Final answer:
A connectionist model is based on the neural network structure of the brain, where learning occurs through changes in synaptic connections, emulating synaptic plasticity seen in biological systems.
Step-by-step explanation:
A connectionist model works by emulating the brain's neural networks where each neuron is connected to many others, and the strength of each connection can change through learning and experience. This model's ability to learn and adapt is often compared to synaptic plasticity in biological neural networks.
Signals are transferred from one neuron to another via synapses, where the signal is transmitted chemically across a small gap by neurotransmitters, and the receiving neuron's structure - with dendrites to receive signals and an axon to send them - is crucial to this process.