IB Diploma Psychology SL · Context: Learning and Cognition (first assessment 2027)
Mini-Lesson
Learning and cognition
The Learning and cognition context asks how we learn and how the mind processes information — conditioning, social learning, memory, attention, perception and thinking. You study it through the biological, cognitive and sociocultural approaches and the key concepts .
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Context · how it works
Studying learning and cognition through three approaches
A context is explored through the three approaches and the key concepts (measurement, bias, causality…).
Learning and thinking have biological (neural), cognitive (mental models) and sociocultural (observational, cultural) explanations.
Cognitive research relies heavily on controlled experiments — powerful for causation but sometimes low in ecological validity.
Key idea: memory and thinking are active and reconstructive , not passive recordings.
Thinking & learning · conditioning
Learning by conditioning and observation
Classical conditioning (Pavlov) : a neutral stimulus paired with an unconditioned stimulus comes to trigger a conditioned response.Operant conditioning (Skinner) : behaviour is shaped by reinforcement and punishment .Social (observational) learning (Bandura) : we learn by watching and imitating models, especially when the model is rewarded (vicarious reinforcement ).
Concept — causality: conditioning studies manipulate stimuli/consequences, supporting causal claims about learning.
Quick check
Which is right?
? In classical conditioning (Pavlov), a dog salivates to a bell because the bell has been:
Repeatedly paired with food until it triggers the response ✅
Reinforced with a reward for salivating ❌
Observed in another dog ❌
Stored in working memory ❌
Thinking & learning · schemas & biases
Schemas, dual processing and cognitive biases
Schema theory : prior knowledge structures (schemas) guide how we interpret and remember information (e.g. Bartlett ).Dual processing (Kahneman) : fast, automatic System 1 versus slow, effortful System 2 thinking.Cognitive biases such as confirmation bias and anchoring arise largely from System 1 shortcuts.
Link: schemas make thinking efficient but can introduce systematic errors and biases .
Quick check
Which is right?
? Kahneman's dual-processing model contrasts:
Fast, automatic System 1 with slow, effortful System 2 thinking ✅
Sensory memory with the cerebellum ❌
Classical with operant conditioning ❌
Secure with insecure attachment ❌
Cognitive processes · memory
Models of memory
The multi-store model (Atkinson & Shiffrin) distinguishes sensory, short-term and long-term memory.
The working memory model (Baddeley & Hitch) replaces a single STM with a central executive , phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad .
Memory is reconstructive : Loftus showed leading questions and misinformation can distort recall.
Implication: eyewitness testimony can be unreliable because memory is rebuilt, not replayed.
Quick check
Which is right?
? In the working memory model, verbal and acoustic information is handled by the:
Phonological loop ✅
Visuospatial sketchpad ❌
Hippocampus ❌
Sensory register only ❌
Cognitive processes · attention, perception, language
Attention, perception and language
Attention is selective — we filter information (e.g. the cocktail-party effect).Perception combines bottom-up sensory data with top-down expectations, so it can be shaped by context and schemas .Language interacts with thought; debates continue over how far language shapes cognition.
Concept — measurement: cognitive processes are inferred from performance (accuracy, reaction time), not observed directly.
Quick check
Which is right?
? Loftus and Palmer's leading-question study ('smashed' vs 'hit') shows that memory is:
Reconstructive and open to distortion ✅
A perfect video recording ❌
Stored only in the sketchpad ❌
Independent of language ❌
Sort it
Sort each idea to its strand
Tap an item, then tap the group it belongs to.
Concepts & research
Studying cognition rigorously
Lab experiments give strong control (good for causation) but can have low ecological validity .Bias: demand characteristics can distort results; reconstructive memory research must handle ethics of implanting false memories.Measurement: reaction time and accuracy are common objective measures of cognitive processing.
Triangulating lab and real-world evidence gives a fuller picture of learning and cognition.
Quick check
Which is right?
? A common strength of laboratory experiments in cognitive psychology is:
High control over variables, aiding causal conclusions ✅
Guaranteed ecological validity ❌
No need for a hypothesis ❌
Elimination of all measurement ❌
Match it
Match each item to its idea
Tap on the left, then its match on the right.
Recap
The big ideas to know
Learning: classical (Pavlov), operant (Skinner), social learning (Bandura)
Thinking: schemas (Bartlett); dual processing System 1/2 (Kahneman); biases (confirmation, anchoring)
Memory: multi-store; working memory (Baddeley & Hitch); reconstructive memory (Loftus)
Processes: selective attention; top-down perception; language & thought
HL extension: culture, motivation and technology (e.g. Google effect)
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