<p>I assume comprehension is or at least has some overlap with what you are looking for. There is a field called discourse psychology, where comprehension is a big thing. There are many types of comprehension: reading comprehension, narrative comprehension, etc. Here're some papers that may provide you an insight into it.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222815298_Chapter_9_Toward_a_Comprehensive_Model_of_Comprehension" rel="nofollow noreferrer">McNamara &amp; Magliano, 2009</a> introduces several classical models for comprehension.</p>
<p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31486277/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Loschky, et al., 2019</a> introduces a theory about visual narratives (perception + comprehension).</p>
<p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15012477/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Graesser, et al., 1997</a> introduces what discourse psychology does.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-03-02T22:55:04.290Z
2023-03-02T23:06:00.553Z
2023-03-02T23:06:00.553Z
angushushu
<p>One's understanding is basically training of <a href="http://www.ifc.unam.mx/Brain/nenet.htm#:%7E:text=NEURAL%20NETWORKS,of%20fine%20structures%20called%20dendrites.&amp;text=When%20a%20neuron%20receives%20excitatory,action%20potential" rel="nofollow noreferrer">the brain's neural network</a> to be able to reproduce the results being learned. You can somehow compare with how machine learning algorithms work where a large array of data is used to train the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_neural_network#:%7E:text=An%20artificial%20neural%20network%20is,to%20the%20input%20of%20another" rel="nofollow noreferrer">artificial neural networks</a> via <a href="https://brilliant.org/wiki/backpropagation/#:%7E:text=Backpropagation%2C%20short%20for%20%22backward%20propagation,to%20the%20neural%20network%27s%20weights" rel="nofollow noreferrer">backpropagation</a> of errors, over time the network is able to reproduce that data.</p>
<p>In humans the learning is perhaps lot slower, as we don't have tools such as derivatives to allow backpropagation. In comparison a robot is able to walk by training over RL in as short as <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/robots/a31208710/google-robot-teaches-itself-to-walk/#:%7E:text=But%20with%20the%20help%20of,Not%20bad.&amp;text=Usually%2C%20a%20roboticist%20must%20either,trial%2Dand%2Derror%20training." rel="nofollow noreferrer">a few hours</a>.</p>
<p>Now you can combine this understanding with what @AlicdD mentioned</p>
<blockquote>
<p>cover wide areas of research, from antidepressants and anxiety, focus to cognitive function and learning new tasks</p>
</blockquote>
<p>There are numerous factors involved that give rise to understanding, one can however theorize that if the mind is less distracted then learning can be improved.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-22T14:10:38.920Z
2023-02-28T18:34:33.737Z
2023-02-28T18:34:33.737Z
BiologyEnthusiast
<p>What is the psychological basis of understanding a subject?</p>
<p>I have observed cases where a person in anxiety reads a chapter of a book and doesn't grasp anything after 1 hour.The same person was given SNRI and he grasped the things in under 15 minutes.
Somehow just by focusing on the subject understanding happens automatically.</p>
<p>Are there any good research/books etc on this?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-22T07:48:59.717Z
The question seems to cover wide areas of research, from antidepressants and anxiety, focus to cognitive function and learning new tasks. What exactly is your question? Even more importantly, what has your research been so far? Adding backgrounds and prior research is a great way to improve clarity and bring focus to your post.
AliceD
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-22T08:21:15.773Z
What interests me is the nature of understanding. Could you give some reference? Like giving someone SNRI and a person intelligence increases exponentially. He is able to solve difficult maths problems which he found difficult to solve before. That makes me curious how this all happens
pensee
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-22T08:21:29.517Z
Is there any good reference which tells about how snri works
pensee
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-22T10:57:54.987Z
Please edit your post to provide more focus.
AliceD
<cognitive-psychology><learning><meaningful-learning>
How does understanding happen
pensee
# How does understanding happen

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-01-22)

What is the psychological basis of understanding a subject?

I have observed cases where a person in anxiety reads a chapter of a book and doesn't grasp anything after 1 hour.The same person was given SNRI and he grasped the things in under 15 minutes.
Somehow just by focusing on the subject understanding happens automatically.

Are there any good research/books etc on this?

**Tags:** cognitive-psychology, learning, meaningful-learning

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The question seems to cover wide areas of research, from antidepressants and anxiety, focus to cognitive function and learning new tasks. What exactly is your question? Even more importantly, what has your research been so far? Adding backgrounds and prior research is a great way to improve clarity and bring focus to your post.  
> **username_0**: What interests me is the nature of understanding. Could you give some reference? Like giving someone SNRI and a person intelligence increases exponentially. He is able to solve difficult maths problems which he found difficult to solve before. That makes me curious how this all happens  
> **username_0**: Is there any good reference which tells about how snri works  
> **username_1**: Please edit your post to provide more focus.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2023-03-02. Score: 1

I assume comprehension is or at least has some overlap with what you are looking for. There is a field called discourse psychology, where comprehension is a big thing. There are many types of comprehension: reading comprehension, narrative comprehension, etc. Here're some papers that may provide you an insight into it.

[McNamara & Magliano, 2009](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222815298_Chapter_9_Toward_a_Comprehensive_Model_of_Comprehension) introduces several classical models for comprehension.

[Loschky, et al., 2019](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31486277/) introduces a theory about visual narratives (perception + comprehension).

[Graesser, et al., 1997](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15012477/) introduces what discourse psychology does.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2021-01-22. Score: 1

One's understanding is basically training of [the brain's neural network](http://www.ifc.unam.mx/Brain/nenet.htm#:%7E:text=NEURAL%20NETWORKS,of%20fine%20structures%20called%20dendrites.&text=When%20a%20neuron%20receives%20excitatory,action%20potential) to be able to reproduce the results being learned. You can somehow compare with how machine learning algorithms work where a large array of data is used to train the [artificial neural networks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_neural_network#:%7E:text=An%20artificial%20neural%20network%20is,to%20the%20input%20of%20another) via [backpropagation](https://brilliant.org/wiki/backpropagation/#:%7E:text=Backpropagation%2C%20short%20for%20%22backward%20propagation,to%20the%20neural%20network%27s%20weights) of errors, over time the network is able to reproduce that data.

In humans the learning is perhaps lot slower, as we don't have tools such as derivatives to allow backpropagation. In comparison a robot is able to walk by training over RL in as short as [a few hours](https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/robots/a31208710/google-robot-teaches-itself-to-walk/#:%7E:text=But%20with%20the%20help%20of,Not%20bad.&text=Usually%2C%20a%20roboticist%20must%20either,trial%2Dand%2Derror%20training.).

Now you can combine this understanding with what @AlicdD mentioned

> cover wide areas of research, from antidepressants and anxiety, focus to cognitive function and learning new tasks

There are numerous factors involved that give rise to understanding, one can however theorize that if the mind is less distracted then learning can be improved.


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