Chapter 4 Theories

Goal setting theory

Goal setting involves establishing specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-targeted (S.M.A.R.T) goals. Work on goal-setting suggests that it is an effective tool for making progress by ensuring that participants in a group with a common goal are clearly aware of what is expected from them

Adult Learning Theory

Was developed out of a need for a specific theory of how adults learn Andragogy: Theory of adult learning Assumptions of the theory Adults have the need to know why they are learning something Adults have a need to be self-directed Adults bring more work-related experiences into the learning situation

Reinforcement Theory

Emphasizes that people are motivated to perform or avoid certain behaviors because of past outcomes that have resulted from those behaviors Processes in reinforcement theory Positive reinforcement Negative reinforcement Extinction Punishment The trainer needs to identify what outcomes the learner finds most positive and negative Trainers then need to link these outcomes to learners acquiring knowledge, skills, or changing behaviours Trainers can withhold or provide job-related, personal, and career-related benefits to learners who master program content Behavior modification is a training method that is primarily based on reinforcement theory Employees were encouraged to increase the number of safe behaviors they demonstrated on the job

Social Learning Theory

Emphasizes that people learn by observing other persons (models) whom they believe are credible and knowledgeable The theory recognizes that behavior that is reinforced or rewarded tends to be repeated Learning new skills or behavior comes from: Directly experiencing the consequences of using a behavior or skill The process of observing others and seeing the consequences of their behavior Person's self-efficacy can be increased using several methods Verbal persuasion Logical verification Observation of others (modeling) Past accomplishments

Information Processing Theory

It gives more emphasis to the internal processes that occur when training content is learned and retained Highlights external events influencing learning Changes in the intensity of the stimulus that affect attention Informing the learner of the objectives to establish an expectation Enhancing perceptual features of the material Verbal instructions, pictures, diagrams, and maps suggesting ways to code the training content so that it can be stored in memory Meaningful learning context (examples, problems) creating cues that facilitate coding

Expectancy Theory

It suggests that a person's behavior is based on three factors: Expectancies: Link between trying to perform a behavior and actually performing well Instrumentality: Belief that performing a given behavior is associated with a particular outcome Valence: Value that a person places on an outcome