Chapter 4. Learning
Think back to your first weeks of kindergarten and how different it was from daycare or being at home. You had to learn how to sit at a desk, raise your hand to speak, go to a designated place for lunch, complete worksheets, and much more. You likely noticed many of these behaviours by observing your teacher or the other children around you. Imitation and insight played significant roles, but they probably weren’t enough on their own. Adjusting to a new routine and completing tasks you might not have wanted to do required additional strategies.
Your teacher likely used reinforcements, such as offering free periods at the end of the week or reducing your workload, to encourage engagement. They might also have employed punishments, like taking away sugary snacks or giving you time-outs, to discourage undesirable behaviour. Through these methods, you learn based on the consequences of your actions. Some of this learning may have occurred unconsciously. For instance, even if you weren’t tired after lunch, the teacher turning off the lights and playing soothing music might have signalled that it was time for your daily nap, leading you to feel sleepy and head to the mats.
These examples illustrate the various ways we learn every day. Learning is a complex process that encompasses more than one method or definition. Throughout this chapter, we will explore the processes of learning by observation, classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and the numerous factors that influence learning.
