UNIT-4
LEARNING
Dr. Pooja Agrawal
Learning Objective
Students will be able to understand
• What is learning
• Theories of learning
• Behavioural Modification
What is Learning?
• A relatively permanent change in behaviour potential as a
result of practice or experience.
• Question: What types of skills do employees learn?
What do Employees Learn?
• Practical skills:
– Job-specific skills, knowledge, technical competence.
• Intrapersonal skills:
– Self: Problem solving, critical thinking, alternative work processes, risk
taking.
• Interpersonal skills:
– Others: Interactive skills such as communicating, teamwork, conflict
resolution.
• Cultural awareness:
– The social norms of organizations, company goals, business operations,
expectations, and priorities.
Learning
• Involves change
• Is relatively permanent
• Is acquired through experience
Theories of Learning
• Classical Conditioning
• Operant Conditioning
• Social-Learning Theory
• Shaping Behavior
Classical Conditioning
A type of conditioning in which an individual
responds to some stimulus that would not ordinarily
produce such a response.
S R
Key Concepts
• Unconditioned stimulus
• Unconditioned response
• Conditioned stimulus
• Conditioned response
Operant Conditioning
A type of conditioning in which desired voluntary
behavior leads to a reward or prevents a punishment.
Key Concepts
• Reflexive (unlearned) behavior
• Conditioned (learned) behavior
• Reinforcement
https://prezi.com/cqoomnfumxqv/operant-conditioning-case-
study/
Social-Learning Theory
People can learn through observation and direct experience.
Key Concepts
• Attention processes
• Retention processes
• Motor reproduction processes
• Reinforcement processes
https://prezi.com/7fc6atkrgjcx/copy-of-learning-
theory-case-study/
Shaping Behavior
Systematically reinforcing each successive step that moves
an individual closer to the desired response.
Key Concepts
• Reinforcement is required to change behavior.
• Some rewards are more effective than others.
• The timing of reinforcement affects learning speed and
permanence.
Types of Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement
– Providing a reward for a desired behavior.
Negative reinforcement
– Removing an unpleasant consequence when the
desired behavior occurs.
Punishment
– Applying an undesirable condition to eliminate
an undesirable behavior.
Extinction
– Withholding reinforcement of a behavior to cause its cessation.
Question
• Which technique is more effective?
• Should we avoid using punishment in the workplace
altogether? What do you think?
Schedules of Reinforcement
Continuous Reinforcement
A desired behavior is reinforced each time it is
demonstrated.
Intermittent Reinforcement
A desired behavior is reinforced often enough to make the
behavior worth repeating but not every time it is
demonstrated.
Schedules of Reinforcement
Fixed-Interval Schedule
Rewards are spaced at uniform time intervals.
Variable-Interval Schedule
Rewards are initiated after a fixed or constant number of
responses.
Question
• Which methods is more effective?
Organizational Applications
• Well Pay versus Sick Pay
– Reduces absenteeism by rewarding attendance, not absence.
• Employee Discipline
– The use of punishment can be counter-productive.
• Developing Training Programs
– OB methods improve training effectiveness.
• Self-management
– Reduces the need for external management control.
Quiz Questions
Q-1
• --------------is a relatively permanent change in behavior
that occurs as a result of experience
a. Behavior modification
b. Learning
c. Motivation
d. Skills
Answer: b. Learning
Q-2
• Which of the following researchers thought that
reinforcement was the central factor involved in behavioral
change?
a. Pavlov
b. Fayol
c. Skinner
d. Deming
Answer: c) Skinner
Q-3
• According to operant conditioning, when behavior is not
reinforced, what happens to the probability of that behavior
occurring again?
a. It increases
b. It declines
c. It remains unchanged
d. It becomes zero
Answer: b) It declines
Q-4
• Operant conditioning argues that
a. Behavior is reflexive
b. Behavior is unlearned
c. Behavior is a function of its consequences
d. The tendency to repeat a behavior is very strong
Answer: c) Behavior is a function of its consequences
Q-5
• What role did the meat play in Pavlov’s experiment with
dogs?
a. An unconditioned response
b. A conditioned stimulus
c. A conditioned response
d. An unconditioned stimulus
Answer: d) An unconditioned stimulus
Q-6
• Experiments performed by Ivan Pavlov led to what
theory?
a. Classical conditioning
b. Operant conditioning
c. Social learning
d. Behavior shaping
ANSWER: a) Classical conditioning
Q-7
• In Pavlov’s experiment, the bell was a/an .
a. Unconditioned stimulus
b. Unconditioned response
c. Conditioned stimulus
d. Conditioned response
Answer: c. Conditioned stimulus
Q-8
•Ron is a sensitive person, and he works very hard so that his boss
doesn't criticize him. Criticism is a(n) __________ of Ron's work.
A) Punisher
B) Positive reinforcer
C) Extinguisher
D) Negative reinforcer
Answer: D) Negative reinforcer
THANK YOU
