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P. Marler* and H. S. Terrace** *The Rockefeller University Field Research Center Millbrook, NY 12545 **Dept. of Psychology, Columbia University New York, NY 10027, USA For the first half of this century, theories of animal conditioning were regarded as the most promising approach to the study of learning - both animal and human. For a variety of reasons, disillusionment with this point of view has become widespread during recent years. One prominent source of disenchantment with conditioning theory is a large body of ethological observations of both learned and unlearned natural behavior. These challenge the generality of principles of animal learning as derived from the intensive study of a few species in specialized laboratory situations. From another direction, the complexities of human language acquisition, surely the most impressive of learned achievements, have prompted developmental psychologists to doubt the relevance of principles of animal learning. Even within the realm of traditional studies of animal learning, it has become apparent that no single set of currently available principles can cope with the myriad of new empirical findings. These are emerging at an accelerating rate from studies of such phenomena as selective attention and learning, conditioned food aversion, complex problem solving behavior, and the nature of reinforcement. Not very surprisingly, as a reaction against the long-held but essentially unrealized promise of general theories of learning, many psychologists have asked an obvious question: does learning theory have a future? 2 r. Marler and B. S.
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Dahlem Workshop Reports Life Sciences Research Report 29 The Biology of Learning
The goal of this Dahlem Workshop is: to reconcile learning theory and natural behavior
Life Sciences Research Reports Editor: Silke Bernhard
Held and published on behalf of the Stifterverband fUr die Deutsche Wissenschaft Sponsored by: Senat der Stadt Berlin Stifterverband fUr die Deutsche Wissenschaft
The Biology of Learning P. Marler and H. S. Terrace, Editors
Report of the Dahlem Workshop on The Biology of Learning Berlin 1983, October 23-28 Rapporteurs: P. C. Holland· D. E. Kroodsma· J. C. Marshall R. Menzel· J. Morton Program Advisory Committee: P. Marler and H. S. Terrace, Chairpersons T. Bever· L. L. Cavalli-Sforza· J. L. Gould K Immel mann . R. F. Thompson· A. R. Wagner
Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
New York Tokyo 1984
Copy Editors: M. A. Cervantes-Waldmann, K Geue Photographs: E. P. Thonke
With 4 photographs, 17 figures and 1 table
ISBN-13:978-3-642-70096-5 e-ISBN-13:978-3-642-70094-1 001: 10.1007/978-3-642-70094-1
CIP-Kurztitelaufnahme der Deutschen Bibliothek The biology of learning : report of the Dahlem Workshop on the Biology of Learning, Berlin, October 23 - 28, 1983 / p. Marler and H. S. Terrace, ed. Rapporteurs: P. C. Holland ... [Held and publ. on behalf of the Stifterverb. fOr d. Dt. Wiss. Sponsored by: Senat d. Stadt Berlin; Stifterverb. fOr d. Dt. Wiss.]. - Berlin; Heidelberg; New York ; Tokyo: Springer, 1984. (Life sciences research report; 29) (Dahlem Workshop reports) This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specially those of translation, reprinting, re-use of illustrations, broadcasting, reproduction by photocopying machine or similar means, and storage in data-banks. Under § 54 of the German Copyright Law, where copies are made for other than private use, a fee is payable to "Verwertungsgesellschaft Wort", Mlinchen.
© Dr. S. Bernhard, Dahlem Konferenzen, Berlin 1984. Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1984
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