Transfer of learning
Thursday 5 June 2025
Transfer of learning is the application of knowledge and skills acquired in one context to another. (As in from riding a bike to riding a scooter!) We do it all the time in daily life. This practice is particularly relevant in the upcoming psychology course. The flexibility of the course has raised some concerns about coverage and “missing out” on vital information. This post aims to alleviate those fears by showing how content can be taught in one context and learning transferred to another.
Sociocultural approach
Many areas of study within the sociocultural approach are present in the context of human relationships, particularly under group behavior. Conformity is one example explored below. See this InThinking page for more suggestions.
Conformity in human relationships - group behavior
You get a job in an office and turn up for work on the first day in a suit and tie, but find everyone else is more casually dressed than you. On the weekend, you go shopping for a few “smart casual” clothes. Nobody has said anything, but you feel the pressure to conform. This is normative social influence – you want to fit in.
Your experienced colleagues all know where the best places are to eat lunch, so you follow their advice. This is informational social influence – you know they are better informed than you.
Once students have understood this, you can conduct Asch’s classic conformity experiment to help the class discuss ambiguous situations and the effect of group size on conformity.
Linked concept - causation and true experiments.
Transfer of learning – human development
Conformity in human development – peer influence and the development of self
During adolescence, the need to “belong” socially is powerful and is often fulfilled by identifying with a group. This may include the “football group” that plays for the school team, the “arty” students, or those who “seem like us.” Once accepted, they conform to the group’s social norms, as their self-esteem relies on this in-group membership. [Students can think about groups they belong to.]
Conformity is part of the social categorisation stage of social identity theory, and this short clip from the film Mean Girls illustrates some of the different groups that may exist in schools.
Linked concept - responsibility in research using children.
Biological approach
Several areas of study within the biological approach can be applied in the context of human development. Brain imaging is a good example, as the evidence for brain development relies heavily on this technique. See this InThinking page for more suggestions.
Brain imaging and brain development
PET scan and brain activity – uses a mild radioactive tracer to monitor oxygenated blood flow in different brain areas and structures while participants complete a task—cross-sectional studies on glucose metabolism and brain activity (Chugani et al.,1999).
MRI and brain maturity– uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of brain structure. Longitudinal studies from a few weeks to adulthood focus on myelination and brain development (Giedd et al., 2004; Sarah Jayne Blakemore).
Linked concept - perspective and biological reductionism
Transfer of learning – learning and cognition
Brain imaging and cognitive processes
MRI and memory – MRIs are often used in memory studies to examine the brain, particularly the hippocampus and amygdala (Maguire, 2000).
fMRI and attention – measures blood flow in the brain, but not at such a micro-level as the PET scan. It uses the same method as an MRI, but works by detecting the changes in blood oxygenation that occur in response to brain activity.
Linked concept - measurement of brain activity
Upcoming post -Tips for class practicals
The next blog post will explore class practicals and give some tips on how to organise these. A class practical is a requirement for every context, and student understanding is assessed in Paper 2, Section A. It can be teacher-led or student-led, and there are suggestions in the guide. There is no requirement for an extensive write-up of each, but it is an excellent opportunity for students to understand the challenges of various research methods.