The Replacement of General-Purpose Learning Models with Adaptively Specialized Learning Modules

Theories of learning are and always have been predominantly associative theories. However, in the study of animal learning, where these theories have historically been most dominant, a different conception is gaining ground. Whereas associative theories have their historical roots in the empiricist philosophy of mind, the alternative conception has its roots in evolutionary biology, more particularly in zoology, that is, in the study of the natural history of animal behavior and of the mechanisms that enable animals to cope with the challenges posed by their habits of life.