Learning is a process that depends on experience and leads to longterm changes in behavior potential.
Behavior potential designates the possible behavior of an individual, not actual behavior.
As opposed to short term changes in behavior potential (caused e.g. by fatigue) learning implies long term changes.
As opposed to long term changes caused by aging and development, learning implies changes related directly to experience.
Learning theories try to better understand how the learning process works.
Major research traditions are behaviorism, cognitivism and self-regulated learning .
Neurosciences have provided important insights into learning, too, even when using much simpler organisms than humans (aplysia).