The Four Stages of Learning uncovered by Abraham Maslow
We all know that the human brain is immensely complex and still somewhat of a mystery of The Four Stages of Learning uncovered by Abraham Maslow. that learning—a primary function of the brain—is understood in many different ways. Here are ten ways that learning can be described.
Learning is the relatively permanent change in a person’s knowledge or behavior due to experience. This definition has three components:
- the duration of the change is long-term rather than short-term;
- the locus of the change is the content and structure of knowledge in memory or the behavior of the learner;
- the cause of the change may be the learners experience in the environment rather than fatigue, motivation, dependency, physical condition or physiological intervention.
The learning process has often become more difficult than necessary because of the bad feelings people get when they make mistakes in learning. The bad feelings come from judgments like, “not doing it right,” “not good enough,” “can never learn this,” etc…
Ironically, not doing it right and making mistakes are vital steps in the learning process; yet too often our attention goes to trying to avoid the bad feelings, rather than to the learning at hand. Understanding the four stages of learning a skill can help keep the learning process focused on learning to do something, and not feeling bad about ourselves for not already knowing how.
Here are the four stages of learning as uncovered by Abraham Maslow:
1. Unconscious Incompetence
“I don’t know that I don’t know how to do this.” This is the stage of blissful ignorance before learning begins.
2. Conscious Incompetence
“I know that I don’t know how to do this, yet.” This is the most difficult stage, where learning begins, and where the most judgments against self are formed. This is also the stage that most people give up.
3. Conscious Competence
“I know that I know how to do this.” This stage of learning is much easier than the second stage, but it is still a bit uncomfortable and self-conscious.
4. Unconscious Competence
“What, you say I did something well?” The final stage of learning a skill is when it has become a natural part of us; we don’t have to think about it.
Using the example of learning to drive a car, as a child I first thought that all I needed to do was sit behind the wheel and steer and use the pedals. This was the happy stage of unconscious incompetence.
When I began learning to drive, I realized there was a whole lot more to it, and I became a little daunted. This was the stage of conscious incompetence. There were so many different things to do and think about, literally hundreds of new behaviors to learn.
In this stage I made lots of mistakes, along with judgments against myself for not already knowing how to do it. Judgment release can be very helpful here in the second stage because mistakes are integral to the learning process. They’re necessary because learning is essentially experimental and experience-based, trial and error. Information can be accumulated, but until it is practiced and used, it’s only information. It’s not learning, and certainly not a skill.
As I practiced, I moved into the third stage of learning, conscious competence. This felt a lot better, but still I wasn’t very smooth or fluid in my driving. I often had to think about what to do next, and that felt awkward and uncomfortable.
Finally, after enough practice, I got to the place where I didn’t have to think about every little thing I was doing while driving. I thought about my driving only when something alerted me to it. I became unconsciously competent. Because of the ease and grace in unconscious competence, my driving became much safer.
P.S. As always, please take a minute to leave a comment on my blog. I want it to be a conversation rather than a rant from my soapbox.
P.P.S. And don’t forget my constant reminder: we’re still lending! Call 800-722-5956/email: info@peachcapitalfunding.com/fax 877-624-4455/live chat with us on the next wealth-creating commercial property ownership loan you know about.
0 Comments