3.9: Social, Cognitive, & Neurological Factors in Learning

Cognitive learning: involves mental processes such as attention and memory; thoughts, perceptions, and expectations

• may be learned through observation/imitation

• may not involve any external rewards/require a person to perform any observable behaviors

Tolman’s Experiment:

Latent learning: learning that is acquired without conscious effort, awareness, intention, or reinforcement and is not manifested as a change in performance until a specific need for it arises

• learning can occur w/o reinforcement

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Cognitive maps: a mental representation of a physical space

• we learn spatial layouts of environment by exploration — even if not reinforced for exploring

Insight learning: learning that occurs when the solution to a problem occurs without any association, consequence, or model being presented

• a sudden reorganization of perceptions

• conscious

Observational learning: learning new behavior by watching a model perform that behavior and imitating it

• Modeling: process of observing/imitating

Mirror neurons: neurons that fire when an animal/person performs an action & observes that same action being performed by another

• connected to observational learning and empathy

• around the frontal lobes

• theory of mind

• *its not all actions

Prosocial behaviors: positive, constructive, helpful behavior

Antisocial behaviors: negative, destructive, harmful behavior