Essay - Learning and Memory in the Field of Psychology, Theories on...

Learning and Memory

***** the field of psychology, theories on learning have been closely linked to either classical conditioning or operant conditioning, the*****ies developed by Ivan Pavlov ***** BF Skinner, respectively. Learning as determined by classical conditioning is posited to be part of associative learning, wherein an individual learns that two events are related or linked (at the most, even A causes event B) (Santrock, 2000:188). This definition also operates in operant conditioning, wherein an individual wherein "consequences of behavior produce changes in ***** probability of the behavior's occurrence" (195). Another school ***** thought about learning places cognitive development as playing a m*****jor role. In cognitive *****, learning occurs because of the presence and operation of "***** maps" within an *****. These 'cognitive maps' are defined as ***** "organism's mental representation of the structure of physical space" (208). This concept represents ***** as a rel*****tionship between the mind of the individual ***** his or her physical environment. Learning takes place in his ***** her interaction with ***** environment, and through the cognitive maps, s/he was able to retain these ***** and recall them as part of ***** or her learning.

This, in effect, links ***** to memory. Memory is likened to the idea of ***** maps, or at le*****t the way cognitive ***** operate in the mind ***** ***** individual. Memory is described as processing information through encoding (getting ***** and memory), storage (retaining information over time), and retrieval (taking information out of storage) (219). These processes ***** the individual goes through to create and retain memory is highly related to the theories of learning enumerated earlier: cl*****sical conditioning posits that stimuli (a memory ***** an event) ***** needed to elicit a particular behavior from the *****; operant conditioning described learning as the ***** in ***** of the person, ***** also to ***** ***** of an event and its consequences; and l*****tly, cognitive maps, which aptly describes how an individual learns ***** memories mapped ***** and retain in his/her mind.

Works Cited

Santrock, J. 2000. Psychology.