Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBehavioral Learning TheoriesCognitive Learning TheoriesConstructivist Learning TheoriesSocial Learning TheoriesExperiential Learning TheoriesModern Views of Learning Theories
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Behavioral Learning Theories
Cognitive Learning Theories
Constructivist Learning Theories
Social Learning Theories
Experiential Learning Theories
Modern Views of Learning Theories
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Learning can be a complex process. If you’ve ever tried to learn a new language or play an instrument, you probably know that learning outcomes can often vary. It’s why you might struggle with the basics of French despite your 456-day Duolingo learning streak or stumble over reading sheet music despite regular practice.
That’s why researchers, educators, and psychologists are so interested in understanding how this process works. Knowing how people learn allows us to create instructional materials that make the process easier and more effective.
How Psychologists Define Learning
Several different theories have emerged to explain how people learn. Some of the main theories of learning include:
Keep reading to take a closer look at thise learning theories, including how each one explains the learning process.
1:42Basic Principles of Social Learning Theory
1:42
Basic Principles of Social Learning Theory
During the early part of the twentieth century, many psychologists became increasingly interested in turning psychology into a more scientific endeavor. These psychologists, known asbehaviorists, argued that psychology needed to study only things that could be measured and quantified to be more scientific.
A few different behavioral theories emerged to explain how and why people behave the way they do.
Behavioral theories are centered on the environmental influences on the learning process. Environmental influences include associations, reinforcements, and punishments.
Learning Through Association
Classical conditioningsuggests that learning occurs when an association is formed between a previously neutral stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus.
In classical conditioning:
Pavlov’s Dogs and the Discovery of Classical Conditioning
Learning Through Reinforcement
Like classical conditioning, operant conditioning relies on forming associations. In operant conditioning, however, associations are made between a behavior and the consequences of that behavior.
In operant conditioning:
When a behavior leads to a desirable consequence, it becomes more likely that the behavior will be repeated in the future. The behavior becomes less likely if the actions lead to a negative outcome.
Operant vs. Classical Conditioning
The cognitive approach to learning focuses on how attention, memory, and information processing contribute to knowledge acquisition. Cognitive learning theory explores how the thinking process itself can affect learning. That means it also explores different factors influencing our thinking, such as internal and external factors.
Internal factors influencing thinking and learning include concentration, distraction, and emotions. External factors that can impact how we think include our physical surroundings and our society’s value of the information itself.
One of the best-known cognitive learning theories isPiaget’s theory of cognitive development. Piaget described four stages of intellectual development that occur in childhood.
These four stages explain how a child learns about the world and processes information.
Vygotsky’ssociocultural theorystressed the importance of collaboration and social interaction in the learning process.
Two important concepts of constructivist learning theories are the more knowledgeable other and the zone of proximal development:
PsychologistAlbert Bandurasuggested that much of learning takes place through observation. Children observe the actions of those around them, particularly caregivers and siblings, and then imitate these behaviors.
In social learning:
In his well-knownBobo doll experiment, Bandura revealed just how easily children could be led to imitate even negative actions. Children who watched a video of an adult beating up a large inflatable doll were likelier to copy those actions when given a chance.
Bandura noted that learning something does not necessarily result in a behavior change. Children frequently learn new things through observation but might not engage in such behaviors until they need or are motivated to utilize the information.
According to Kolb, there arefour stagesinexperiential learning. The first two, abstract conceptualization and concrete experience, relate to how people grasp experiences. The final two, active experimentation and reflective observation, refer to how people transform experiences.
Such theories are typically not used in isolation. Instead, modern educators and psychologists draw on information from a variety of theories to develop effective educational strategies and psychological interventions that help people acquire new skills and knowledge.
For example, while behavioral approaches are no longer as dominant as they once were, they still play an important role in educational and therapeutic settings. For example, teachers continue to use behavioral strategies such as positive reinforcement and token economies to help shape the learning process.
The goal of learning more about these learning theories is to help adapt educational and therapeutic interventions to best suit an individual’s needs.
All learners are different, so drawing on various approaches, such as incorporating behavioral, constructivist, and experiential strategies can help maximize learning opportunities and improve educational outcomes.
Takeaways
Behavioral, cognitive, constructivist, social, and experiential learning theories are among psychology’s best-known and most influential. These theories have influenced education, therapy, and parenting approaches. Learning more about these theories can give you a deeper, richer understanding of how the learning process works.
How Bloom’s Taxonomy Can Help You Learn More Effectively
5 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Dong H, Lio J, Sherer R, Jiang I.Some learning theories for medical educators.Med Sci Educ. 2021;31(3):1157-1172. doi:10.1007/s40670-021-01270-6
Hugar SM, Kukreja P, Assudani HG, Gokhale N.Evaluation of the relevance of Piaget’s cognitive principles among parented and orphan children in Belagavi City, Karnataka, India: A comparative study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent.2017;10(4):346-350. doi:10.5005/jp-journals-10005-1463
Eun B.The zone of proximal development as an overarching concept: A framework for synthesizing Vygotsky’s theories.Educational Philosophy and Theory. 2017;51(1):18-30. doi:10.1080/00131857.2017.1421941
Galanaki E, Malafantis KD.Albert Bandura’s experiments on aggression modeling in children: A psychoanalytic critique.Front Psychol. 2022;13:988877. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.988877
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