Chapter 2 - learning Flashcards
What is Learning?
A relatively permanent change in behavior occurring as a result of practice or experience
Why do we care about learning?
This is all about increasing desired behaviors (e.g., task performance, citizenship behaviors, etc.)
AND decreasing undesired behaviors (e.g., counterproductive work behaviors, unsafe workplace behaviors, etc.)
Law of effect
people repeat behaviours that bring them satisfaction and pleasure, and stop those that bring them dissatisfaction and pain
Reinforcement schedules
Continuous reinforcement–
reward follows each display of behavior
Reinforcement
is the process by which stimuli strengthen behaviours
A reinforcer is a stimulus that follows some behaviour and increases or maintains the probability of that behaviour
Partial reinforcement–
only some responses are rewarded
Positive reinforcement
increase or maintains the probability of some behaviour by the application or addition of a stimulus to the situation in question
Food, money, praise
ex: analyst who learned to read through reports because reading them is positively reinforced by successful decision making
Negative reinforcement
increase or maintain the probability of some behaviour by the removal of a stimulus from the situation in question
The removed or prevented stimuli is a negative reinforcer.
Negative reinforcers increase the probability of behaviour
Ex: managers who continually nag their employees unless the employees work hard are attempting to use negative reinforcement, car has an alarm when you do not have your seatbelt on
Reinforcement Strategies
To obtain the fast acquisition of some response, continuous and immediate reinforcement should be used – the reinforcer should be applied every time the behaviour of interest occurs, and it should be applied without delay after each occurrence
Confusing rewards with reinforcers -
organizations and individual managers frequently reward employees with things such as pay, promotion, fringe benefits, paid vacations, overtime, and the opportunity to perform challenging tasks
- not contingent on behaviour
Neglecting diversity in preferences for reinforcers -
organizations often fail to appreciate individual differences in preferences for reinforcement
Ex: reinforce a workaholic’s extra effort with time off
Neglecting important sources of reinforcement:
Performance feedback
which involves proving quantitative or qualitative information on past performance for the purpose of changing or maintaining performance in specific ways
Social recognition
involves informal acknowledgement, attention, praise, approval, or genuine appreciation for work well fone from one individual or group to another
Operant Learning Theory
is a study by which the subject learns to operate on the environment to achieve certain consequences
how to give positive feedback
Most effective when: Conveyed in a positive manner
Delivered immediately after the performance is observed
Represented visually, such as in graph or chat forms
Specific to the behaviour that is being targeted for feedback
Problems Using Punishment
- Punishment has some unique characteristics that often limit its effectiveness in eliminating unwanted behaviour.
- It does not demonstrate which behaviours should replace the punished response.
- Punishment indicates only what is not appropriate.
- Punishment only temporarily suppresses the unwanted behaviour.
- Punishment can provoke a strong emotional reaction from the punished individual.
Reducing the Probability of bad behaviour
- extinction
- punishment
Extincition
involves terminating the reinforcmeent that is mainitaing some unwanted behaviour, if the behaviour is not reinforced, it will gradually dissipate or be extinguished
Sales person stops calling an established customer after making 10 visits without a sale
Punishment
involves following an unwanted behaviour with some unpleasant, aversive simulations
Temporarily suppresses unwanted response
Make punishments effectvice
Aversive
Punish immediately
Do not reward unwanted behaviour before or after punishment
Do not inavertently punish desibrable behaviour
Social Cognitive Theory
emphasizes the role of cognitive processes in learning and in the regulation of people’s behaviour
- people learn by observing
- manage behaviour by thinking about consquences
Self-Efficacy Beliefs
are beliefs people have about their ability to successfully perform a specific task
Performance mastery:
ones experiences and success performing the task
Organizational Learning Practices
(1) Organizationla behaviour modification
(2) employee recognigiton programs
(3) training and development programs
Organizational behaviour modification
involves the systematic use of learning principles to influence organizational behaviour
Employee Recognition Programs
are formal organizational programs that publicly recognize and reward employees for specific behaviours
Peer recognition programs
are formal programs in which employees can publicly acknowledge, recognize and reward their co-workers’ exceptional work and performance
Training and development programs:
training is planned organizational activities that are designed to facilitate knowledge and skill acquisition to change behaviour and improve performance on one’s current job; development focuses on future job responsibilities.
Effective Training
Describing to trainees a set of well-defined behaviours (skills) to be learned
Providing a model or models displaying the effective use of those behaviours
Providing opportunities for trainees to practice using those behaviours
Providing feedback and social reinforcement to trainees following practice
Taking steps to maximize the transfer of those behaviours to the job
Behaviour modelling training (BMT)
is a training method in which trainees observe a model performing a task followed by opportunities to practice the observed behaviour – based on observational learning
