Perceptual Learning: Definition and Application in Psychology
Our senses allow us to perceive the world around us. This process can be thought of as perceptual learning, or the taking in of information from the environment through the body's senses. What does it mean to say that we learn with our whole body? This lesson reviews the five senses and how they're used in relation to the seven perceptual learning styles.
Perceptual learning involves relatively long-lasting changes to an organism's perceptual system that improve its ability to respond to its environment.
There are seven specific methods through which people learn, with each relying on one sense more than the others.
Let's imagine a teacher, Mrs. Hesher, is considering using perceptual learning methods in her history class. If Mrs. Hesher wants to accommodate all perceptual learning modes in her unit on the Roman Empire, how could she do it? Let's investigate each one.
Mechanisms of Perceptual Learning
Four mechanisms of perceptual learning are discussed: attention weighting, imprinting, differentiation, and unitization.
- Attention weighting: Perception becomes adapted to tasks and environments by increasing the attention paid to important dimensions and features.
- Imprinting: Receptors are developed that are specialized for stimuli or parts of stimuli.
- Differentiation: Stimuli that were once indistinguishable become psychologically separated.
- Unitization: Tasks that originally required detection of several parts are accomplished by detecting a single constructed unit representing a complex configuration.
Research from cognitive psychology, psychophysics, neuroscience, expert/novice differences, development, computer science, and cross-cultural differences is described that relates to these mechanisms.
Visual Learning Styles
About 65% of the entire population learn best through perceiving information through their eyes. There are actually two types of perceptual learners that depend on their eyes: visual learners and print-oriented learners.
Visual Learners
Visual learners are those that need to see something to learn it. Basically, visual learners need to see and observe in order to learn. In math, for instance, they might need to watch an example be worked for them before they're able to comprehend a math problem. Mrs. Hesher should consider playing a movie depicting Ancient Rome and the Roman Empire, or showing lots of pictures of the Roman Empire to her class to accommodate the visual learners.
Figure 1 Specificity of perceptual learning for the visual field position trained.
Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the visual system indicating the only location of orientation-specific monocular neurons.
Aural Learning Style
Even though this scenario seems to be a standard form of educating, only about 30% of the population actually learn best through listening. The bulk of education is presented verbally with an instructor at the front of the classroom and students sitting in chairs listening to the information. Aural learners take in information best when they hear it. To support aural learners, Mrs. Heshner could give a traditional lecture on the Roman Empire.
Kinesthetic and Haptic Learning Styles
Once again, there are two distinct learning styles that rely on our body's sense of touch. Approximately 5% of the population can be considered to be either kinesthetic or haptic learners. While this doesn't seem like a large number, remember that in a school with 1,000 students, 50 will fit into this category. Those 50 students deserve to have their specific means of learning accommodated just like the rest of students.
Haptic Learners
Haptic learners are experiential learners; they need to experience something to really learn it. They need to be able to hold, touch, and manipulate it to incorporate the information into their long-term memory. They might need to use blocks to experience math concepts before understanding how to add and subtract, or use sand writing techniques to begin the writing process.
Interactive Learning Style
While taste isn't specific to our forms of learning, using the mouth by way of talking is specific to a form of perceptual learning. Interactive learners need to be able to talk about what they're learning. Without this time of reflection on the concepts, interactive learners have a difficult time retaining information. They need to be able to express ideas or predictions, hear and respond to other's ideas, and share feelings about what they're learning. Small-group discussions are a great way for Mrs. Hesher to support her interactive learners while offering all students another avenue to investigate and explore the concepts of the Roman Empire.
Olfactory Learning Style
Olfactory learners are those that associate learned information with smells present at the time of learning. Research shows that the sense of smell and memory are strongly tied together, so being able to connect a smell with learned information can be a key to learning for some people. To support olfactory learners, Mrs. Hesher might use an oil diffuser to add a specific Italian-themed scent to the room during information presentation and during any testing; the smell will trigger the information.
Examples of Perceptual Learning Specificity
Below are a few examples, that visually represent specificity of perceptual learning:
Figure 3 No transfer of improvement through learning after stimulus rotation by 10 deg.
Figure 4 Specificity of perceptual learning for the visual field position trained.
Figure 5 Specificity of perceptual learning for the eye used during training.
Perceptual Learning and Amnesia
Figure 6 Improvement in a vernier discrimination task in six amnesic patients.
The table below summarizes the different perceptual learning styles and possible classroom accommodations:
| Learning Style | Sensory Preference | Classroom Accommodations |
|---|---|---|
| Visual | Sight | Movies, pictures, diagrams |
| Aural | Hearing | Lectures, discussions |
| Kinesthetic | Touch, Movement | Hands-on activities, experiments |
| Haptic | Touch, Manipulation | Manipulatives, tactile models |
| Interactive | Talking | Group discussions, debates |
| Olfactory | Smell | Scented environments (use with caution) |