Learning

Question 1

What is the OB definition of learning?

Answer 1

A relatively permanent change in behaviour potential as a result of experience

Question 2

What is learning prompted by?

Answer 2

Feedback from the environment about the consequences of specific behaviours

Question 3

How does feedback prompt learning?

Answer 3

Feedback changes the potential/probability that a behaviour will happen again in the future

Question 4

What types of skills do people need to learn to adjust to performing in line with organizational goals?

Answer 4

1. Job skills
2. Personal skills
3. Interpersonal
4. Group/Cultural

Question 5

What is included in job skills?

Answer 5

Tasks, duties, competencies

Question 6

What is included in personal skills?

Answer 6

Problem solving, critical thinking

Question 7

What is included in interpersonal?

Answer 7

Behavioural norms, leadership

Question 8

What is included in group/cultural

Answer 8

Values, customs, goals/mission

Question 9

Define operant learning theory

Answer 9

How people learn to operate on the environment based on the feedback they get for their behaviour (not necessarily a conscious process)

Question 10

What is learned in operant learning theory?

Answer 10

The connection between a certain behaviour and the feedback by the environment is learned (not the behaviour and not the feedback itself)

Question 11

What are the four learning processes?

Answer 11

1. Positive reinforcement
2. Punishment
3. Extinction
4. Negative reinforcement

Question 12

Describe the law of effect

Answer 12

People repeat behaviours that bring them satisfaction and pleasure and stop those that bring them dissatisfaction and pain

Question 13

What are the two ways to increase the probability of behaviour?

Answer 13

Positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement

Question 14

What are the two ways to decrease the probability of behaviour?

Answer 14

Punishment, extinction

Question 15

What type of learning process occurs when pleasant stimulus is added?

Answer 15

Positive reinforcement

Question 16

What type of learning process occurs when unpleasant stimulus is added?

Answer 16

Punishment

Question 17

What type of learning process occurs when pleasant stimulus is taken away?

Answer 17

Extinction

Question 18

What type of learning process occurs when unpleasant stimulus is removed?

Answer 18

Negative reinforcement

Question 19

What is a reinforcer?

Answer 19

A stimulus that follows some behaviour and increases or maintains the probability of that behaviour

Question 20

What is the reinforcer contingent upon?

Answer 20

The occurrence of some desired behaviour

Question 21

Give an example of positive reinforcement

Answer 21

Giving pleasant stimulus to whoever is nice to you by saying “thank you”

Question 22

Give an example of negative reinforcement

Answer 22

Removing the unpleasant stimulus when work is completed; the supervisor stops their nagging

Question 23

What has to happen for reinforcement to work?

Answer 23

The receiver of the reinforcement needs to be aware of what behaviour(s) is (are) connected to the reinforcement. Otherwise they might think the reward is just a gift; they don’t know what behaviour(s) to continue

Question 24

What are some sources and forms of reinforcement?

Answer 24

Performance feedback, social recognition, promotions and pay increases

Question 25

When does performance feedback work best?

Answer 25

Conveyed in a positive way, delivered immediately after performance, specific to a concrete behaviour

Question 26

When does social recognition work best?

Answer 26

Specifies a concrete behaviour, specifies how a person will be recognized, gives a token of recognition

Question 27

What are two strategies that can reduce the probability of learned behaviour?

Answer 27

Punishment and extinction

Question 28

Define punishment

Answer 28

Application of an aversive stimulus

Question 29

Define extinction

Answer 29

The gradual dissipation of behaviour following the termination or removal of positive reinforcement

Question 30

When does extinction work best?

Answer 30

When coupled with the reinforcement of some desired substitute behaviour

Question 31

Give an example of punishment

Answer 31

Punish whoever engages in unethical competition behaviours by being find for half a month's salary

Question 32

Give an example of extinction

Answer 32

Stop rewarding unethical competitors

Question 33

When does reinforcement work best and most efficiently?

Answer 33

When applied directly after the desired behaviour and frequently

Question 34

What does reinforcement last long-term?

Answer 34

When applied some of the time and some time after the behaviour occurs

Question 35

What is social cognitive theory?

Answer 35

SCT emphasizes the role of cognitive processes in regulating people's behaviour

Question 36

How to people learn?

Answer 36

1. Observing the behaviour of others 2. Considering their own self-efficacy 3. Self-regulating their own behaviour

Question 37

How do you self-regulate your own behaviour?

Answer 37

1. Envision the consequences of their actions 2. Setting goals, and forming beliefs about attaining them 3. Monitoring performance 4. Reinforcing own desired behaviours

Question 38

Define observational learning

Answer 38

The process of imitating the behaviour of others

Question 39

What is the process of observational learning?

Answer 39

1. Examine the behaviour of other 2. See the consequences they experience 3. Imagine what would happen if we act the same way 4. Imitating the behaviour if we expect favourable consequences; withholding behaviour is we expect bad consequence

Question 40

What traits are we most likely to imitate?

Answer 40

Attractive, credible, competent, high-status people

Question 41

Define self-efficacy

Answer 41

Beliefs people have about their ability to successfully perform a specific task; they can be changed and modified in response to different sources of information

Question 42

What does self-efficacy influence?

Answer 42

1. The activities people choose to perform 2. The amount of effort and persistence devoted to a task 3. Affective and stress reactions 4. Job performance

Question 43

How can you influence self-efficacy?

Answer 43

You can influence people to increase their efficacy by showing them that they can do it