84 PSYCHOLOGY
A burst of understanding associated with the sudden reorganization of a perceptual field is
called an.Answer: insight.Insight learning is also important for human beings. Let’s say that a child in
grammar school is told that pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to the
diameter, and that a rounded value for pi is 3.14. The child memorizes the defi-
nition, but the definition has little meaning. If, on the other hand, the child is
encouraged to measure the diameters and the circumferences of cans, pie tins, and
wheels using a string and a ruler, the child may acquire the insight that round
items are always about three times bigger around than they are across. Acquiring
an insight is more satisfying than just memorizing material. Also, insights tend to
resist the process of forgetting.
Harry Harlow, a former president of the American Psychological Associa-
tion, using rhesus monkeys as subjects, discovered a phenomenon called learning
sets.Assume that a monkey is given a discrimination problem. It is required to
learn that a grape, used as a reinforcer, is always to be found under a small cir-
cular container instead of a square one. The learning curve is gradual, and a
number of trials are required before learning is complete. A second similar
problem is given. The discrimination required is between containers with two
patterns, a crescent moon and a triangle. The learning curve for the second
problem is more accelerated than the learning curve for the first problem. By
the time a fourth or a fifth similar problem is given, the monkey is able to solve
the problem in a very few trials. The monkey has acquired a learning set,an
ability to quickly solve a given type of problem. The underlying process is called
learning to learn.
Human beings also acquire learning sets. A person who often solves crossword
puzzles tends to get better and better at working them. A mechanic who has
worked in the automotive field for a number of years discovers that it is easier and
easier to troubleshoot repair problems. A college student often finds that advanced
courses seem to be easier than basic courses. All of these individuals have learned
to learn.An acquired ability to quickly solve a given type of problem is called a.
Answer: learning set.Memory: Storing What Has Been Learned
What would life be like without memory? You would have no personal history.
You would have no sense of the past—what you had done and what your child-