Plasticity Of Learning

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Learning is the involvement of acquiring new knowledge, skills, and responses to stimuli that results in a change of state. Learning can occur in a magnitude of different ways that leads to leading a habitual way of life, and the change in behavior as a result of experience. The science behind learning comes from understanding how the brain works and the different autonomic systems of the brain. For example, habits and learning occurs through electrical signals through the synapse occurring more frequently and strengthening the signals received by the dendrites of the nerve in such a way that the signals become second nature and are harder to change once established. However, knowing that in this way is how the brain works also invokes the …show more content…
For example, this ability of the brain can be seen in amputees who experience sensations in phantom limbs. The brain has the ability to compensate for a lack of something and can affect where and how information is perceived. In the case of phantom limbs different areas of the cortex is reassigned for a specific area demonstrating plasticity. How does this relate to learning? By understanding the functionality of the brain allows for psychologists to explore new ideas in understanding behaviorism and motivations of humans. They can learn these aspects by examining the way people learn behaviors. Therefore studying these factors helps explore the way cognitive ability and unconscious function in order to work with one another. Combining these functions help an organism learn different behavioral and survival aspects in order to evolve and survive. Studies have been conducted to stimulate this connection by observing two different types of conditioning: classical conditioning developed by Ivan Pavlov and operant conditioning developed by B.F. Skinner. These two forms of conditioning are different in their methods however produce the same overall goal of developing and learning a particular …show more content…
One of the affects used on me was negative punishment in order to the decrease the behavior of me leaving messes around the house. Whenever something was cleaned incorrectly, or there was a mess in my room my parents would always come a remove me from whatever task I was doing such as reading, or watching television to clean it up. This became homologous with me getting in trouble as well if it was a frequent occurrence and then again fun activities that I enjoyed were removed. My parents used a continuous reinforcement method that would occur each time after I left a mess somewhere. Thus, this constant punisher stimuli eventually lead me to leave fewer messes and have a need a clean in order to make things neater in order not be reprimanded by my parents. However, I can place a level of discrimination—ability to distinguish between similar distinct stimuli—whereas I getting in trouble did not always mean that I left a mess somewhere and that I did something else. Together these two forms of conditioning creates a form of learning. Both classical and operant conditioning uses a stimuli to instill a particular behavior that can be repeated. This repetitious practice enhances functions in the brain to learn a behavior and increase synaptic plasticity. Combing these forms of conditioning reflects the relevance it has in much of my own behavior and the behavior

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