๐Ÿง ap psychology review

Learned Behavior

Written by the Fiveable Content Team โ€ข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโ€ขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โ€ข Last updated September 2025

Definition

Learned behavior refers to actions or responses that are acquired through experience and observation rather than being genetically inherited. These behaviors are shaped and modified by rewards, punishments, modeling, and other learning processes.

Theoretical Perspectives

Learned behavior encompasses changes in an individual's actions or conduct resulting from experiences. Behavioral, social learning, and cognitive theories particularly highlight how environmental interactions shape behavior.

Study And Research Findings

Albert Bandura's Bobo doll experiment (1961) demonstrated observational learning, showing that children imitate aggressive behaviors modeled by adults. B.F. Skinner's work on operant conditioning also elucidates how consequences of actions influence learned behaviors.

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