What does learning entail? When is it most effective? (Exam 1)

Four Steps in the Observational Learning Process

a. Attention. The learner must pay careful attention to the model. The greater the attention, the more effective the learning will be. b. Retention. The learner must be able to remember (or retain) the model's behavior. c. Behavioral Reproduction. Learners must be capable of performing the actions they are trying to learn. If the learners practice the behaviors they are more likely to remember them correctly. d. Motivation. Learners must be motivated to learn from the model.

Learning

A relatively permanent change in behavior occurring as a result of experience. Learning cannot be observed directly. Instead, it must be inferred from relatively permanent changes in behavior. While there are many means to learn, the two methods most likely to occur in organizations are operant conditioning and observational learning.

Law of Effect

Behaviors with desirable consequences are acquired; behaviors with undesirable consequences tend to be eliminated.

Operant (or Instrumental) Conditioning

Learning through Rewards and Punishments. - B. F. Skinner's theory of operant conditioning describes a form of learning in which people associate the consequences of their actions with the actions themselves.

Punishment

Providing an undesirable or aversive consequence in response to a specific unwanted behavior, decreasing the likelihood of that behavior being repeated.

Negative Reinforcement (or Avoidance)

Removal of undesirable consequences is made contingent upon the performance of a specific desired behavior, increasing the likelihood of that behavior being exhibited.

Positive Reinforcement

Rewards are made contingent upon the performance of a specific desired behavior, increasing the likelihood of that behavior being exhibited.

Extinction

Rewards formally given for behavioral performance are no longer provided despite exhibition of the behavior. The behavioral links to the antecedents will weaken and eventually be extinguished due to the lack of performance reward.

Observational Learning (or Modeling)

The form of learning in which people acquire new behaviors by systematically observing the rewards and punishment given to others. Modeling is a form of vicarious learning in which the learner observes the person who is modeling the behavior to be learned.

Operant Conditioning Process

The steps of the operant conditioning process are: (1) becoming aware of the antecedents, (2) exhibiting behavior, and (3) receiving the consequences of that behavior.