Learning and Memory Applied :: Essays Papers

Learning and Memory AppliedLearning and memory are fascinating. The world could not function without either. They both are used in many different fashions in a wide variety of places. Learning and Memory have been carefully studied by professionals but are in addition well known and used by the common people on a daily basis. I am one of those common people, a schoolchild who is constantly learning and making the most of my memory. Since enrolling in The Psychology of Learning and Memory consort I have come to the realization that I undertake situations in my life that exemplify the very concepts I have studied. I have also learned that it is beneficial to apply the lessons learned in class to my everyday life. Positive livelihood, learned helplessness and serial recall are a few among many of the learning and memory models that have come to put through in my life and in my final reflections surrounding the course. First of all, I was highly interested in the concept a nd various factors that together make up positive reinforcement. I had a premise that I could do some experimental work on the three children for whom I baby-sit during the week afterward school. They leave school full of energy and it is my job to get them to complete a series of tasks before the end of the evening. I imagined that some positive reinforcement might get them on their way to handling their responsibilities in a timelier manner. My first step was to come up with a specific instrumental reaction that would produce reinforcement. This took no time at all because by far the most painfully difficult thing for me to do is get the children to sit mess and do their homework. I then spoke specifically to each child and asked them what they would rather choose as an after school activity. They named video games, television, and going to campaign with other neighborhood children. I had expected these types of answers from the children and made them into the positive reinforcers that would be contingent on the childrens performance of the instrumental response namely completing their homework. I explained to the children that if they behaved and finished their homework, then directly following they could spend an hour doing an activity of their choice.