Question

• Option 1: What does it mean when you have learned something? Identify and describe an example of something you have learned recently using either the principles of classical conditioning, operant conditioning or observational learning/social-cognitive learning. Ensure that you describe your example using the appropriate terminology associated with each learning theory.
• Option 2: Memory is a complex concept, why can we remember every word to a song we heard 10 years ago, but can't remember why we walked into the kitchen less than 5 minutes ago? Why do we forget certain information, but remember others? Briefly describe a recent situation in which you forgot something important, referencing one of the theories of forgetting. What techniques could you have used to avoid forgetting this information?

Be sure to make connections between your ideas and conclusions and the research, concepts, terms

Answer 1

1.The term learning is defined by psychologists as a relatively permanent change in behavior as a result of experience. Using the theory of observational learning to give an example:

A child, who is known as the observer, watches her elder brother (the model) arranging his books. He is praised by his parents for doing this task. The child sees this as a reward and then she models his behavior by arranging her toys.  

2. Forgetting is the inability to retrieve information from long-term memory. In order to understand how forgetting works, it is important to understand how information is stored in memory. This modal of memory theorizes that information is received, processed and stored for each kind of memory- sensory memory, short-term memory and long-term memory. Unattended information gets stored in sensory memory for a short period of time. Information that has been attended to goes to short term memory for about 20-30 seconds. Information that is considered important and needed for a longer period of time is transferred to long-term memory.

Research has found that memory traces that are not rehearsed decays or breaks apart within 20 seconds. If there is an interference, some information displaces the previous information contained in memory. Forgetting can also occur due to transience i.e forgetting over time, poor encoding due to inattention, weak associative cues and retrieval induced forgetting wherein the retrieval of old information causes the forgetting of recent information.

Some techniques that can be used to avoid forgetting are- rehearsal, use of mnemonic devices, aiming for mastery in the initial stages or write down the information as you get it.