Associative learning: what it is, types and characteristics

Much of our knowledge of the world consists of creating links between events and responses; Associative learning takes care of this. Thanks to him, We are capable of predicting, understanding systems and issuing responses consistent with the environment, in other words, to survive.

In this article, we will investigate what associative learning is, its types, characteristics and application in different contexts. We invite you to advance in reading, since this psychological process has been studied in depth by experts for more than a century and not all of its ins and outs are still known.

What is associative learning?

Associative learning is the process that establishes a connection between two stimuli or between a stimulus and a response. In this, the association of two different elements or events is generated, so that the presence of one of them causes the activation or modification of the linked response.

Thus, through the repetition of two events contiguously, neural connections are strengthened and established, giving rise to automation of the answer. For example, if every time you shake an apple tree some of its fruit falls, every time you want one you will shake its trunk.

Characteristics of learning by association

Associative learning, starting from such a broad and abstract base, has several important characteristics. Below, we present them:

It is an adaptive process: It allows us to learn through experience and adjust our behavior depending on the circumstances.It tends to be long-lasting and can influence our behavior in the long term: It helps form habits and automate tasks, saving cognitive effort.It is flexible: It is possible to unlearn (extinguish) associations and conditioning if they stop presenting themselves together, it also allows new connections to be established.

What types exist?

There are two types of association learning. Coined by the famous physiologist Pavlov, The classic one consists of associating a stimulus with a response in a conditioned way.

In his experiment with dogs, he managed to cause a bell (neutral stimulus) that was rung before the exposure of food (unconditioned stimulus) to provoke the salivation reflex (conditioned response) ahead of time.

On the other hand, the psychologist BF Skinner first described the operant conditioning; association established between a response and its consequences.

This way, if a response is followed by a desirable consequence (positive reinforcement), it is more likely to be repeated in the future. Conversely, if a response is followed by an unpleasant consequence (negative punishment), it is less likely to be repeated.

Many psychological techniques, such as satiation, have been built on the basis of operant conditioning.

Application contexts

The versatility of this type of learning makes it a tool in many areas of human life. The most representative examples are those explained below:

Problem solving and decision making: Through previous experience and learned associations, it is possible to use the knowledge acquired to foresee and anticipate the results of different options and make more informed and accurate decisions.Advertising and marketing: Through classical conditioning, companies associate their products or brands with positive emotions or attractive stimuli, which can generate an automatic and favorable response toward their products when consumers encounter them in the market.Education: facilitates the teaching process of students. Operant conditioning reinforces desirable behaviors, for example. While classical conditioning is used to establish associations between neutral stimuli and learning content, such as melodies with concepts.Treatment of psychological disorders: An illustrative example is cognitive behavioral therapy, in which exposure techniques are used to treat phobias and anxiety disorders. In it, patients are gradually exposed to feared stimuli to desensitize and unlearn conditioned fear responses.Skill development: It is applied in the development and training in various areas, such as sports, music, motor skills and more. Through repetition and positive reinforcement, links are established between the actions taken and the desired results, which helps improve and automate performance in a given competition or activity.

How to improve associative learning?

The most effective strategy to associate two stimuli or a stimulus and a response is repetition.. This is the way to strengthen the neural circuits corresponding to that task or situation. When it comes to operant conditioning (getting rid of long-standing tasks, for example), positive reinforcement is a big help.

Punishment, on the other hand, is not a suitable learning method in all contexts. While it is true that it is very useful for survival (if fire burns, why touch it again?), as an educational technique it leaves much to be desired. Learning is extinguished as soon as the punishment disappears, so the unwanted behavior has a high probability of emerging again.

Finally, you must remember that associative learning is very useful in acquiring new skills and automating tasks. Do not hesitate to look for techniques that help improve your performance, since your brain is well configured for this.

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