In: A Critical Introduction to Psychology ISBN: 978-1-53616-491-6
Editor: Robert K. Beshara © 2019 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Chapter 6
LEARNING: A SOCIAL AND COLLABORATIVE
ACTIVITY IN DIALOGUE WITH OTHERS
Marie-Cécile Bertau, PhD and John L. Roberts, PhD
Department of Psychology, University of West Georgia,
Carrollton, GA, US
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Learning Is Central to the Human Condition
A newborn is helpless and highly dependent on others in order to
develop into a person with skills and knowledge to navigate everyday life.
Learning processes in humans take much longer than in animals; in this
sense human beings are delayed. Moreover, human learning does not have
limits in terms of age, although there are sensitive periods for specific
skills (e.g., language). In general though, learning can take place the whole
life. Being vulnerable and in need of extensive time to learn allows for rich
complexity and variability: humans are able to acquire manifold complex
Corresponding Author’s Email: [email protected].