Deutsch: Wiedererlernen / Español: reaprendizaje / Português: reaprendizagem / Français: réapprentissage / Italiano: riapprendimento
Relearning in the psychology context refers to the process of reacquiring knowledge or skills that were previously learned but have been forgotten. It involves reviewing, practicing, or re-exposing oneself to material or tasks that were once mastered, and it often takes less time than learning the material for the first time. Relearning is an important concept in both memory studies and educational psychology, as it highlights the efficiency of recovering previously stored information.
Description
In psychology, relearning is a key concept in the study of memory, particularly in relation to how information is stored, forgotten, and later recovered. This process is often studied through the "savings method," developed by Hermann Ebbinghaus, a pioneer in memory research. The savings method measures how much faster a person can relearn material compared to the time it took to learn it initially. The difference indicates that some memory traces of the material have been retained, even if they are not immediately accessible.
Relearning is commonly applied in situations where individuals need to recall information or skills after a period of not using them. For instance, someone who once learned a foreign language but hasn't used it for years may need to relearn vocabulary and grammar rules. However, because the brain has already formed neural connections during the initial learning, the process of relearning is typically faster and more efficient.
Application Areas
- Educational Psychology: Relearning is essential in education, especially when students review material before exams or return to subjects they haven't studied in a while. Reviewing old concepts strengthens memory retention and improves long-term learning.
- Language Learning: When relearning a language, learners often find that previously learned vocabulary and grammar rules return more quickly after some practice, demonstrating the effectiveness of relearning.
- Motor Skills: Relearning is also crucial in motor skill acquisition, such as relearning how to play an instrument or a sport after a long break. The body’s muscle memory helps make the relearning process faster than starting from scratch.
- Memory Rehabilitation: In cases of brain injury or memory loss (such as in amnesia or Alzheimer's), relearning can be part of therapeutic interventions to help individuals recover lost skills or knowledge.
Well-Known Examples
- Language Relearning: A person who studied Spanish in high school but hasn't spoken it in years can often relearn the language more quickly compared to when they first learned it, as some foundational knowledge has been retained.
- Exam Preparation: Students preparing for exams by reviewing material they've previously studied are engaging in the process of relearning. It typically takes less time to go over familiar concepts than learning them anew.
- Skill Reacquisition: An individual who hasn’t played the piano in years but returns to practice will find that previous muscle memory and cognitive knowledge allow them to relearn the instrument faster.
Risks and Challenges
- Incomplete Retention: Relearning depends on how much of the original knowledge has been retained. In some cases, especially with long periods of disuse, relearning may take almost as long as the initial learning.
- Decay Over Time: The longer the time between initial learning and relearning, the more information may be forgotten, making relearning more challenging.
- Interference: New information learned in the meantime can interfere with relearning old material, especially if the subjects are similar (e.g., learning a new language that is close to a previously learned one).
Similar Terms
- Memory retrieval
- Review
- Recall
- Reacquisition
- Reinforcement learning
Summary
Relearning in psychology refers to the process of reacquiring previously learned knowledge or skills. It is typically faster than initial learning due to retained memory traces, even if those traces aren't immediately accessible. This concept is important in education, language acquisition, motor skills, and memory rehabilitation, emphasizing the efficiency of reviewing and strengthening forgotten information. Relearning also demonstrates the brain’s capacity to retain and recover lost information through repeated exposure.
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