The term transfer refers to the effects of previous learning on current acquisition. How well and quickly we learn anything in the laboratory and the real world is heavily influenced by the types and quantity of things we have previously learned and the emotions and experiences we have gone through.
There are 3 kinds of learning transfer:
1. Positive transfer: A positive transfer occurs when learning in one condition facilitates learning in another. Playing the violin, for example, makes learning to play the piano easier.
2. Negative transfer occurs when the learning of one activity makes the learning of another activity more difficult. For example, speaking Telugu impedes the learning of Malayalam.
3. Neutral transfer occurs when learning one activity neither facilitates nor hinders learning another task. It is also known as zero transfer.
