Learning theories

Module -2
Individual Decision Making

 Individual decision refers to the decision-making process where an individual

selects the course of action to be followed in the business from various
alternatives whereas collective decision refers to the group decision which occurs
at the mutual agreement of the group.
 Classical Conditioning theory

 Classical conditioning is a behaviorist theory of learning.

 sometimes referred to as Pavlovian conditioning

It posits that when a naturally occurring stimulus and an environmental stimulus are repeatedly paired,

the environmental stimulus will eventually elicit a similar response to the natural stimulus.

The classical conditioning theory is based on the assumption that learning is developed through

interactions with the environment.

The three stages of classical conditioning are
i.  Before the acquisition,
ii. Acquisition,
iii. And after acquisition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XttvR7NxHw
 Operant conditioning
 (also known as instrumental conditioning)

 Operant conditioning was first described by behaviorist B.F. Skinner

 A process by which humans and animals learn to behave in such a way as to

obtain rewards and avoid punishments.

 Operant conditioning is a process in which people learn to behave in a certain way

in order to get rewards and avoid punishment. It's a type of behavior change that
occurs because of a purposeful cause-and-effect reinforcement.
 After performing in a community theater play, you receive applause from the audience.
This acts as a positive reinforcer, inspiring you to try out for more performance roles.

 A professor tells students that if they have perfect attendance all semester, then they do not
have to take the final comprehensive exam. By removing an unpleasant stimulus (the final
test), students are negatively reinforced to attend class regularly.
 For example,

when lab rats press a lever when a green light is on, they receive a food pellet as a
reward. When they press the lever when a red light is on, they receive a mild electric
shock. As a result, they learn to press the lever when the green light is on and avoid
the red light.
 Types of Behaviors

 Skinner distinguished between two different types of behaviors

• Respondent behaviors are those that occur automatically and reflexively, such as pulling your hand
back from a hot stove or jerking your leg when the doctor taps on your knee. You don't have to learn
these behaviors. They simply occur automatically and involuntarily.

• Operant behaviors, on the other hand, are those under our conscious control. Some may occur
spontaneously and others purposely, but it is the consequences of these actions that then influence
whether or not they occur again in the future. Our actions on the environment and the consequences of
that actions make up an important part of the learning process.
 Social learning theory
 Psychologist Albert Bandura developed the social learning theory 

 Social learning theory suggests that social behavior is learned by observing

and imitating the behavior of others.

 Social learning theory considers how both environmental and cognitive factors
interact to influence human learning and behavior.
 Cognitive learning

Cognitive learning theory explains how internal and external factors

influence an individual's mental processes to supplement learning.

Continuous and intermittent reinforcement
theory
 A continuous schedule of reinforcement (sometimes abbreviated as CRF) occurs
when reinforcement is delivered after every single target behavior whereas an
intermittent schedule of reinforcement (INT) means reinforcement is delivered after
some behaviors or responses but never after each one.

 An example of continuous reinforcement is a reward given to an animal every

time they display the desired behavior.