This document discusses learning theories and principles of learning. It defines learning as a relatively permanent change in behavior resulting from experience. Theories of learning discussed include classical conditioning by Ivan Pavlov, operant conditioning by B.F. Skinner, cognitive learning by Edward Tolman, and social learning. Principles of learning include positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment, and extinction. Schedules of reinforcement like continuous and intermittent are also covered. Specific organizational applications like using lotteries to reduce absenteeism are provided. Barriers to learning at the individual, team, and organizational levels are also outlined.

1. LEARNING
Prof. Shrinivas V K
Prof. SVK

2. DEFINITIONS
“Learning is a relatively permanent
change in behavior that occurs as a
result of a prior experience”
“Learning has taken place if an
individual behaves, reacts, responds
as a result of experience in a manner
different from the way he formerly
behaved”
“A permanent change in behavior
through education and training,
practice and experience”
Prof. SVK

3. TheoriesofLearning
• Classical conditioning by Ivan Pavlov
• Operant conditioning by B. F. Skinner
• Cognitive learning by Edward Tolman
• Social learning
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4. Classicalconditioning
• Ivan Pavlov a Russian Psychologist won
the Nobel prize for his experiments.
• Classical conditioning is the association
of one event with another desired event
resulting in a behavior.
• A type of conditioning in which an
individual responds to some stimulus that
would not ordinarily produce such a
response.
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5. • He tried to relate the dog’s salivation
and the ringing of the bell.
• He conducted an experiment on
dogs and tried to establish a Stimulus
Response connection.
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6. • Unconditioned stimulus (Meat)
• Unconditioned response (Salivation)
• Conditioned/artificial stimulus ( Bell )
• Conditioned response
(Salivation=bell)
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7. Prof. SVK

8. Crticisism
• It is passive.
• Mostly behaviour is emitted than
elicited.
• It is voluntary not reflexive
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9. Operantconditioning
• A type of conditioning in which
desired voluntary behaviour leads to
a reward or prevents a punishment.
• Operant behaviour means voluntary
or learned behaviour in contrast to
reflexive or unlearned behaviour.
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10. Methodstoshapebehaviour
• Positive reinforcement: Following a
response with something pleasant.
• Negative reinforcement: Following a
response by the termination or
withdrawal of something unpleasant.
• Punishment: Causing an unpleasant
condition to eliminate undesirable
behaviour
• Extinction: Eliminating any reinforcement
that is maintaining a behaviour
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11. Sociallearning
• People can learn through observation
and direct experince.
• 4 step model
1) Attentional process
2) Retention process
3) Motor reproduction
4) Reinforcement process
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12. Cognitivelearning
• Not all cases of learning can easily be
captured by classical conditioning
and operant conditioning.
• Learning would be extremely
inefficient if we had to rely
completely on conditioning for all our
learning.
• Human beings can learn efficiently
by observation, taking instruction,
and imitating the behavior of others.
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13. • “Cognitive learning is defined as the
acquisition of knowledge and skill by
mental or cognitive processes”
• Cognitive processes include creating
mental representations of physical
objects and events, and other forms
of information processing.
• In cognitive learning, the individual
learns by listening, watching,
touching, reading, or experiencing
and then processing and
remembering the information.
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14. • Using rats in the laboratory, he
showed that they learnt to run
through a complicated maze
towards their goal of food.
• It was observed that rats developed
expectations at every choice points
in the maze.
• Learning happened when the
environmental cues and
expecatations were strengthened
because the cues led to the
expected goals.
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15. Prof. SVK

16. Principlesoflearning
• It is the process of changing the
individual’s behavior by guiding their
learning in systematic steps.
• The four methods of shaping behavior
are-
• 1. Positive reinforcement
• 2. Negative reinforcement
• 3. Punishment
• 4. Extinction
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17. MeaningofReinforcement:
 Reinforce means to strengthen, and reinforcement
refers to a stimulus which strengthens the
probability of a particular response being
repeated.
 Positive reinforcement.
 Negative reinforcement.
 Reinforcement is anything that increases the
intensity of a response. It can be negative or
positive.
 Commonly used reinforcers in organizations:-
 Appreciating the good work of employees
 Awarding promotions or raises
•
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18. Positivereinforcement
• It is the process of getting something
nice after showing a desired
behavior. This is done to repeat the
same behavior.
• Example of Positive Reinforcement -
• When a manager praises an employee for successfully
completing a task on schedule, this is positive
reinforcement.
• This encourages the employee and increases the possibility
of completing his work on time.
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19. NegativeReinforcement
• In this, a reward is taken away if an
undesired behavior is displayed.
Example of Negative reinforcement-
• Taking away scholarship from a
student, if he does not perform well in
the examination.
• When a worker is asked to get back to work
when he is noticed talking to his colleagues,
this is negative reinforcement.
Prof. SVK

20. Punishment
1. Punishment is the practice of forcing
something unpleasant or on a person,
usually in response to disobedient or
morally wrong behavior or undesired
behavior.
2. Should be immediate and uniform.
3. Punish in private.
4. Punisher must provide an acceptable
reason to offender
5. Punishment of the wrong behaviour should
be paired, whenever possible, with
reinforcement of the right behaviour.
6. Can have side effects of hate and revenge
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21. Extinction
• It is removal of any reward
(reinforcement) that is helping to
maintain a particular behavior.
• If a person puts in extra effort but his
work is not being recognized or
rewarded, he will stop doing it.
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22. SchedulesofReinforcement
• Reinforcement schedules are of two
types-
– Continuous reinforcement schedule
– Intermittent reinforcement schedule
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23. ContinuousReinforcementSchedule
• In this a desired behavior is always
rewarded.
• It is the traditional reinforcement
schedule.
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24. IntermittentReinforcement
Schedule
• In this schedule, every case of desired
behavior is not rewarded.
• But the frequency of reward is
sufficient to encourage desired
behavior.
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25. CategoriesofIntermittent
Techniques
• Fixed interval reinforcement schedule –
Rewards are given at fixed time intervals.
E.g. honesty pay
• Variable interval reinforcements – Rewards
are given at time intervals that are not fixed.
• Fixed ratio schedule – Reward is given after
a fixed number of responses. E.g. Piece rate
Generally variable schedules lead to higher performance
than fixed schedules.
Continuous reinforcers are appropriate for newly desired, low
frequency or unstable responses.
Intermittent reinforcers are appropriate for stable or high
frequency responses.
Prof. SVK

26. SpecificOrganizational
Application
1) Using lotteries to reduce absenteeism
• In this method lotteries are used to reduce
absenteeism in organizations.
• This method was used by Continental
Airlines to reward its 40,000 employees for
attendance.
• The company holds a draw two times a
year and gives eight new sports utility
vehicles.
• For this draw employees who have not
taken a single leave during the last six
months are eligible.
• This reduced the company’s absence rate
to a great extent (Robbins 2003).
Prof. SVK

27. 2)Wellpayvs.sickpay
• Organizations that pay for sick leaves face
two times more absenteeism than
organizations who do not pay for sick
leaves.
• One organization in USA implemented a
well pay program.
• It paid bonus to employees who did not
take any leave for a four weak period.
• This program increased organization’s
savings, reduced absenteeism, increased
productivity and improved employee
satisfaction.
• Forbes magazine also used this approach to
cut its health care costs.
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28. 3)EmployeeDiscipline
• All managers have to deal with problem
behaviors in the organization.
• To counter this, managers may take
disciplinary action like oral warning, written
warning and temporary suspension. But it is
a short term solution and causes side
effects.
• Disciplinary action tells the employees what
not to do but does not teach them what to
do.
• Practically, it is used commonly because it
can give fast results in the short run.
• Most organizations have some kind of
training program.
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29. Barrierstolearning
 Individual
• low risk taking
• Comfortable with status quo
• Intolerance to handle disturbance
 Teams and groups
• Group resistance
• Narrow approach
 Organizations
• Organisation culture
• Cultural defensiveness
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30. Thank you……
Prof. SVK