Theories of learning

Cognitive Learning Theories

A lesson about milk production using cognitive learning methods begins with a group discussion about milk. The
teacher asks the children if they drink milk, where they buy it, and where the milk comes from. The children are
encouraged to hypothesize about the process of transferring milk from the cow to the grocery store. As the children
make guesses, the teacher transcribes ideas so the children can view the words. After the children are finished
hypothesizing, the group votes on which idea makes the most sense. As children discuss ideas related to milk
production, personal experiences are encouraged and evaluated. The teacher listens to discover each childs level of
understanding.
Operant conditioning is a form of behavior modification which is used to either decrease or increase the likelihood that a
particular behavior will occur. The process relies on the idea that organisms respond to stimuli, and that if they can be taught to
associate a specific stimulus with a particular behavior, they will be more likely to engage in or avoid the behavior, depending on
the type of stimulus involved. Many people use operant conditioning at some level in their daily lives, and it is also utilized in
psychology experiments. Reference: (wiseGEEK)

Classical Conditioning. One important type of learning, Classical Conditioning, was actually discovered accidentally by Ivan
Pavlov (1849-1936). Pavlov was a Russian physiologist who discovered this phenomenon while doing research on digestion. His
research was aimed at better understanding the digestive patterns in dogs.
During his experiments, he would put meat powder in the mouths of dogs who had tubes inserted into various organs to measure
bodily responses. What he discovered was that the dogs began to salivate before the meat powder was presented to them. Then,
the dogs began to salivate as soon as the person feeding them would enter the room. He soon began to gain interest in this
phenomenon and abandoned his digestion research in favor of his now famous Classical Conditioning study.
Operant Conditioning. Another type of learning, very similar to that discussed above, is called Operant Conditioning. The term
"Operant" refers to how an organism operates on the environment, and hence, operant conditioning comes from how we respond
to what is presented to us in our environment. It can be thought of as learning due to the natural consequences of our actions.
Reference: (ask an online vet now)
Types of Memory
There are two major categories of memory: long-term memory and short-term memory. To learn more, choose
from the options below.
Long-Term Memory
Long-term memory is our brain's system for storing, managing, and retrieving information.
Types of Long-Term Memory
As you would imagine, long-term memories are much more complex than short-term ones. We store different
types of information (procedures, life experiences, language, etc.) with separate memory systems.
Explicit Memory
Explicit memory, or declarative memory, is a type of long-term memory requiring conscious thought. It's what
most people have in mind when they think of a memory.
Implicit Memory
Implicit memory is a major form of long-term memory that does not require conscious thought. It allows you to do
things by rote.
Autobiographical Memory
Most of us have one part of life that we remember better than others. Find out if you have a "memory bump"!
Memory & Morpheus
Researchers have come to believe slumber actively helps our brains consolidate what we learn and remember. Can
sleep hurt or help memory?
Short-Term Memory
Closely related to "working" memory, short-term memory is the very short time that you keep something in mind
before either dismissing it or transferring it to long-term memory. Reference: (positscience)
Theories of Forgetting?

The five theories of forgetting are cue-dependent forgetting, trace decay, organic causes, interference theory and decay
theory. Forgetting is also known as retention loss. It is considered a gradual process.