Question

In Gagne's 'Learning hierarchy' which of the learning types immediately precedes' concept of learning?
1. Signal learning
2. S-R learning
3. Chain learning
4. Discrimination learning

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 4 : Discrimination learning

Robert Mills Gagne was an American educational psychologist best known for his "conditions of learning".

• Also known for his science of instruction.
• This hierarchy is based on a simple to complex approach.

Gagne suggests that learning tasks for intellectual skills can be organized in a hierarchy according to complexity. The primary significance of the hierarchy is to identify prerequisites that should be completed to facilitate learning at each level. Prerequisites are identified by doing a task analysis of a learning/training task. He has classified learning into eight types in hierarchical order as given below:

1. Signal learning: It is also known as classical conditioning. In this learning, The unconditioned stimulus is paired with the conditioned stimulus to elicit the response and later on to see whether CS is alone able to elicit the response or not.
2. S-R learning: It is also known as instrumental learning. In this kind of learning the experimenter waits for the subject to emit a response that approximates the one he wishes to establish and then reinforces it.
3. Chain learning: Chaining means the connection of a set of individual S-R in sequence.
4. Verbal associate learning: Mediating connections between each verbal unit and the next must-have been previously learned.
5. Multiple discrimination: Discrimination involves higher mental processes. It is the basis upon which we learn to think and solve problems.
6. Concept learning: A concept is a class of stimuli, which have common characteristics. We form concepts by finding properties that a class of objects shares in common.
7. Learning of principle: Learning of principle depends upon learning of concept formation and another form of learning. Principles show the regular relationship between two or more concepts.
8. Problem-solving: This comes at the highest stage in the hierarchy of the learning process. It depends on learning rules. It constitutes the use of the ‘discovery method’. 

Conclusion: From the above discussion, it is clear that discrimination learning immediately precedes' concept of learning.