Individual Behavior

Learning
Learning is a relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs as a result of
experience.
OR
Learning is a change in behavior.
Learning Theories
Three theories have been offered to explain the process by which we
acquire patterns of behaviors.
Classical Conditioning.
Operant Conditioning.
Social Learning.
Classical Conditioning
First described by Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist.
Grew out of experiments to teach dogs.
Stimulus (a thing or event that evokes a specific functional
reaction)
Pavlovs experiment: unconditioned stimulus, unconditioned
response vs conditioned stimulus, conditioned response.
Summary of Pavlovs experiment is Learning a conditioned
response involves building up an association between a
conditioned stimulus & unconditional stimulus.
Examples are: High authority visits, nursery rhymes.
Focuses on involuntary, automatic behaviors.
Classical
Conditionin
g
Classical
Conditionin
g
Operant Conditioning
American Psychologist B.F. Skinner demonstrated the concept of
positive reinforcement & punishment after a behavior.
Learns an association between behavior and its consequences.
Focuses on strengthening or weakening voluntary behaviors.
Operant
Conditioning
Operant
Conditioning
Guess Classical or Operant or both?
Guess Classical or Operant or both?
Social Learning
To learn by observing others, by being told about something and
through direct experiences.
It is an extension of Operant Conditioning, it assumes that behavior is
a function of consequences, and also the observation & perception of
the learner played an important role in learning.
Social Learning
The influence of model is central to the social learning
viewpoint. Four processes have been found to determine the
influence that a model will have on an individual:
Attentional process: People learn from a model only when they
recognize and pay attention to its critical features. Attractive,
repeatedly available, important to us or similar to us.
Retention process: A models influence depends on how well the
individual remembers the models action after the model is no longer
readily available.
Motor reproduction process: After a person has seen a new behavior
by observing a model, then watching must be converted to doing.
This process can demonstrate that the individual can perform the
modeled activities.
Reinforcement Process: Individuals are motivated to exhibit the
modeled behavior if positive incentives or rewards are provided.
Shaping Behavior: A managerial tool
Shaping behavior by systematically reinforcing each successive steps that moves
the individual closer to the desired response.
There are four ways to shape behavior:
Positive Reinforcement.
Negative Reinforcement.
Punishment.
Extinction.