The association of ideas is closely related to James’ conception of streams of consciousness. Much in the same way that consciousness changes in waves, the string of ideas that we associate with one another are in a constant state of change. James defines two ways in which ideas are associated. The law of contiguity defines the association of ideas as a relation between ideas that are categorized together. The law of similarity finds connections between two seemingly unrelated objects.
James likens a more educated individual to an individual who has the most connections in their mind; “the more copious the associative systems, the completer the individual’s adaptations to the world” (p. 42). These concepts can be connected with learning in several ways. One of the first connections that immediately came to mind for me was creativity. The way in which we can associate ideas together can vary greatly, and creativity could be defined simply as connecting two ideas in new and different ways. Meaningful connections can also associate ideas through the use of mnemonics and other tools, which also draw from creativity in the way that they relate seemingly unrelated items together. James is tapping into the ways in which connections are used in the learning process.
The seemingly chaotic way in which each individual ties his or her thoughts together presents an interesting challenge to the teacher. If, as James notes, a word or statement can send an individual off in a variety of directions, how do we help students associate new ideas without having them wander off in their attention from the matter at hand? How do we anticipate these directions?
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