Behavior, whether human or animal, is the fundamental subject of psychology. Most human behavior is learned and acquired, which is why learning holds a unique place in psychology, unmatched by any other topic. Our knowledge of learning reflects on our understanding of behavior and humanity as a whole. Consequently, learning was one of the first areas in psychology that scientists studied theoretically and empirically. Since the 19th century, most experiments in psychology have focused on learning, as scientists have sought to explain the process and arrive at a convincing theory of how it occurs. Thus, schools of psychology have evolved from behaviorism to metacognition, and the study of psychology, particularly learning, has expanded and diversified into various specialized subfields all belonging to the psychology of learning.

Although the psychology of learning is an independent branch, other branches of psychology consider learning a core area. Practically, no applied field in psychology can dispense with understanding learning and its multiple theories. For instance, psychotherapy is essentially a form of learning and behavior shaping. This may be because human growth and development are due to two basic processes: maturation (physiological changes accompanying growth) and learning (experiences gained throughout life).

Psychology is not the only science concerned with learning; many others, such as education, sociology, and biology, consider it fundamental. Therefore, any new discovery about learning in psychology has implications for other fields, especially education, where learning and teaching are the core subjects. Writing a book about learning is not an easy task. The first challenge for the author is to define the book's purpose, the topics it should include, and its intended audience—be it the theoretical psychologist, the educator, or the sociologist. The author has chosen an educational orientation to provide the greatest possible benefit to those in the teaching profession and those preparing for it. Therefore, the practical aspect focuses on teaching and its outcomes at various educational stages.

The author has attempted to explore the field of learning in a comprehensive, concise, and structured manner, to benefit those interested in psychology in general and learning in particular. Although the author believes that no single theory of learning can answer all learning problems, he had to select from the vast sea of theories those most relevant to the teaching process and most focused on the educational aspect. The book consists of ten chapters:

• Chapter One: Defines learning and discusses foundational theories like Thorndike's connectionism, Pavlov's classical conditioning, and Gestalt's cognitive learning, serving as a historical introduction.
• Chapter Two: Covers operant learning theory and its significant impact on psychology and school learning.
• Chapter Three: Applies the principles of operant learning to education, particularly educational objectives, programmed learning, and computer-assisted learning.
• Chapter Four: Discusses information processing theory and its relation to information storage and retrieval.
• Chapter Five: Is dedicated to meaningful learning and schema theory. Although Ausubel's theory may not receive the same attention it did a quarter-century ago, its impact on education is still palpable, especially when viewed from the perspective of schema theory.
• Chapter Six: Explores social cognitive learning theory and the social factors affecting learning, highlighting the impact of role models on behavior, ethics, and learning. It also discusses theories of self-efficacy and the role of self-regulation in learning.
• Chapter Seven: Moves to the topic of metacognition, one of the newer areas in learning, focusing on people's awareness of their own learning, the cognitive processes they undergo, and how they regulate their learning to enhance memory.
• Chapter Eight: Addresses the transfer of learning and problem-solving. The transfer of learning is essential in daily life, as people use previously learned information and skills to face new situations.
• Chapter Nine: Deals with motivation and its relationship to learning, presenting a theoretical framework for the factors responsible for motivation and how they lead to behavior acquisition and modification.
• Chapter Ten: Focuses on a crucial topic for teaching: instructional theory as envisioned by Gagné, discussing his different types of learning and their relationship to the teaching process.

Some theories were not included, not because of their lack of importance, but because they did not serve the specific purpose for which this book was written.

• Number of Pages: 320
• Year of Publication: 2010
• Binding Type: Hardcover
• Edition Number: 2
• Printing Color: Black
• Size (cm): 17x24
• Weight (kg): 0.650
• Barcode: 9789957062385