Behaviorism is a group of theories with common threads, such as a focus on observable events and the belief that mental processes cannot be studied (Brown & Green, 2020). Behaviorism originated in 1913 and is the science and study of behavior (Leahy, 1992). Behaviorism seeks to establish relationships between behavior and the context in which it occurs (Overskeid, 1995).

Social Learning theory has roots in Behaviorism and focuses on the idea that most human behavior is learned by observing and modeling the behavior of others (Culatta, n.d.).

Cognitivism considers that mental processes are important and able to be studied in depth (Brown & Green, 2020). Cognitivism originated in 1956 and has its roots in information-processing cognitive psychology (Leahy, 1992). Its goal is to understand the internal design which governs human thought and behavior (Overskeid, 1995). Several other learning theories have foundations in Cognitivism, including Constructivism and Neuroscience (Brown & Green, 2020).

Constructivism centers on the idea that individuals construct their context for understanding based on their experiences (Brown & Green, 2020). It is grounded in the idea that individuals create mental models to make sense of their experiences.

Neuroscience is the science and study of the brain and nervous system and how they function together to govern how individuals learn (Brown & Green, 2020). It includes the science and study of how humans learn.