Understanding individual variations in human associative learning

Abstract

Associative learning has offered vital insights into psychopathology. However, illness exists on a continuum, and identifying disturbances in associative learning processes related to psychopathology demonstrates a general adaptability in human associative learning. A few studies have looked mainly at individual variations in human associative learning. Yet, while much work has focused on accounting for adaptability in learning caused by external factors, there has been little consideration of how to model the impact of dispositional factors. This review examines the spectrum of individual differences investigated in human associative learning, as well as attempts to understand and model this adaptability. To completely comprehend human associative learning, additional research must focus on the sources of diversity in human learning.