Introduction to Psychology of Learning

Catalog description

This course provides a general survey of the study of learning and behavior. It will focus on investigating historical and current learning perspectives, their respective research methods, and how each contributes to our understanding of both human and animal behavior. The course also provides an investigation of human and animal experiments and how those studies inform our understanding of learning principles. Students should expect to learn about the processes of classical and operant conditioning and other related phenomena. The course provides a foundation for further understanding of learning principles and prepares students to analyze and distinguish between different types of learning they will witness in their everyday life. Questions discussed would include, How are behaviors and habits formed or changed? How are many of our social behaviors reinforced or weakened? What are the limits of learning, if any? How do learning principles help us with devising clinical interventions and treatments? Students will be able to encounter new situations, both social and otherwise, apply learning principles they have studied, and have an enriched experience because of the application of that knowledge.