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Introduction to Psychology: The Psychology of Learning

Explore how new behaviours are learnt by examining different types of psychological conditioning.

50,099 enrolled on this course

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  • Duration

    2 weeks
  • Weekly study

    6 hours

Understand the different ways we learn

How do we learn different behaviours? What effect does biology have on our ability to learn new things?

This course explores the psychology of learning, covering famous historical experiments and current learning theories.

You’ll investigate the difference between instinctive and learned behaviours, and the various approaches to how we learn.

Explore classical conditioning and other learning models

You’ll build on your existing knowledge of the famous Pavlov’s Dog experiment as a form of classical conditioning and further explore operant conditioning and observational learning.

Adding these additional structures allows you to consider the impact of positive and negative consequences on learning behaviours, and the extent to which we learn from watching and imitating others.

Investigate the overlap of biological psychology and learning behaviours

Expanding on your knowledge of biological psychology and developmental psychology developed on earlier courses in this ExpertTrack, you’ll have the chance to combine that knowledge with learning theories to find out how biological factors can influence some forms of learning. You’ll also interpret the influence of behaviourism on the study of learning.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 12 seconds MATTHEW MUNDY: How do we learn and remember? And factors can influence our learning? What role does reward and punishment play in shaping our behavior? Hi I’m Matthew Mundy. I’m the Director of Education for the School of Psychological Sciences at Monash University in Australia. In this course you’ll explore the ‘Psychology of Learning’. You’ll find out about the influence of behaviorism and biological factors within the study of learning. You’ll also investigate the basic principles of classical and operant conditioning. And because psychology doesn’t operate within a vacuum, you’ll have the chance to apply what you know to a real world situation. This introductory course is designed for everyone, regardless of experience or background. No prior study of psychology is required or expected.

Skip to 0 minutes and 56 seconds So if you want to learn more about the behaviors principles and factors that impact the way we learn, by a School of Psychological Sciences is ranked among the best in the world. Then I encourage you to join us in this course.

What topics will you cover?

  • What is learning?
  • Classical conditioning
  • Operant conditioning
  • Observational learning

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Discuss the term 'learning'.
  • Interpret the influence of behaviourism on the study of learning.
  • Explain the basic principles of classical and operant conditioning.
  • Identify the role of classical and/or operant conditioning in a real-world situation.
  • Explain how biological factors can influence some forms of learning.

Who is the course for?

This introductory course is for anyone interested in psychology - you don’t need any past experience.

It might be of particular use to learners who have already completed a Bachelor degree in other disciplines who are interested in expanding their science and research skills.

Who will you learn with?

I am Associate Professor and Director of Education for the School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Australia. My research is in the cognitive neuroscience of memory and perception.

Who developed the course?

Monash University

Monash University is one of Australia’s leading universities, ranked in the world’s top 1% by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. It was established in Melbourne in 1958.

  • Established

    1958
  • Location

    Melbourne, Australia
  • World ranking

    Top 60Source: QS World University Rankings 2021

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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Join the conversation on social media

You can use the hashtag #FLPsychL to talk about this course on social media.