associative learning

noun

: a learning process in which discrete ideas and percepts become linked to one another

Examples of associative learning in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Now, an international team of scientists has found that the cnidarians are capable of a slightly more advanced type of associative learning known as operant conditioning, which entails remembering the positive or negative effects of a previous action. Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 13 Oct. 2023 Notably, researchers propose associative learning as a critical mechanism in the development of synesthetic experiences, highlighting that synesthesia can potentially be learned through appropriate training procedures. Mark Travers, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 But not many experiments have demonstrated associative learning in simple animals such as jellyfish, says Ken Cheng, an animal behaviorist at Macquarie University in Australia who was not involved in the new research but wrote a commentary on it for the same issue of Current Biology. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2023 These experiments provide evidence that box jellyfish are capable of associative learning, or the process of linking two unrelated stimuli together. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Sep. 2023 In 2021 Cheng published a review of learning in Cnidaria—a group that includes jellyfish, corals, sea anemones, and more—and found only a handful of studies that tested for associative learning, all of which were on sea anemones. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2023 By contrast, however, vocal learning did not appear to be linked to the other cognitive abilities measured, such as self-control and associative learning. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Sep. 2023 But apparently, that's enough to perform associative learning, the sort most often (forgive me) associated with Ivan Pavlov. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 22 Mar. 2023 Monica Gagliano, an evolutionary ecologist at the University of Western Australia, thought her experiment on associative learning in plants wasn’t working. Marta Zaraska, Discover Magazine, 18 Apr. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'associative learning.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of associative learning was in 1905

Dictionary Entries Near associative learning

Cite this Entry

“Associative learning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/associative%20learning. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

associative learning

noun
: a learning process in which discrete ideas and percepts which are experienced together become linked to one another compare paired-associate learning

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