understanding learning.
  • It addresses the extent to which knowledge can be derived from experience.