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Learning Theories

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Running Head: LEARNING THEORIES

Research Paper: Learning Theories

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Psychology of Learning

Learning Theories

From the beginning of life, learning is a natural process and continues through humankind’s lifespan. There seems to be an inherent encoding structure from birth seeking to discover new information that invokes learning which empowers one’s ability to adapt to different patterns of behavior. For years various theories have been introduced to explain how people learn. Learning can and does occur in a variety of methods. People may deem learning as experiences that become embedded into their memory having lasting effects. Others may think of learning as how they acquire new information and their ability to apply memory that has been stored overtime. While learning has often been defined in many ways, the basic element in the learning process is how people acquire knowledge and how it is maintained to produce changes in behavior. Learning is the fundamental nature of human functioning.

This reflective paper presents a broad scope of theoretical concepts from Gregory Kimble, B.F. Skinner and Jean Piaget. The central focus of this paper is aspects of Albert Bandura’s observational, social learning and social cognitive theories; Bandura’s contributions to psychology; his critics and my personal response to Bandura’s theories.

Introduction

Many theories throughout the years have been proposed to explain human behavior. Until recent times, some theorists held the belief that motivational forces in the forms of drives, needs and impulses, usually operating below the level of consciousness were the most important determinants. Since proponents of this school of thought considered the principal causes of behavior to be forces within an individual, this is where

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