Concept Overview

Learning is a process through which experience causes permanent change in knowledge, behavior, or potential for behavior. In psychology, learning is studied to understand how organisms adapt, acquire skills, and modify behavior.

Core Theories of Learning

1. Behaviorism

  • Focus: Observable behaviors.
  • Key Figures: B.F. Skinner, John B. Watson, Ivan Pavlov.
  • Core Concepts:
    • Classical Conditioning: Learning via association (e.g., Pavlov’s dogs).
    • Operant Conditioning: Learning via consequences (reinforcement and punishment).

2. Cognitivism

  • Focus: Internal mental processes.
  • Key Figures: Jean Piaget, Jerome Bruner.
  • Core Concepts:
    • Schemas: Mental structures for organizing knowledge.
    • Information Processing: Mind as a computer, encoding, storage, retrieval.

3. Constructivism

  • Focus: Learners actively construct knowledge.
  • Key Figures: Lev Vygotsky, Jean Piaget.
  • Core Concepts:
    • Zone of Proximal Development: Difference between what a learner can do alone and with help.
    • Scaffolding: Support given during learning.

4. Social Learning Theory

  • Focus: Learning through observation and imitation.
  • Key Figure: Albert Bandura.
  • Core Concepts:
    • Modeling: Learning by observing others.
    • Vicarious Reinforcement: Learning from others’ experiences.

Major Processes in Learning

Process Description Example
Acquisition Initial stage of learning Learning to ride a bike
Extinction Loss of learned response Forgetting a language
Generalization Transfer of learning to new situations Applying math to shopping
Discrimination Distinguishing between similar stimuli Recognizing different birds
Retention Maintaining learned information over time Remembering historical dates

Learning and the Brain

  • Neuroplasticity: The brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections.
  • Synaptic Pruning: Removal of weaker synaptic connections, strengthening learning.
  • Long-Term Potentiation (LTP): Strengthening of synapses based on recent patterns of activity.

Brain Learning Diagram

Surprising Facts

  1. Learning Can Occur Without Awareness: Implicit learning allows skills (like grammar rules) to be acquired unconsciously.
  2. Sleep Dramatically Enhances Learning: Memory consolidation mainly occurs during deep sleep stages.
  3. Stress Alters How We Learn: Acute stress can enhance memory for emotional events, but chronic stress impairs learning and recall.

Environmental Implications: Plastic Pollution & Cognitive Health

Plastic Pollution in the Deep Ocean

  • Fact: Microplastics have been discovered in the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the ocean (Peng et al., 2020).
  • Pathways: Plastics break down into microplastics, which are ingested by marine organisms and enter global food webs.

Impact on Learning and Cognition

  • Neurotoxic Effects: Recent research suggests that exposure to microplastics and associated chemicals (e.g., BPA, phthalates) can disrupt neurodevelopment and cognitive processes in both animals and humans.
  • Bioaccumulation: Persistent organic pollutants adhere to plastic particles, increasing the risk of neurotoxic exposure through seafood consumption.

Diagram: Microplastics in the Food Chain

Microplastics Food Chain

Global Impact

  • Human Health: Microplastic pollution may impair cognitive development, especially in children, due to neurotoxic chemical exposure.
  • Ecosystem Disruption: Altered behavior in marine life (e.g., impaired predator avoidance) due to neurotoxic effects of plastics.
  • Societal Costs: Increased health care costs and reduced productivity due to learning and memory impairments.

Recent Study

  • Citation: Peng, X., Chen, M., Chen, S., et al. (2020). “Microplastics contaminate the deepest part of the world’s ocean.” Geochemical Perspectives Letters, 14, 1-5. Read the study

Further Reading

Key Takeaways

  • Learning is a complex psychological process influenced by behavioral, cognitive, and social factors.
  • The brain’s plasticity underlies our capacity to learn and adapt.
  • Environmental factors, such as plastic pollution, can have far-reaching consequences on cognitive health and learning abilities.
  • Ongoing research is crucial to understanding and mitigating these global impacts.

Environmental Implications

  • Plastic pollution is not only an ecological crisis but a potential threat to cognitive health worldwide.
  • Mitigating plastic pollution could protect both marine ecosystems and human neurodevelopment.