ABSTRACT
How Do Learning Theories Answer the Basic Questions that a Theory of Human Development Is Expected to Address?
Critique of the Learning Theories
Strengths
Weaknesses
Key Terms
Learning theories have proposed mechanisms to account for the relatively permanent changes in behavior that occur as a result of experience. This definition does not limit learning to the types of experiences we encounter in school. The outcomes of learning can include such varied behaviors as stopping at a red light, feeling hungry at 6 o’clock in the evening, figuring out how to use the online research data base, and riding a bicycle. The changing and changeable nature of human behavior is largely due to human beings’ extensive capacity for learning. Four theories of learning have made significant contributions to the study of human development: (a) classical conditioning, (b) operant conditioning, (c) social learning, and (d) cognitive behaviorism. As you read about these theories, you will begin to appreciate that the term learning encompasses a wide variety of processes.
