Organizational behavior lecture notes, unit 2 OB

Unit lecture notes Explain Review studies from text Discuss Not necessary Discuss HRM and Personnel Department Learning is any relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs as a result of experience Three theories examine the process by which patterns of behavior are acquired In classical conditioning, an individual responds to some stimulus that would not ordinarily produce such a response This theory grew out of Pavlov’s experiments to teach dogs to salivate in response to the ringing of a bell When Pavlov gave a dog a piece of meat, the dog would salivate The meat was an unconditioned stimulus; the salivation of the dog was the unconditioned response The bell, on the other hand, was a conditioned stimulus that was originally neutral Pavlov paired the bell with the meat, which caused the dog to associate the sound of the bell with being fed Over time, the sound of the bell alone produced a conditioned response by making the dog salivate Classical conditioning is passive Something happens, and we react in a specific way As such, it can explain simple, reflexive behaviors In operant conditioning, desired voluntary behavior leads to a reward or stops a punishment This theory argues that behavior is a function of consequences Operant behavior is learned or voluntary, not reflexive or unlearned B F Skinner argued that creating pleasing consequences to follow specific forms of behavior would increase the frequency of that behavior He said that rewards are most effective if they immediately follow the desired response and that behavior that is not rewarded, or is punished, is less likely to be repeated Social-learning theory proposes that we can learn through observation and direct experience This theory is an extension of operant conditioning and assumes that behavior is a function of its consequences It also acknowledges the role of perception in learning The use of models is central to the social-learning theory, and the following four processes determine how a model will influence an individual: retention, attention, motor reproduction, and reinforcement Shaping behavior involves systematically reinforcing each successive step that moves an individual closer to the desired response There are four ways in which to shape behavior Positive reinforcement is following a response with something pleasant Negative reinforcement is following a response with the termination or withdrawal of something that is unpleasant Punishment is causing an unpleasant condition in an attempt to eliminate an undesirable behavior Extinction is the elimination of any reinforcement that is maintaining behavior A continuous reinforcement schedule reinforces the desired behavior every time it is demonstrated While not every incident of the desired behavior is reinforced in an intermittent schedule, reinforcement is given often enough to reinforce the behavior An intermittent reinforcement can be of a ratio or interval type In ratio schedules, the individual is reinforced after giving a certain number of specific types of behavior Interval schedules depend upon how much time has passed since the last reinforcement In fixed-interval types, rewards are spaced at uniform time intervals In variable-interval types, reinforcements are unpredictable In a fixed-ratio schedule, after a fixed number of responses are given, a reward is initiated When the reward varies relative to the behavior of the individual, he or she is on a variable-ratio schedule Because continuous reinforcement can lead to early satiation, behavior weakens rapidly when reinforcers are withheld Continuous reinforcers are appropriate for newly emitted, unusual, or low-frequency responses Since intermittent reinforcers preclude early satiation, they are appropriate for stable or high-frequency responses In general, variable schedules lead to higher performance than fixed schedules Discuss critical behaviors Discuss mentoring ... reflexive behaviors In operant conditioning, desired voluntary behavior leads to a reward or stops a punishment This theory argues that behavior is a function of consequences Operant behavior. .. follow specific forms of behavior would increase the frequency of that behavior He said that rewards are most effective if they immediately follow the desired response and that behavior that is not... eliminate an undesirable behavior Extinction is the elimination of any reinforcement that is maintaining behavior A continuous reinforcement schedule reinforces the desired behavior every time it