ABSTRACT
The types of learning we have treated so far occur throughout the animal kingdom. We, along with the Nukak and squirrels, try to determine the locations of preferred foods. Whereas the Nukak and squirrels forage under naturalistic conditions, we typically “forage” in supermarkets and restaurants. We laid the groundwork to consider how these principles help us understand the evolving human condition and inform the helping professions. Chapters 5 and 6 described how appetitive and aversive control learning responses are acquired. In Chapter 7, we turn our attention to the importance of learning the circumstances (i.e., antecedents) under which behaviors are adaptive. In Chapter 8, we will consider how the ability to predict and control one’s environment can be acquired indirectly as well as directly. In Chapter 9, the roles of heredity (nature) and adaptive learning (nurture) in child development will be considered. In Chapter 10, we will describe how problem-solving and the development of tools and technologies enable continual transformation of the human condition. In Chapter 11, the application of control learning principles to oneself will be described.
