"I know it will never cuddle with my hand or anything and I don't mean to imply that it will. But, when I first got it it was terrified of me and now it is very comfortable with my hand picking it up. (Granted he hates it when I wake him up.) If he had no concept of such things he would remain terrified of me for as long as I had him as he was the first few days."
I don't think anyone, myself included, said that they can't learn things within their environment. That's how they survive. Heck, even earthworms can be conditioned to navigate simple mazes when a mild electric shock is the result of going the wrong way.
Your frog simply became acclimatized to a human. Many will do that especially when they associate us with feeding. I have a Ranid, notorious for their skittishness, who is no longer jumpy even when I remove and replace the terrarium cover directly over his head. I can also stick my hand in there and tong feed him.
Of course, he doesn't recognize ME personally, these animals do not form personal bonds with people. He's just now less fearful of a creature of my general size and countenance because he does not associate that form with danger but does associate it with food. I could invite a neighbor to perform the same actions as I do and he would also display the same tranquility that he does for me.
So we're still a long way however from 'happy', 'loving' and the host of other complex emotions that some herpers insist on ascribing to their pets.