Learning
Elements of Learning
Psychology’s rule of Learning
Theories Of Learning
Introduction
• Learning is a process by which memory and behaviour are
changed as a result of conscious and non-conscious
information processing
• From marketing perspective, learning of consumers constantly
evolve through information and experiences
• Though learning is not always deliberately sought, most of the
learning is incidental or acquired without much effort or by
accident
• Why is it important for marketers to know about the learning
process?
Elements of Learning
1) Drives/ Motivation
- Learning occurs because of the presence of drive within an
individual
- A strong stimuli that impels action/ response & hence
forms a basis to motivation
- Motive is based on needs and goals i.e. towards a specific
goal
- Marketers will have to establish which drives stimulates
the most, in order to predict consumer behaviour
- Consumer level of motivation to search of information of
the product is also dependant upon consumer relevance
or its involvement level
Elements of Learning
2) Cues
- Stimuli that gives direction to these motives
- Marketers should provide these cues that are
consistent with consumer expectations
3) Response
- Mental or physical activity that consumer makes
in reaction to a stimulus
- It will be dependant on previous learning
- Occurrence of these response is not always
observable
Elements of Learning
4) Reinforcement
- Encouraging a pattern of behaviour or a belief
2 Types of Reinforcement – Positive & Negative
a) Positive: Strengthen the likelihood of a specific
response
b) Negative: unpleasant outcome but serves to
encourage a particular pattern
- When a learned response isn’t reinforced is reaches a
point of extinction or it will be unlearned by
consumers
Elements of Learning
4) Retention
- Stability of learned behaviour maintained by
individual over a period of time
- It is a well learned response which is achieved
with passage of time & repeated reinforcement
Conditioning
• It refers to learning which is based on association with
stimulus & response
• Observational Conditioning:
- A big source of learning as we as humans have natural
inclination towards observational learning
- We all do so at different phases of our lives and shapes up
our learning process
- Bandura’s Social Learning Theory (Observational
learning can affect us positively or negatively according to
a situation. This can teach us new behaviour & increase or
decrease the frequency of previously learned behaviour)
Learning
theories
Conditioning Cognitive
(Behavioural Learning) (Social Learning)
Classical
Conditioning
Instrumental
Conditioning
Classical Conditioning
• Using of established relationship of Stimulus &
Response to bring about learning of the same
response to a different stimulus
• Pavlov pioneered classical conditioning theory
• Marketers use this & consumer behaviour can
be shaped
• Video Cue
Instrumental Conditioning
• Also known as Operant Conditioning, by BF
Skinner
• Developing connections with stimuli and
responses. The learner should discover an
appropriate or ‘correct’ response. The same shall
be reinforced.
• It differs from Classical conditioning
• Video Cue
Cognitive Learning Theory
• These are learning based only on mental activity
through processing of complex information
• Instead of emphasising on importance of
reinforcement, this theory stresses on the role of
motivation and mental process in producing desired
response
• This is dependant upon consumer’s cognitive ability &
the complexity of the information. E.g. Consumers
process product information by its brand message and
its attributes/features, available alternatives, intensity
of information processing
Cognitive Learning Theory
• More the consumer has experiences with te category
product, greater his ability of process information
• Greater familiarity leads to more learning and
hence increase in cognitive ability
• Consumer is a problem solver. Agree? They are
information processors
• This model focuses to seek and evaluate information
about selected brands.
• This information leads to formation of preferences
that results in purchase
Thank you
