Hebbian Theory
Hebb's Rule · Hebb's Postulate · Cell Assembly Theory
A neuroscientific theory claiming that an increase in synaptic efficacy arises from a cell's repeated and persistent stimulation. It is an attempt to explain synaptic plasticity — the adaptation of brain neurons during the learning process. Commonly summarized as, "What fires together, wires together."
Origin
Canadian psychologist Donald Hebb, often called the father of neuropsychology, introduced this theory in his landmark 1949 book The Organization of Behavior. Working at McGill University, Hebb proposed that when one neuron repeatedly contributes to firing another, the synaptic connection between them strengthens — a principle later popularized as "neurons that fire together, wire together."