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Both a serious academic text and an intriguing story, this seventh edition reflects a significant update in research, theory, and applications in all areas. It presents a comprehensive view of the historical development of learning theories from behaviorist through to cognitive models. The chapters also cover memory, motivation, social learning, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. The author's highly entertaining style clarifies concepts, emphasizes practical applications, and presents a thought-provoking, narrator-based commentary. The stage is given to Mrs Gribbin and her swashbuckling cat, who both lighten things up and supply much-needed detail. These two help to explore the importance of technology for simulating human cognitive processes and engage with current models of memory. They investigate developments in, and applications of, brain-based research and plunge into models in motivation theory, to name but a few of the adventures they embark upon in this textbook.
List of contents
List of Illustrations; Preface; Part I. Science and Theory: 1. Human learning; Part II. Mostly Behavioristic Theories: 2. Early behaviorism: Pavlov, Watson, and Guthrie; 3. The effects of behavior: Thorndike and Hull; 4. Operant conditioning: Skinner's radical behaviorism; 5. Evolutionary psychology: learning, biology, and the brain; Part III. The Beginnings of Modern Cognitivism: 6. Transition to modern cognitivism: Hebb, Tolman, and the Gestaltists; Part IV. Mostly Cognitive Theories: 7. Three cognitive theories: Bruner, Piaget, and Vygotsky; 8. Learning and memory; 9. Motivation and emotions; 10. Social learning: Bandura's social cognitive theory; 11. Machine learning and artificial intelligence: the future?; Part V. Summary: 12. Summary, synthesis, and integration; Epilogue; Glossary; References; Name index; Subject index.
About the author
Guy R. Lefrançois is Honorary Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Alberta, Canada. He has published over fifty titles, including a number of best-selling textbooks in their respective fields.
Summary
Suitable for graduate and undergraduate students, this new edition reflects a significant update in research, theory, and applications in all areas of learning theory. It is both a serious, academic textbook and the delightful tale of the sharp-witted and acerbic narrator, Mrs Gribbin, and her (possibly dangerous) cat.
Report
'I have used Theories of Human Learning since the 'Old Man' edition and have found it to be the most informative, as well as entertaining, book on the topics of behavioral theory, learning, memory, and cognition. It is well-written and very much appreciated by students.' James McGowan, Executive Director of Off-Campus Administration, Adelphi University, New York
