3-8  Physical Organization  Goals and Values  Self-Concept  Time and Opportunity  Element of Threat  A good instructor recognizes that behavior is directly influenced by the way a learner perceives, and perception is affected by all of  these factors. Therefore, it is important for the instructor to facilitate the learning process by avoiding any actions which may inhibit  or prevent the attainment of teaching goals. Teaching is consistently effective only when those factors that influence perception are  recognized and taken into account.  Learning is a psychological process, not necessarily a logical one. Trying to frighten a learner through threats of unsatisfactory reports  or reprisals may seem logical, but is not effective psychologically. The effective instructor organizes teaching to fit the psychological  needs of the learner. If a situation seems overwhelming, the learner feels unable to handle all of the factors involved; a threat exists.  As long as the learner feels capable of coping with a situation, each new experience is viewed as a challenge.  Flight instruction provides many clear examples of this. During the initial practice of steep turns, Beverly may focus her attention on  the altimeter and completely disregard outside visual references. Anything Bill does that is interpreted as threatening makes Beverly  less able to accept the experience Bill is trying to provide. It adversely affects all her physical, emotional, and mental faculties.  The element of threat does not promote effective learning. In fact, fear adversely affects perception by narrowing the perceptual field.  Confronted with threat, learners tend to limit their attention to the threatening object or condition. The field of vision is reduced, for  example, when an individual is frightened and all the perceptual faculties are focused on the thing that has generated fear.  A learner could probably stall an aircraft on the first attempt, regardless of previous experience. Stall recovery cannot really be  learned, however, unless some experience in normal flight has been acquired. Even with such experience, time and practice are  needed to relate the new sensations and experiences associated with stall recovery in order to develop a perception of the stall. In  general, lengthening an experience and increasing its frequency are the most obvious ways to speed up learning, although this is not  always effective. Many factors, in addition to the length and frequency of training periods, affect the rate of learning. The  effectiveness of the use of a properly planned training syllabus is proportional to the consideration it gives to the time and opportunity  factor in perception.  It takes time and opportunity to perceive. Learning some things depends on other past perceptions and on the availability of time to  sense and relate these new things to the earlier perceptions. Thus, proper sequence and time are necessary.  A negative self-concept inhibits the perceptual processes by introducing psychological barriers, which tend to keep the learner from  perceiving. They may also inhibit the ability to properly implement what is perceived. That is, self-concept affects the ability to  actually perform or do things. Learners who view themselves positively, on the other hand, are less defensive and more receptive to  new experiences, instructions, and demonstrations.  Self-concept is a powerful determinant in learning. A learner’s self-image, described in such terms as “confident” or “insecure,” has a  great influence on the total perceptual process. If a learner’s experiences tend to support a favorable self-image, the learner tends to  remain receptive to subsequent experiences. If a learner has negative experiences, which tend to contradict self-concept, there is a  tendency to reject additional training.  Goals are also a product of one’s value structure. Things that are more highly valued and cherished are pursued; those accorded less  value and importance are not sought after.  Perceptions depend on one’s values and goals. Every experience and sensation, which is funneled into one’s central nervous system,  is colored by the individual’s own beliefs and value structures. Spectators at a ball game may see an infraction or foul differently  depending on which team they support. The values of the learner are important for the instructor to know, because this knowledge  assists in predicting how he or she interprets experiences and instructions.  The physical organism provides individuals with the perceptual apparatus for sensing the world around them. Pilots, for example,  need to see, hear, feel, and respond adequately while they are in the air. 