Section 5, Chapter 3, Simple learning based on actions with positive outcomes

We assume that action benefits from learning by increasing the likelihood of success.

The simplest form of learning is single-trial or one-shot. It utilizes past experience by looking through memory for the last time a similar situation led to a positive outcome.

• To do so we must have information storage and retrieval, i.e. memory
• The simplest memory just stores everything, perception, feelings, and action -- like on a video tape
• To retrieve, we simply rewind the tape to the appropriate spot and replay the action component.
• Single-trial learning is also related to case-based reasoning and simple causal analysis. There will be more on this later.

Other, more complex forms of learning will be discussed throughout the remainder of this section. Learning is the key that provides the evolutionary advantage, and that also necessitates an 'inner language'.

We start with assumptions about memory, and look at simple learning with the type of information we discussed above.