BU288 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Reinforcement, Operant Conditioning
BU288 Lesson 3: Learning
Learning: A Definition
-Learning: A relatively permanent change in behaviour potential that occurs due to practice or
experience
• NOT temporary – more permanent
• Change that occurs through some sort of experience
• How would the prof infer that we learned material in this course?
o Insightful comments in class, practice questions, exam marks
-Learning in organizations:
• Practical skills: The technical skills you need in order to perform your job
• Intrapersonal skills: The skills such as controlling one’s emotions
• Interpersonal skills: The way you interact within an organization
• Cultural awareness: An awareness of how your corporation operates in different cultures,
your organization’s goals and priorities
Operant Learning Theory
-The subject learns to operate on the environment to achieve certain consequences
-Operantly learned behaviour is controlled by the consequences that follow it
-It is the connection between the behaviour and the consequence that’s learned
-THE LAW OF EFFECT
Positive Reinforcement
-The application or addition of a stimulus that increases or maintains the probability of some
behaviour
-The stimulus is the positive reinforcer
-The reinforcer is dependent or contingent on the occurrence of some desired behaviour
-E.g. pay raise, promotions, higher grades
Negative Reinforcement
-The removal of a stimulus from a situation that, in turn, increases or maintains the probability of
some behaviour
-Negative reinforcement occurs when a response prevents some event or stimulus from occurring
-The removed or prevented stimulus is a negative reinforce
-E.g. getting demoted, pay cut, boss shouting at you, getting fired
Punishment
-The application of an aversive stimulus following some behaviour designed to decrease the
probability of that behaviour
-A nasty stimulus is applied after some undesirable behaviour in order to decrease the
probability of that behaviour
-Some make the distinction between positive and negative punishment (although this can get
confusing!)
• E.g. negative punishment – revoking your privilege
Extinction
-The gradual dissipation of behaviour following the termination of reinforcement
-If the behaviour is not reinforced, it will gradually dissipate or be extinguished
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Learning in organizations: practical skills: the technical skills you need in order to perform your job, cultural awareness: an awareness of how your corporation operates in different cultures, Intrapersonal skills: the skills such as controlling one"s emotions. Interpersonal skills: the way you interact within an organization your organization"s goals and priorities. The subject learns to operate on the environment to achieve certain consequences. Operantly learned behaviour is controlled by the consequences that follow it. It is the connection between the behaviour and the consequence that"s learned. The application or addition of a stimulus that increases or maintains the probability of some behaviour. The reinforcer is dependent or contingent on the occurrence of some desired behaviour. The removal of a stimulus from a situation that, in turn, increases or maintains the probability of some behaviour. Negative reinforcement occurs when a response prevents some event or stimulus from occurring. The removed or prevented stimulus is a negative reinforce.
