There are number of important principles in learning .
1.Extinction
Extinction takes place when there is no longer a positive consequences for the behaviour . For instance , let's take the example of meeting a deadline . If the management stops the bonus for meeting deadlines you will immediately stop your attempts to meet deadline in the future. Extinction takes place in negative reinforcement situations too. Suppose you are attempting to meet a deadline to reduce anxiety , but if your attempt does not remove the anxiety , you will not continue that behaviour . Therefore , it can be said that extinction can be experienced in both situations . This principle can be applied to situation where someone wants to stop another's behaviour , which is considered as unnecessary or undesirable .
2. Punishment
Punishment succeeds in changing or stopping present behaviour rather than acquiring new behaviour . Many learning theories do not prefer punishment as a useful 'method' because it may lead to unexpected consequences. For instance , when the management punished a worker for not working overtime in a working day , the worker might decide to leave the organization or resort to trade union action . Although punishment leads to this type of " unexpected " consequences , sometimes , it can be of limited use.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Theories of Learning
Learning is importance in our organizational settings. The learning theories can broadly be divided into two categories , behavioural theories and cognitive theories . Behavioural theories can be divided into two sub sections , classical conditioning and operant conditioning .
Operant Conditioning
In operant conditioning learning is viewed as a function of a person's response to a stimulus and his or her assessment of the degree of the satisfaction derived form the response. Further , it says that if the response to a stimulus brings positive consequences , the individual will repeat the same response towards that stimulus.He or she will be avoid his or her response and attempts a new response if the consequence is negative.
Positive Reinforcement
According to this concept , people repeat their behaviour , if the consequence of behaviour is positive in nature. If you are a supervisor or a manager in factory or any other organization , you might have forced the workers to do overtime when you had to meet a deadline. Sometimes , you would not allow workers to obtain leave without your prior approval . Can you explain why you would have behaved in this manner ? You may have behaved in this manner you knew in advance that you would be granted an additional bonus for meeting the deadline . There is a tendency to repeat the same behaviour in similar situation because of the positive consequence of your response to this stimulus . In other words , positive consequence of response increase the likelihood of repeating that behaviour in similar settings.
Negative Reinforcement
You may be unable to explain your behaviour in meeting a deadline based on positive reinforcement , even though , you might have been responding in the same manner repeatedly . Sometimes it may be due to an awareness of a negative consequence of your response . Here lies the essence of another important concept in operant conditioning , namely negative reinforcement .
The concept of negative reinforcement indicates that the removal of the negative consequence increase the likelihood that an individual will repeat the behaviour . Remember our earlier example ; 'meeting a deadline ' in this situation , suppose you knew that the management would stop your salary increment , promotion or would even punish you in other forms , if you did not meet the deadline . This knowledge would have created a great deal of anxiety in you . You can remove this anxiety by making every possible attempt to meet the deadline .
Operant Conditioning
In operant conditioning learning is viewed as a function of a person's response to a stimulus and his or her assessment of the degree of the satisfaction derived form the response. Further , it says that if the response to a stimulus brings positive consequences , the individual will repeat the same response towards that stimulus.He or she will be avoid his or her response and attempts a new response if the consequence is negative.
Positive Reinforcement
According to this concept , people repeat their behaviour , if the consequence of behaviour is positive in nature. If you are a supervisor or a manager in factory or any other organization , you might have forced the workers to do overtime when you had to meet a deadline. Sometimes , you would not allow workers to obtain leave without your prior approval . Can you explain why you would have behaved in this manner ? You may have behaved in this manner you knew in advance that you would be granted an additional bonus for meeting the deadline . There is a tendency to repeat the same behaviour in similar situation because of the positive consequence of your response to this stimulus . In other words , positive consequence of response increase the likelihood of repeating that behaviour in similar settings.
Negative Reinforcement
You may be unable to explain your behaviour in meeting a deadline based on positive reinforcement , even though , you might have been responding in the same manner repeatedly . Sometimes it may be due to an awareness of a negative consequence of your response . Here lies the essence of another important concept in operant conditioning , namely negative reinforcement .
The concept of negative reinforcement indicates that the removal of the negative consequence increase the likelihood that an individual will repeat the behaviour . Remember our earlier example ; 'meeting a deadline ' in this situation , suppose you knew that the management would stop your salary increment , promotion or would even punish you in other forms , if you did not meet the deadline . This knowledge would have created a great deal of anxiety in you . You can remove this anxiety by making every possible attempt to meet the deadline .
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Importance of Learning
Learning is important to develop smooth relationships with others. Certainly , behaviour takes place only when one attempts to interact with another or a group of people , and it as pointed out earlier is the result of learning.Therefore , an individual comes to know the correct behaviour through learning and develops it in order to establish smooth relationships.Remember your childhood.Sometimes , you might have been advised or blamed by your parents or elders for your eating habits .You might have been changed your eating habits in such a way as to establish smooth relationship with them.Even today , you may be following the same practise because they help you to have smooth relationships not only with the parents , but also with others.
Another importance of learning is its ability to remove uncertainly.To understand this , we shall remember your relationship with your boss. Try to remember whether you felt easy or uneasy when you were with your boss? Did you feel uncertain about the boss 's reaction towards your ideas ,responses etc.? If you had been working with the boss for a long period , today you may recall how uncertain you felt and have frustrated you were . Actually what you helped you to remove your feeling of uncertainty? The answer is learning . Through learning you have understood suitable behaviour pattern and you have learnt to continue it to date . Certainly , learning is a commonly used instrument to reduce uncertainty.
Another importance of learning in organizational setting is its ability to reduce people's burden in decision making .Learning does this by forming habitual behaviour.
Again , remember your way of eating . Today , it has become a habit.So it is not necessary to make a decision to repeat this behaviour .In order words , you are repeating your behaviour without the help of a primary decision making process. Similarly , learning helps the managers to reduce their decision making burden , which takes a major portion of their time.
Another importance of learning is its ability to remove uncertainly.To understand this , we shall remember your relationship with your boss. Try to remember whether you felt easy or uneasy when you were with your boss? Did you feel uncertain about the boss 's reaction towards your ideas ,responses etc.? If you had been working with the boss for a long period , today you may recall how uncertain you felt and have frustrated you were . Actually what you helped you to remove your feeling of uncertainty? The answer is learning . Through learning you have understood suitable behaviour pattern and you have learnt to continue it to date . Certainly , learning is a commonly used instrument to reduce uncertainty.
Another importance of learning in organizational setting is its ability to reduce people's burden in decision making .Learning does this by forming habitual behaviour.
Again , remember your way of eating . Today , it has become a habit.So it is not necessary to make a decision to repeat this behaviour .In order words , you are repeating your behaviour without the help of a primary decision making process. Similarly , learning helps the managers to reduce their decision making burden , which takes a major portion of their time.
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