Associative Learning Theory

Associative Learning Theory suggests that we learn by making connections between events or ideas. When two things occur together repeatedly, our brain links them, so thinking of one prompts the other. For example, if you hear a bell every day before lunch, you might start feeling hungry whenever you hear that bell. This process explains how habits form, fears develop, and preferences are created—our minds associate certain cues with specific outcomes based on experience. It highlights the importance of patterns and repetition in how we learn from our environment.