PS261 Chapter 1: LEARNING
Document Summary
Learning is an enduring change in the mechanisms of behaviour involving specific stimuli and/or responses that results from prior experience with those or similar stimuli and responses. When we see evidence of learning, we see the emergence of a change in behaviour. Performance refers to all of the actions of an organism at a particular time. Performance depends on many things, therefore a change in performance cannot be automatically considered considered to reflect learning. One mechanism that produces change in behaviour too short lasting to be considered an instance of learning. Physical exertion may result in gradual reduction of vigor. However decline in responding disappears if individual can rest for a while. Maturation occurs in the absence of specific training or practice. The behavioural level of analysis is rooted in the conviction that the function of learning is to facilitate an organism"s interactions with its environment. Much research these days is being conducted at the level of neural mechanisms.
