Learning Definition, Nature, Component, Theories ( Classical Conditioning Theory, Operant Conditioning Theory, Cognitive Mapping Theory, Social Learning (Behavior Modelling)Theory

1. Prepared by Ms. Shery Asthana Asst. Prof.
(Greater Noida Institute of Management)

2. Learning:- Concept, Definition
• Learning is the process by which new behaviours are
acquired.
• Through the process of learning , one acquires new skills,
knowledge and values which influences change in behaviour.
• Learning is a need based activity.
• This change in behaviour and attitude come through
education, training, practice and experience.
• According to the dictionary of psychology, learning means
‘the process of acquiring the ability to respond adequately to
a situation which may or may not have been previously
encountered.

3. Component of Learning Process
To understand the learning process, it is important to understand the role of various
component of learning. That are follows:-
 Drive:- A drive is an urge or stimulus that impels action. Learning takes place when
there exists a strong drive.
Drive are basically of two types – primary or physiological drives and secondary or
psychological drives both are constantly interacting with one another.
 Cue Stimuli :- It is environmental factors that exist according to how they are
perceived . One has to identify the condition under which the stimulus increases the
probability of eliciting the desired response. There are two type of cue stimulus viz,
generalization and discrimination.
• Generalization :- It takes place when response are the same to similar but new
stimulus. When generalization exist, an individual does not have to relearn each
new task but adapts to the changing conditions based on the learning from his
past experience.
• Discrimination :- It takes place when response is different to same or similar
stimulus. It is highly relevant in organisational behaviour.

4. Component of Learning Process Cont..
 Response :- Responses are reaction to stimuli. It may be in physical form or in the form
of attitudes, perception, behaviour etc. Distinguish between high quality producing
employee and low quality producing employee, the manager will positively respond to
the worker who produce high quality work and give negative feedback or feedback for
improvement to the low quality producing worker.
 Reinforcement :- It is crucial in learning. A simple example of reinforcement is
classroom teaching where lessons covered in the previous class are recapitulated in the
next session as quick revision. This way the students learn quicker as the same topic is
reinforced.
 Retention :- Contrary to forgetting, stability of learned behaviour over time. As we
grow older there may be exposure to a great deal of information about several things
which we learn and retain over time, part of which may be forgotten.

5. Nature of Learning
 Learning is Universal. Every creature that lives learns. Man learns most. The
human nervous system is very complex, so are human reactions and so are human
acquisition. Positive learning vital for children’s growth and development.
 Learning is through Experience. Learning always involves some kind of
experience, direct or indirect (vicarious).
 Learning is from all Sides: Today learning is from all sides. Children learn from
parents, teachers, environment, nature, media etc.
 Learning is Continuous. It denotes the lifelong nature of learning. Every day new
situations are faced and the individual has to bring essential changes in his style of
behaviour adopted to tackle them. Learning is birth to death.
 It results in Change in Behaviour It is a change of behaviour influenced by
previous behaviour. It is any activity that leaves a more or less permanent effect on
later activity.
 Learning is an Adjustment Learning helps the individual to adjust himself
adequately to the new situations. Most learning in children consists in modifying,
adapting, and developing their original nature. In later life the individuals acquire
new forms of behaviour.

6. Nature of Learning Cont….
 It comes about as a result of practice. It is the basis of drill and practice. It has
been proven that students learn best and retain information longer when they
have meaningful practice and repetition. Every time practice occurs, learning
continues.
 Learning is a relatively Permanent Change After a rat wake up from his nap he
still remembers the path to the food. Even if you have been on a bicycle for
years, in just a few minutes practice you can be quite proficient again.
 Learning as Growth and Development It is never ending growth and
development. At reach stage the learner acquires new visions of his future
growth and news ideals of achievement in the direction of his effort.
According to Woodworth, “All activity can be called learning so far as it
develops the individual.”
 Learning is not directly observable The only way to study learning is through
some observable behaviour. Actually, we cannot observe learning; we see only
what precedes performance, the performance itself, and the consequences of
performance.

7. Theories of Learning
Conditioning Theory:- This theory is also known as connectionist or
behavioural theory. Conditioning is the process in which an ineffective object
or situation becomes so much effective that it makes the hidden response
apparent. Conditioning has two main theories:-
 Classical Conditioning theory:- this theory is developed by Nobel prize
winner Ivan Pavlov in 1990s. This theory establishes the simple relationship
between stimulus and response and involves the association between
conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus.
Pavlov explained this concept through an experiment in which a meat was offered
to a dog and dog started salivating. Later, he rang the bell but this time he didn’t
offer meat and hence the dog did not salivate. Next he rang the bell followed by
offering a piece of meat to the dog, he repeated this process till every time he
rang the bell and the dog salivate because he knew the meat was coming. Now
he rang the bell but did not offer the meat. However he found that the dog was
salivating.

9. Theories of Learning Cont….
Operant Conditioning:- Operant is defined as behaviour that produces
effects. Operant conditioning suggests that people emit responses that are
rewarded and will not emit responses that are either not rewarded or
punished.
B.F Skinner identified three type of responses or operant that can follow
behaviour :-
Neutral behaviour:- Responses from the environment that neither increase nor
decrease the probability of a behaviour being repeated.
Reinforcers:- Responses from the environment that increase the probability of a
behaviour being repeated. Rein forcers can be either positive or negative.
Punishers:- :- Responses from the environment that increase the likelihood of a
behaviour being repeated. Punishment weakens behaviour.
The operant conditioning model is also known as the Responses Stimulus Model
or behaviour Modification Model.

10. Positive Reinforcement:- ( In Experiment):- He placed a hungry rat in the box .
The box contained the lever on the side, and as the rat moved about the box,
it would accidently knock the lever. Immediately it did food pellet would drop
into a container . The rat quickly learned to go straight to the lever after a few
times of being put in the box.
Negative Reinforcement:- ( In Experiment):- Skinner showed how negative
reinforcement worked by placing a rat
in the box and then subjecting it to an
unpleasant electric current which
caused it some discomfort. When rat
moved in box and accidently knock the
lever. Immediately it did so the electric
current would be switch off. . The rat
quickly learned to go straight to the lever after a few times of being put in the
box. The consequences of escaping the electric current ensured that they
would repeat the action again and again.

11. Theories of Learning Cont….
Cognitive Mapping theory:- In their famous experiments Tolman and Honzik
(1930) built a maze to investigate latent learning in rats. The study also shows
that rats actively process information rather than operating on a stimulus
response relationship.
Group 1: Rewarded
Day 1 to 17:- Every time they got to end , given food (i.e. reinforced)
Group 2: Delayed Rewarded
Day 1 - 10: Every time they got to end, taken out.
Day 11 -17: Every time they got to end, given food (i.e. reinforced).
Group 3: No reward
Day 1 – 17: Every time they got to end, taken out.
Procedure
In their study 3 groups of rats had to find their way
around a complex maze. At the end of the maze there
was a food box. Some groups of rats got to eat the
food, some did not, and for some rats the food was
only available after 10 days.

12. Results
The delayed reward group learned the route on days 1 to 10 and formed a
cognitive map of the maze. They took longer to reach the end of the maze
because there was no motivation for them to perform.
From day 11 onwards they had a motivation to perform (i.e. food) and reached
the end before the reward group.
Social Learning (Behaviour Modelling ) Theory:- Albert Bandura proposed the
theory of social learning in which people learn from observation , imitation
and modelling. This can be seen in teacher learning process in the classroom
and training and development programmes in the organisation. For instance
workers watch the style of their supervision and learn to adopt their methods
by imitating them.