Chapter 2: Learning Flashcards
Learning
a relatively permanent change in behaviour potential that occurs due to practice or experience
Law of effect
People repeat behaviors that bring them satisfaction and pleasure, and stop those that bring them dissatisfaction and pain.
Operant Learning
learning by which the subject learns to operate on the environment to achieve certain consequences
Reinforcement
the process by which stimuli strengthen behaviours
- positive reinforcers work by their application to a situation, while negative reinforcers work by their removal from a situation
Extinction
The gradual dissipation of behaviour following the termination of reinforcement
Punishment
The application of an aversive stimulus following some behaviour designed to decrease the probability of that behaviour.
When You Want to Use Positive Reinforcement
- Make sure that the reward is reinforcing to that specific individual
- Identify the correct behaviors to reinforce
- High performers should receive more than low performers
- Don’t reward wanted behaviors just before/after punishing someone
- For new behaviors, use continuous reinforcement; for established behaviors use partial
- Make sure that the reward is directly tied to the behavior
o don’t neglect performance feedback and social recognition
Problems Using Punishment
- It does not demonstrate which behaviours should replace the punished response.
- Punishment only temporarily suppresses the unwanted behaviour.
- Punishment can provoke a strong emotional reaction from the punished individual
- The employee may associate the negative consequence with the punisher
- Undesirable behavior tends to reoccur when the punisher is absent
Fast acquisition (Reinforcement Schedule)
continuous and short delay reinforcement
Persistence (Reinforcement Schedule)
partial and long delay reinforcement
Social Cognitive Theory (SCT; Albert Bandura)
- observing others helps us learn about the appropriateness, usefulness, and consequences of behaviors
- emphasizes the role of cognitive processes (observational learning) in learning and in the regulation of people’s behaviour.
- observational learning avoids negative consequences
enactive learning vs versus vicarious learning
enactive learning (doing something)
vicarious learning (e.g., observational learning)
Observational learning most effective when…
- Modelers of behavior are credible (modeler similarity to learner also matters)
- Behavior has perceived value (i.e., when we are motivated to learn; expectancy)
- When we have a chance to practice and receive feedback
- When self-efficacy is high
Recommendations for Training Employees…
- Describe to trainees a set of well-defined behaviors (skills) to be learned
- Provide a model or models displaying the effective use of those behaviors
- Provide opportunities for trainees to practice using those behaviors
- Provide feedback and social reinforcement to trainees following practice
- Take steps to maximize the transfer of those behaviors to the job
- Use positive reinforcement and avoid punishment
- Promote self-efficacy
