GlossariesGCSE GlossariesGCSE Psychology GlossaryLearned Behaviour

Learned Behaviour - GCSE Psychology Definition

Reviewed by: Raj Bonsor

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In GCSE Psychology, learned behaviour refers to any response that is acquired through conditioning rather than inherited.

Learning can happen in different ways, such as through conditioning, where you change your behaviour based on rewards or punishments; through associating one stimulus with another; or through observation, where you watch others and imitate them.

Together, these processes explain how much of everyday behaviour, e.g., phobias, addiction, study habits, and manners, can be shaped without any genetic change.

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Raj Bonsor

Reviewer: Raj Bonsor

Expertise: Psychology & Sociology Content Creator

Raj joined Save My Exams in 2024 as a Senior Content Creator for Psychology & Sociology. Prior to this, she spent fifteen years in the classroom, teaching hundreds of GCSE and A Level students. She has experience as Subject Leader for Psychology and Sociology, and her favourite topics to teach are research methods (especially inferential statistics!) and attachment. She has also successfully taught a number of Level 3 subjects, including criminology, health & social care, and citizenship.

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