Learning
Learning is a fundamental process in psychology that involves acquiring new knowledge,
behaviors, skills, values, or preferences. Psychologists have developed various theories to
explain how learning occurs and what factors influence it. This worksheet will help you
explore some key concepts in the psychology of learning.
Fill in the Blank: Use the word bank to complete the sentences.
1. The process of learning by observing and imitating others is called ______________
learning.
2. ______________ conditioning is a type of learning where a neutral stimulus
becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus and elicits a similar response.
3. The ______________ effect refers to the tendency for items studied first to be
remembered better than items studied later.
4. ______________ is the strengthening of a response through reinforcement.
5. The ______________ curve shows how information is lost over time when there's no
attempt to retrieve it.
Word bank: social, classical, primacy, operant conditioning, forgetting
Multiple Choice Questions: Select the best answer for each question.
1. Which learning theory was developed by B.F. Skinner?
a) Classical conditioning
b) Operant conditioning
c) Social learning theory
d) Cognitive learning theory
2. In Pavlov's famous experiment, the sound of a bell became a(n):
a) Unconditioned stimulus
b) Conditioned stimulus
c) Unconditioned response
d) Conditioned response
3. Which of the following is NOT a type of reinforcement in operant conditioning?
a) Positive reinforcement
b) Negative reinforcement
c) Neutral reinforcement
d) Punishment
4. The concept of "insight learning" is associated with which school of psychology?
a) Behaviorism
b) Gestalt psychology
c) Psychoanalysis
d) Humanism
5. Which of the following is an example of latent learning?
a) A dog salivating at the sound of a bell
b) A rat pressing a lever for food
c) A person avoiding touching a hot stove
d) A rat navigating a maze without visible rewards
Short Answer Questions: Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences.
1. Explain the difference between positive and negative reinforcement. Provide an
example of each.
1. Describe how the concept of "scaffolding" relates to Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal
Development.
1. How does cognitive load theory influence instructional design in education?
Answer Key:
Fill in the Blank:
1. social
2. classical
3. primacy
4. operant conditioning
5. forgetting
Multiple Choice:
1. b) Operant conditioning
2. b) Conditioned stimulus
3. c) Neutral reinforcement
4. b) Gestalt psychology
5. d) A rat navigating a maze without visible rewards
Short Answer Questions:
1. Positive reinforcement involves adding a desirable stimulus to increase a behavior,
while negative reinforcement involves removing an aversive stimulus to increase a
behavior. Example of positive reinforcement: Giving a child a sticker for completing
homework. Example of negative reinforcement: Turning off an annoying alarm when
you wake up, reinforcing the behavior of waking up.
2. Scaffolding is a teaching strategy that provides temporary support to help learners
achieve tasks they couldn't complete independently. In Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal
Development, scaffolding helps bridge the gap between what a learner can do
without help and what they can do with guidance, gradually reducing support as the
learner becomes more competent.
3. Cognitive load theory suggests that our working memory has limited capacity. In
instructional design, this theory is applied by breaking complex information into
manageable chunks, using visual aids to support verbal information, and avoiding
extraneous information that might overload working memory. This helps optimize
learning by ensuring that cognitive resources are used efficiently.
