Question

Decide whether or not each scenario is or is not learning and describe your rationale for each example.

Examples of learning 1. The cessation (stopping) of thumb sucking by an infant

2. The acquisition of language in children.

3. A worm is placed in a T maze. The left arm of the maze is brightly lit and dry; the right arm is dim and moist. On the first 10 trials, the worm turns right 7 times. One the next 10 trials, the worm turns right all 10 times.

4. Mary stays up late the night before the ACT exams in April and consumes a large about of pharmacological agents. Her score was 19. The night before the June ACT exams, she goes to bed early after a wholesome dinner and a glass of milk. Her score increases to 23. Is the change in scores due to learning? Is the change in scores related to learning?

5. A geranium plant is pinched back and begins to grow denser foliage and flowers.

6. After Mary worked on a difficult math equation for hours she is able to solve it. From that point on, she can solve all similar types of problems quickly.

7. After smoking for 25 years, Floyd throws away his cigarettes and never smokes again.

8. MYCIN is a computer program that is able to diagnose human infections by consulting a database of rules. If we add another rule to the database, has MYCIN learned?

Answer 1

For many parents, the argument for whether or not to let their new baby suck his or her thumb after birth is a big one in their household. Yes, it’s perfectly natural and it promotes independence, but it’s also a bad habit that many parents have personally dealt with, and they have no desire to do so with their children.

As each side of this age-old argument has its own pros and cons, it’s possible to find just as many reasons to allow it as there are reasons to stay far, far away. There is no right or wrong answer, but only what feels right to each family and what is right for each baby.

For some newborns, the discovery of their thumb begins within weeks of birth. For others babies, thumb sucking is simply a continuation of a habit they perfected while still in the womb. I have too many friends that have ultrasound pictures of their little ones sucking their thumbs in utero. However, many babies don’t even discover their thumbs for a few months after birth when they start gaining better control over their arms and hands. Each baby is so different.

But regardless whether your little one started thumb sucking in utero, acquired a taste for her thumb soon after birth, or didn’t start sucking her thumb for a while, it’s hard not to worry that your child will be stuck with this new habit through middle school.

In fact, the number one biggest concern most parents have for their children sucking on a thumb or fingers is that the children will destroy their teeth or jaws and will required a great deal of money, and dental work, to repair something that the parents could have prevented in the first place.

Another big fear of parents is that thumb sucking indicates a psychological disturbance on the part of their kids. I’m not sure where this rumor got started, but it is absolutely not true. On the contrary, the ability of babies to comfort themselves is a huge sign of emotional health, and will be a godsend for you in the months after you bring your little bundle home for the first time.

Don’t start worrying just yet. I want to set your mind at ease. It’s perfectly natural for babies to suck their thumbs and if carefully monitored and handled in just the right way, it can be perfectly healthy as well. In this article, I hope to reveal some truths and some myths about thumb sucking that will make you fel a whole lot better.