Which statement best aligns with cognitive learning theory?

• A. The brain can be likened to a computer that processes information
• B. Learning occurs solely through imitation of others
• C. External rewards are the sole determinant of learning
• D. The learner actively uses cognitive processing to construct understanding

Answer: (D)

The main idea tested here is that learning involves active mental processing and construction of meaning by the learner. Cognitive learning theory treats learners as active processors who organize, interpret, and connect new information with prior knowledge, using strategies like attention, memory, problem-solving, and metacognition.

The statement that the learner actively uses cognitive processing to construct understanding best fits this view because it explicitly centers the learner’s mental activity and the construction of meaning. It captures how learners actively make sense of information, develop schemas, and monitor their own understanding as they learn.

Offsets: learning through imitation alone points to passive copying, external rewards as the sole determinant emphasizes reinforcement rather than understanding, and the brain-as-a-computer analogy is an analogy that doesn’t by itself specify the learner’s active construction of knowledge.