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Learning and behaviour

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Introductory Psychology
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Abstract

Learning is involved in all aspects of our development. Almost any activity you can imagine — from getting dressed in the morning to forming political beliefs and opinions, from reading this book to making friends — is affected in some way by learning. Whether it be playing a sport such as cricket or tennis, memorizing a set of formulas for an exam or developing the skills of social interaction in infancy, our early efforts are generally crude and rudimentary, but become more skilled with practice or experience.

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Further reading

  • Manning, A. and Dawkins, M.S. (1992). Animal Behaviour. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Chapter 6 gives an interesting view of learning processes from the perspective of the study of animal behaviour.

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  • Schwartz, B. (1989). Psychology of Learning and Behaviour, 3rd edn. New York: Norton. This book offers a comprehensive review of conditioning processes and includes a discussion of ethology and cognition.

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  • Walker, S. (1984). Learning Theory and Behaviour Modification. London: Methuen. Examines how the work of figures such as Thorndike, Watson, Pavlov and Skinner have influenced theories in educational and clinical practice, and formed the basis of behavioural therapies.

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© 1998 Tony Malim and Ann Birch

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Malim, T., Birch, A. (1998). Learning and behaviour. In: Introductory Psychology. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-14186-9_7

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