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Theories of Learning

The document discusses 4 theories of learning: classical conditioning, operant conditioning, cognitive theory, and social learning theory. It provides details on classical conditioning involving Pavlov's dog experiment and operant conditioning involving Skinner's rat experiment. Cognitive theory involves internal thought processes, and social learning theory involves learning from observing others and consequences.

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Raghav Naagar
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225 views8 pages

Theories of Learning

The document discusses 4 theories of learning: classical conditioning, operant conditioning, cognitive theory, and social learning theory. It provides details on classical conditioning involving Pavlov's dog experiment and operant conditioning involving Skinner's rat experiment. Cognitive theory involves internal thought processes, and social learning theory involves learning from observing others and consequences.

Uploaded by

Raghav Naagar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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4 Theories of Learning

4 Theories of learning are Classical Conditioning, Operant


Conditioning, Cognitive Theory, and Social Learning Theory.
Learning is the individual growth of the person as a result of
cooperative interaction with others.

The advancement of understanding enables the learner to function


better in their environment, improve and adapt behaviors, create and
maintain healthy relationships, and achieve personal success.

Learning has taken place if an individual behaves, reacts, and


responds taken from others as a result of experiencing a change in
behavior or formerly behavior.

4 Theories of learning
1. Classical Conditioning
2. Operant conditioning
3. Cognitive Theory
4. Social Learning Theory

Classical Conditioning
Classical conditioning is a type of conditioning in which an individual
responds to some stimulus that would not ordinarily produce, such a
response.

It is the process of learning to associate a particular thing in our


environment with predicting what will happen next.
Classical conditioning, the association of such an event with another
desired event resulting in behavior, is one of the easiest-to-
understand learning processes.

When we think of classical conditioning, the first name that comes to


mind is Ivan Pavlov, a Russian psychologist.

The normal stimulus for a flow of saliva is the taste of food. But often,
the mouth waters at the mere sight of a luscious peach on hearing it
described or even thinking about it. Thus, one situation is substituted
for another to elicit behavior.

This is called conditioning. In the case of classical conditioning, a


simple surgical procedure allowed Pavlov to measure accurately the
amount of saliva secreted by a dog.

When Pavlov presented one dog with a piece of meat, the dog
exhibited a noticeable increase in salivation. When Pavlov withheld
the presentation of meat and merely rang a bell, the dog did not
salivate.

Then Pavlov proceeded to link the meat and the ringing of the bell.
After repeatedly hearing the bell before getting the food, the dog
began to salivate as soon as the bell rang. After a while, the dog
would salivate merely at the sound of the bell, even if no food was
offered.

In classical conditioning, learning involves a conditioned stimulus and


an unconditioned stimulus. Here, the meat was an unconditioned
stimulus; it invariably caused the dog to react in a specific way.
The unconditioned response was the reaction that took place
whenever the unconditioned stimulus occurred. Here, the bell was a
conditioned stimulus.

When the bell was paired with the meat, it eventually produced a
response when presented alone. This is a conditioned response.

Operant conditioning
The second type of conditioning is called operant conditioning.

Here, we learn that a particular behavior is usually followed by a


reward or punishment as Pavlov did for classical conditioning; the
Harvard psychologist B.F. Skinner did this for operant conditioning.

Operant conditioning argues that one’s behavior will depend on


different situations. People will repeatedly behave in a specific way
from where they will get benefits.

On the other hand, they will try to avoid a behavior from which they
will get nothing. Skinner argued that creating pleasing consequences
for specific behavior forms would increase that behavior’s frequency.

In one famous experiment displaying operant learning, psychologist


B.F. Skinner trained rats to press a lever to get food. In this
experiment, a hungry rat was placed in a box containing a lever
attached to some concealed food.

At first, the rat ran around the box randomly.


In this process, it happens to press the lever, and the food is dropped
into the box. The dropping of food reinforced the responsibility of
pressing the lever.

After repeating the process of pressing the lever, followed by


dropping off food many times, the rat learned to press the lever for
food.

People will most likely engage in desired behaviors if they are


positively reinforced for doing so. Rewards are most effective if they
immediately follow the desired response. Also, behavior that is not
rewarded, or is punished, is less likely to be repeated.

For example, suppose you are an employee of ‘X’ Bank limited. Your
Branch Manager has announced in a meeting that you will get a
bonus if you bring a $100,000,000 deposit to the bank.

You worked hard and found that you have done this successfully.

But when the time comes, you find that you are given no bonus for
your hard work, which increases the bank’s deposit by $100,000,000.

In the next year, if your manager again tells you about the hard work.

Maybe you will be stopped because you did not receive anything for
it last year. Many activities we engage in during everyday life can be
classified as operant.

Turning your key in a lock, writing a letter, saying “I Love You” to your
wife, calling parents on the telephone all of these are operant acts,
operant in this sense that we do them in anticipation of reward, which
acts as a reinforcer for the commission of these behaviors.
Cognitive Theory
Cognition refers to an individual’s thoughts, knowledge of
interpretations, understandings, or ideas about himself and his
environment.

This is a learning process through active and constructive thought


processes, such as practicing or using our memory.

One example might be that you were taught how to tell time by
looking at a clock.

Someone taught you the meaning of the big hand and little hand, and
you might have had to practice telling the time when you first learned
it.

This process of learning was entirely inside your mind and didn’t
involve any physical motions or behaviors. It was all cognitive,
meaning an internal thought process.

The theory has been used to explain mental processes as they


are influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors, which eventually
bring about learning in an individual.

Cognitive learning theory implies that the different processes


concerning learning can be explained by analyzing the mental
processes first.

It imagines that with effective cognitive processes, learning is easier


and new information can be stored in the memory for a long time.
On the other hand, ineffective cognitive processes result in learning
difficulties that can be seen anytime during an individual’s lifetime.

Social Learning Theory


The social learning theory, also called observational learning,
stresses the ability of an individual to learn by observing what
happens to other people and just by being told about something.

One can learn things by observing models, parents, teachers, peers,


motion pictures, TV artists, bosses, and others.

Many patterns of behavior are learned by watching the behaviors of


others and observing its consequences for them. In this theory, it is
said that the influence of models is the central issue.

4 processes have been found to determine a model’s influence on an


individual.

These processes are:

1. Attention process
2. Retention process
3. Motor reproduction process
4. Reinforcement process

Attention process
People learn from a model only when they recognize and pay
attention to its critical features.
If the learner is not attentive, they will not be able to learn anything.
We tend to be most influenced by attractive models, repeatedly
available, which we think are important or see as similar to us.

Retention process
A model’s influence depends on how well the individuals remember
the model’s actions after the model is no longer readily available.

Motor reproduction process


After a person has seen a new behavior by observing the model, the
watching must be converted to doing. It involves recalling the model’s
behaviors, performing actions, and matching them with the model’s.

This process then demonstrates that the individual can perform the
modeled activities.

Reinforcement process
Individuals are motivated to exhibit the modeled behavior if
positive incentives or rewards are provided. Positive reinforcement
behavior is given more attention, learned better, and performed more
often.

At last, we can say that social learning theory is a function of


consequences. It also acknowledges the existence of observational
learning and the importance of perception in learning.

In this case, a person who wants to learn should identify the target
behavior and select the appropriate model and modeling medium.
Then he/she should create a favorable learning environment and
observe the model.

Here the learners will try to remember and use practically the
observed behavior if a positive reinforcement related to this behavior.

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