LEARNING
LEARNING IS A RELATIVELY
PERMANENT CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR
THAT OCCURS AS A RESULT OF
EXPERIENCE.
LEARNING THEORIES
• CLASSICAL CONDITIONING (Ivan Pavlov)
• OPERANT CONDITIONING ( B.F. Skinner)
• COGNITIVE LEARNING (Edward C. Tolman)
• OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING (Albert Bandura)
Classical Conditioning
Neutral stimulus: Stimulus that have no particular influence on the
behavior (neither increase nor decrease the probability of a
behavior).
Unconditioned stimulus: Stimulus that naturally and automatically
cause a response. An event that automatically produces an
unconditioned response without any previous training.
Conditioned stimulus: Neutral stimulus that acquires the ability to
elicit a conditioned response after being paired with an
unconditioned stimulus. As neutral stimulus is paired with an
unconditioned stimulus, the neutral stimulus by itself becomes
conditioned stimulus.
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
Unconditioned response: Reaction that is
automatically produced when an unconditioned stimulus
is presented.
Conditioned response: Response elicited/caused by a
conditioned stimulus that has been paired with an
unconditioned stimulus.
CHARACTERISTICS OF CLASSICAL
CONDITIONING
EXTINCTION: To present the conditioned (bell) stimulus
without the unconditioned (food) stimulus.
SPONTANEOUS RECOVERY: It is the reappearence of
an extinguished conditioned response after the passage
of time.
GENERALIZATION: Responses are given to a stimuli
that is similar to conditioned stimuli.
DISCRIMINATION: Responses only occur to a specific
conditioned stimuli, not to the others.
OPERANT CONDITIONING
• Reinforcer:
– An event or stimulus • Positive Reinforcer
that increases the
frequency of the
• Negative Reinforcer
response that it • Punishment
follows.
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING:
Stimulus Person Response
OPERANT CONDITIONING:
Person Behavior Consequence
Edward L. Thorndike’s Law of Effect
“Behavior with favorable consequences tends to be repeated, while
behavior with unfavorable consequences tends to disappear.” It
means that behaviors are also controlled by their consequences.
If someone’s undesired behavior meets a punishment, he will avoid
showing the very same behavior as the consequence is unpleasant.
On the other hand, when someone’s desired behavior is reinforced
by a reward, he will have a tendency to repeat the same behavior
again.
OPERANT CONDITIONING
Positive reinforcer: A reinforcer that strengthenes the probability of
a desired response or behavior. It strengthens behavior by providing
a consequence an individual finds rewarding.
Negative reinforcer: A reinforcer that strengthens behavior by
stopping or removing an unpleasant experience. It means the
termination of an unpleasant/discomfortable state following a
response.
Punishment: A reinforcer that is designed to weaken or eliminate a
response rather than increase it. A stimulus that is unpleasent for
the person is presented or a pleasent stimulus is
removed/withdrawn from the individual.
SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT
• CONTINUOUS REINFORCEMENT
• PARTIAL REINFORCEMENT
– RATIO SCHEDULE
– INTERVAL SCHEDULE
Intermittent Schedules of Reinforcement
Schedules of Reinforcement
Reinforcement Nature of Effect on Behavior Example
Schedule Reinforcement
Continuous Reward given Fast learning of new Compliments
after each desired behavior but rapid
behavior extinction
Fixed-interval Reward given at Average and irregular Weekly
fixed time performance with paychecks
intervals rapid extinction
Variable- Reward given at Moderately high and Pop quizzes
interval variable times stable performance
with slow extinction
Fixed-ratio Reward given at High and stable Piece-rate pay
fixed amounts of performance attained
output quickly but also with
rapid extinction
Variable-ratio Reward given at Very high Commissioned
variable amounts performance with sales
of output slow extinction
OBSERVATIONAL (SOCIAL) LEARNING
• Observational learning is a learning that occurs through watching
and imitating the behaviors of others. Observational learning is also
called role modelling.
• The key to observational learning is the participant’s identification
with the person being observed. The person by identifying himself
with someone else is actually taking someone as a referance for his
behavior.
• Examples and forms of observational learning can be seen on
television commercials such as what car to drive, what clothes to
wear, what soap to use or what parfume to wear in order to become
famous, powerful and rich.
FOR OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING TO
BE EFFECTIVE
• Pay attention to other people
• Store a memory of the situation
• Repeat or reproduce the behavior
• Motivational state must be appropriated
• Pay attention to appropriate time and place
