Hebb's Theory of Learning & Neuronal Growth (AQA GCSE Psychology): Revision Note

Brain plasticity

• Hebb’s theory suggests that there is a connection between neurological and psychological processes

• The theory proposes that when someone learns a new skill their brain forms and strengthens synaptic connections between neurons

• Neural connections start weak but are strengthened with repeated practice, for example:

  • A learner driver focuses on the controls of the car until they gain more experience after which driving the car feels easy and automatic

  • Learning to play the piano is slow and awkward at first:

    • The hands have to move in new ways and sheet music is followed with great concentration but once the player has practised sufficiently playing feels natural

• Brain plasticity refers to the brain’s ability to adapt to change e.g. due to learning and experience

• The brain's plasticity comes from its ability to form new synaptic connections and strengthen existing ones, in the same way a muscle grows stronger the more it is used

• Brain plasticity does not happen immediately, it is the result of weeks, months, and years of practice, learning and experience 

Engrams & neuronal growth

• An engram is a kind of trace left in the brain when an action or behaviour is repeated and practised e.g. learning French at school

• The resilience of the human brain is that this trace is not immediately erased or wiped out; it can be strengthened and bolstered by more practice (which is why any expert in any discipline will spend thousands of hours practising, practising and practising)

• If a skill is neglected i.e. not practised for some time then the trace may fade (a case of ‘use it or lose it’) but not necessarily completely disappear (which explains why people can ride a bike even if they haven’t done so for many years)

• Hebb proposed that cell assemblies (groups of neurons) are created during learning i.e. huge synaptic ‘firing’ and that this in turn makes these neurons more efficient as they forge strong synaptic connections

• Learning becomes easier due to neuronal growth which explains why some professional football players can score a goal from a corner kick (which would be beyond most people)

Research which investigates brain plasticity and neuronal growth

• Maguire et al. (2000): increased grey matter in the brains of taxi cab drivers was linked to their years of practice navigating the complicated streets of London

• Draganski et al. (2006): participants who had learnt a juggling routine showed brain plasticity after learning the skill compared to participants who had not learnt to juggle

Evaluation of Hebb’s theory of learning & neuronal growth

Strengths

• The theory can be investigated using objective, scientific methods e.g. MRI scans in Maguire et al. (2000) which increases its validity

• The theory has good real-world application to education

  • Hebb argued that a stimulating environment helps cell assemblies grow and learn

  • Rats raised in the most stimulating environments were better able to find their way through mazes as adults, supporting the idea that environment and learning are related

    • This suggests that creating richer, more stimulating environments could encourage learning in an educational setting

Weaknesses

• The theory is reductionist because it reduces learning to a neuronal level and ignores other explanations, such as learning as a cognitive process (e.g. similar to Piaget's concept of accommodation) or as a social process (learning through observing others or being directly instructed)

• The theory cannot explain why some people require less practice than others in mastering specific skills