Morgan Tate
Uncertainty and Learning
Psychophysiological Uncertainty (PPU), in modern terms, can be described as an
overpowering and alien feeling of confusion and even fear that dwells inside of a living
organism. Uncertainty is “caused by an unfamiliar or usual situation in which something strange
and unexpected happens, causing a solution to be unrecognizable” to the organism. Uncertainty
can be a result of undergoing a new task, being faced with an environment that is foreign to the
organism, or when the organism undergoes any other form of “variational processes.”
Uncertainty is the first essential step to learning. Once an organism begins to experience
uncertainty for any given reason, numerous processes start to occur in order to transform
uncertainty into learning.
The first process that the organism undergoes is the creation of a novice stimulus. A
novice stimulus can be defined as the process in which “an organism experiences an unfamiliar
stimulus over and over again in a monoatomic function.” The more an organism experiences the
stimulus, the more adaptive the organism becomes to it. A novel stimulus gradually works to
systematically reduce the uncertainty the organism is experiencing. Once the organism adapts to
the stimulus and it is no longer “novice”, the organism begins to undergo the second process
involved in the transformation from uncertainty to learning.
The second process involved in the transition to learning is referred to as a “novice
behavior.” A novice behavior can be defined, in modern terms, as the result of undergoing a
novice stimulus, in which the organism undergoing uncertainty behaves in a manner that is not
usually expected of it. This behavior is to be expected of any creature, human or non-human. A
perfect example would be if an organism experienced a traumatizing situation such as death or
any other potential danger. It would take a while for the organism to learn how to cope to a
similar situation, as a result. The moral of my example is that it takes time for an organism to
learn how to react to a certain situation or environment when it is not yet adapted to the specific
circumstance. After the novice behavior has been experienced and the situation has nearly
become natural to the organism, the third process leading to learning occurs.
The third process involved in the transformation from uncertainty to learning is the
forming of new or altered consequences followed by a particular behavior. This process is
defined in modern terms as the circumstance in which an organism performs a certain way in
order to receive a certain reward. For instance, in Skinner’s experiment, when the bird in the
“Skinner Box” would peck a particular button, it would automatically receive food pellets. After
this occurs on more than one occasion, the bird gradually begins to acknowledge the action that
was performed in order to obtain its reward. It in turn, repeats the desired action in order to reap
its reward. This occurs in the natural environment, human and animal alike. By nature, all living
creatures behave in a particular fashion in order to obtain the desired consequences.
Through all of these processes, uncertainty is transformed into certainty in a matter of
time. And through certainty, learning is achieved for the organism, since when the organism
obtains desired knowledge, the organism has traced where the learning took place specifically.
Organisms also undergo various trial and error circumstances through these processes in order to
learn what is actually occurring when it is experiencing uncertainty. Again, the Skinner Box is a
perfect example of “vicarious trial and error” occurrences, because it obtained knowledge from
its actions through trial and error. When learning has been achieved, it is then that “new
behavioral organization is actualized.” The organism is made aware of the learning, and in the
process, the organism can seek new knowledge in order for more learning to take place.
Morgan Tate
Learning  [B]- Organization  Personality
Learning, Behavioral Organization, and Personality are all three inter-related. Since all
three processes are naturally inter-related, they all depend on one another equally in order to
function. This is true to such an extent that without learning or behavioral organization, there
would be no personality of the human mind. This is because through both behavior and learning,
the personality of an organism is formed.
Learning is obtained through SG3 (Adaptive Self-Organization) within the organism’s
internal organization. When the organism satisfies its curiosity by expanding its range for
discovery, through facing new situations and new environments, the organism is creating
multiple new opportunities for learning experience. Through learning, the organism’s mental
organization is altered, because it is acquiring more and more information about its surroundings
and the life it leads. And because its internal organization is being altered, its behavior in turn, is
altered. In essence, when new learning is formed, behavioral organization is created as a result of
the organism undergoing a novice behavior and adapting to it.
Behavioral organization is the internal system that is prevalent in regulating what actions
an organism performs and how it reacts in specific situations. Behavior is the most dominant
feature of one’s personality. Behavior naturally defines the physiological and psychological
aspects of an organism. Experiences that an organism faces at any point in its life can alter ones
behavior permanently or temporarily until it experiences a new situation that shapes its behavior.
Therefore the behavior of the organism and the alterations that it experiences in behavioral
interaction forms and alters its personality. If an organism was not naturally equipped with an
internal behavioral regulatory system, it would be unstable to the point where it wouldn’t ever
comprehend how to act. And without internal behavioral organization, the organism would have
no true personality to define it. This is because the actions and behavior of an organism define
and form the organism’s personality.
Without the natural processes of learning and behavioral organization within an
organism, personality would not be created. Personality is the main aspect of an individual that
defines them. It also is the most enlightening aspect of an organism because with simple
observation, others can usually easily interpret or assume what an organism is thinking and what
it is feeling. The personality of an organism is portrayed though its actions and behavior. And
through the actions and behavior of an organism, other organisms can judge if they want to avoid
or interact with the organism based on its portrayed personality. For example, if an action or
behavior is carried out in an unusual way, one would view the organism as having an abnormal
personality, and may even stereotype the organism as “unusual” and/or “strange.”
Personality is by far the most complex and essential characteristic that provides an
individual with its own individuality. An organism’s personality is affected by its perception of
the world around it. And its perception is shaped by what it has learned and experienced in its
life. This in turn alters how the organism behaves in its environment. Through all this evidence,
it is clearly evident that learning, behavioral organization, and personality all equally depend
upon one another. And just as behavior and learning shape one’s personality, the personality of
an organism alters the way it behaves and the way it learns. For example, if one has a
spontaneous and attentive personality, one learns more quickly and successfully. Just as if one is
defiant and uncertain, he or she may be unwilling to learn, making learning an elongated
struggle. And behavior is the product of one’s personality. If one has a neurotic personality, he or
she will omit strange and often frantic behavior through bizarre actions. The processes of
learning, behavioral organization, and one’s personality are all essential for an organism to
function, and they are all equally important.