LEARNING

Learning-Defination
Learning is a dominant psychological process that determines ones behaviour.
Knowledge, language, skills, attitudes, value system, personality
characteristics and othersall are learned." Similarly, all individual activities
in the organisation, like loyalty, awareness of organisational, goals, job
performance, etc., are learned. Study of dynamics of learning contributes to
better understanding, prediction and control of organisational behaviour
the behaviour of the individuals, and groups in the organisation.

Definitions of Learning
Stephen Robbins and Seema Sanghi: "Learning is any relatively
permanent change in behaviour that occurs as a result of
experience.

Learning is a process of acquiring knowledge through conscious and

systematic efforts that affect ones subsequent behaviour for a long
time.

Learning has taken place if an individual behaves, reacts, respond as a

result of experience in a manner different from the way he formerly
behaved.

Conditions/factors for learning: Knowledge should be implemented,

experience,
Improvement
Change should last for considerable period of time; it should not be temporary rather it
should be permanent.

Characteristics of Learning

1.Psychological Process
2.Outcome of Past Experience
3.Change in Behaviour
4.Conscious and Deliberate
5.Need of Reinforcement
6.Permanent Change
7.Experience plus Practice
8.Input in other Cognitive
Processes

Learning theories

1.Connectionist theories

Classical conditioning:-A type of conditioning in which

an individual responds to some stimulus that would not
produce such response. Ivan Pavlov a Russian physiologist
conducted experiments to teach dogs to salivate in response
to the ringing of the bell. When Presented the dog with a piece
of meat , they exhibited a noticeable increase in salivation.

Operant conditioning:-Here people learn to behave to

get something they want or to avoid something they dont
want. Example:- application of brake by a vehicle driver to
avoid accident . Here the possibility of accident without
application of brake is stimulus situation, application of brake
is behavior and avoidance of accident is consequence of
behaviour

2.Cognitive learning

Focuses on perception, problem solving, and

insight. It says that most of the learning occurs
not as a result of trial and error practice but
through discovering meaningful pattern.
Step 1. People draw on their experiences and uses past learning as a basis for
present behavior. For eg an employee faced with a choice of job assignment
will use previous experiences in deciding which one to accept
Step 2. People make choices about their behavior. The employees recognizes
his or her two alternatives and chooses one
Step 3. People recognizes the consequences of their choices . Thus when the
employees find the job assignment rewarding and fulfilling , he understand that
his choice was good one and why.
Step 4. People evaluate those consequences and add them to prior learning
which affects the future choices .Faced with the same job choices next year ,
the employee very likely will choose the same.

3.Social Learning Theory

People can learn through observation and direct experience.
It is an extension of operant conditioning. It assumes that
behaviour is a function of consequences. It involves:Attention Processes:- People learn from model only when they
recognize and pay attention to its critical feature.
Retention Process:- A models influence will depend on how well
the individual remember the models action after the model is no
longer readily available.
Reproduction Processes:- After a person has seen a new behavior
by observing the model the watching must be converted into
doing.
Reinforcement Process:- Individuals will be motivated to exhibit
the modeled behavior if positive if positive incentives or rewards
are provided

Learning Process

Principles of Learning
1.Principle of Acquisition
2.Principle of Extinction
3.Principle of Spontaneous Recovery
4.Principle of Generalization
5.Principle of Discrimination
6.Principle of Reinforcement