Learning and Reinforcement

Lecture 5
How do people learn?
Classical Conditioning

 The process by which individuals learn to link

the information from a neutral stimulus to a
stimulus that causes a response

 The response of the individual is ‘conditioned’

to produce a desired behaviour

 Ivan Pavlov
 Classical Conditioning

Unconditioned
Stimulus
(food)

Reflex
response
(salivation)
Conditioned
Stimulus
(metronome)
Operant Conditioning

 Process by which individuals learn voluntary

behaviour
 Voluntary behaviours are called ‘operants’
because they operate (influence) on the
environment
 Learning occurs from the consequences of
the behaviour
 B. F. Skinner
 Examples of Operant Behaviors
and Their Consequences
BEHAVIORS CONSEQUENCES

The Individual

 works and is paid.

 is late to work and is docked pay.
 enters a restaurant and eats.
 enters a football stadium and watches a football game.
 enters a grocery store and buys food.
 Example of Contingent Reinforcement

NO Manager is silent
or reprimands
employee
Manager Does
And
Employee employee
set goal achieve goal? Manager compliments
employee for
accomplishments
YES
Antecedent Employee Consequences Reinforcement
(precedes the Task (result of the Contingent
behavior) Behavior behavior) on Consequences
Types of Contingencies of
Reinforcement
Event is Added Event is Removed

Pleasant Positive
Event Omission
reinforcement

Unpleasant Negative
Event Punishment
reinforcement
Principles of Reinforcement
 Positive reinforcement
 Negative reinforcement
 Omission/ Suppression
 Punishment
 Reinforcement
- Increases frequency of behaviour
- Increases intensity of behaviour
 Punishment decreases both
Principles of Positive Reinforcement

 Contingent reinforcement—only reinforce

desired behavior
 Immediate reinforcement—reinforce
immediately after desired behavior occurs
 Reinforcement size—a larger amount of
reinforcement has a greater effect
 Reinforcement deprivation—deprivation
increases effect on future behavior
 Rewards Used by Organizations

MATERIAL SUPPLEMENTAL STATUS

REWARDS BENEFITS SYMBOLS

Pay Company automobiles Corner offices

Pay raises Health insurance plans Offices with windows
Stock options Pension contributions Carpeting
Profit sharing Vacation and sick leave Drapes
Deferred compensation Recreation facilities Paintings
Bonuses/bonus plans Child-care support Watches
Incentive plans Club privileges Rings
Expense accounts Parental leave Private restrooms
 Rewards Used by Organizations

SOCIAL/INTER- REWARDS FROM SELF-

PERSONAL THE TASK ADMINISTERED
REWARDS REWARDS
Praise Sense of achievement Self-congratulation
Developmental feedback Jobs with more Self-recognition
Smiles, pats on the back, responsibility Self-praise
other nonverbal signals Job autonomy/self- Self-development
Requests for suggestions direction through expanded
Invitations to coffee/ Performing important knowledge/skills
lunch tasks Greater sense of self-
Wall plaques worth
 Potential Negative Effects of Recurrence
Punishment of undesirable
employee behavior

Undesirable
But emotional reaction
Short-term leads to
decrease in long- Aggressive,
Undesirable Punishment frequency term disruptive
Antecede
employee by of behavior
nt
behavior manager undesirable
employee Apathetic,
behavior noncreative
performance
Fear of
manager
Which tends
High turnover
to reinforce
and absenteeism
How to make punishment effective

 Praise in public, punish in private

 Red Hot Stove Principle
 Incremental doses
 Punish act, not person
 Education to precede punishment
 Recommend alternate course of action
 Punishment as last resort
Schedules of reinforcement

 Continuous reinforcement – behaviour is

reinforced every time it occurs

 Intermittent reinforcement – reinforcement

delivered after some time
 Interval and ratio schedules
 Fixed and variable schedules
Types of reinforcement schedules

Fixed Interval Fixed Ratio

Reinforcer given after a Reinforcer given after a

given period of time number of behaviours

Variable Interval Variable Ratio

Reinforcer given at Reinforcer given after a

random times random number of
behaviours
Comparison of Reinforcement Schedules

 Fixed interval – leads to average

performance
 Fixed ratio – leads quickly to high and stable
performance
 Variable interval – leads to moderately high
and stable performance
 Variable ratio – leads to very high
performance
Social Learning Theory

 Learning is viewed as knowledge acquisition

through the mental processing of information

 Individuals learn by being part of a society

and use thought processes to make
decisions
 Dimensions of Social Learning
1. Theory
Symbolizing – processing visual experiences into
cognitive models (Danger sign)
2. Forethought – planning actions and anticipating
consequences
3. Vicarious learning – observing others
performances and consequences
4. Self control – controlling own performance by
comparing it to own performance standards
5. Self efficacy – level of confidence in doing a task
Self – efficacy at work

 High self – efficacy is a product of

 Past accomplishments
 Performance of others
 Emotional state
Organisational uses of Social
Learning
Identify the behaviours that will lead to improved
performance
 Select the appropriate model for employees to observe
 Be sure that employees are capable of meeting the
technical skills required by the new behaviours
 Structure a positive learning situation to increase the
likelihood that employees will learn the new behaviours
and act accordingly
 Provide positive consequences to employees who
perform as desired
 Develop organisational practices that maintain the newly
learned behaviours