Learning Theories

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

Classical conditioning is a type of

conditioning in which an individual responds
to some stimulus that would not ordinarily
produce such as response.
It is the process of learning to associate a
particular thing in our environment with a
prediction of what will happen next.
1. Classical Conditioning
Classical conditioning, the association of
such an event with another desired event
resulting in behavior, is one of the easiest to
understand processes of learning.

Eg.: 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.
1. Classical Conditioning
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.
1. Classical Conditioning
 In classical conditioning, learning involves a
conditioned stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus.
Here, the meat was unconditioned stimulus; it
invariably caused the dog to react in a specific way.
 The reaction that took place whenever the
unconditioned stimulus occurred was called the
unconditioned response. 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.
2. 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.
What Pavlov did for classical
conditioning, the Harvard psychologist
B.F. Skinner did for operant conditioning.
2. 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 where they will get nothing.
Skinner argued that creating pleasing
consequences to specific forms of behavior
would increase the frequency of that
behavior.
2. Operant conditioning
In one famous experiment displaying
operant learning, the psychologist B.F.
Skinner trained rats to press a lever to get
food. In this experiment, a hungry rat
placed in a box containing a lever
attached to some concealed food.
At first, the rat ran around the box
randomly.
2. Operant conditioning
In this process, it happened to press the lever, and the
food dropped into the box. The dropping of food-
reinforced the response 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.
 2. Operant conditioning
 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 can bring a $1,00,000 deposit for 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
$1,00,000.
 In the next year, if your manager again says you about the hard
work.
 Maybe you will be stopped because last year you did not receive
anything for it. Many activities that we will engage in during
everyday life can be classified as an operant.
3. Cognitive Theory

Cognition refers to an individual’s

thoughts, knowledge of interpretations,
understandings, or ideas about himself,
and his environment.
This is a process of learning through
active and constructive thought processes,
such as a practice or using our memory.
3. Cognitive Theory
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 were
first learning 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.
3. Cognitive Theory
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 the lifetime of an individual.
4. 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. Social Learning Theory
4 processes have been found to determine the
influence that a model will have on an individual.
 These processes are:

i) 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 would not able
to learn anything. We tend to be most influenced
by attractive models, repeatedly available, which
we think is important, or we see as similar to us.
ii) Retention process

A model’s influence depends on how well

the individuals remember the models’
actions after the model is no longer
readily available.
iii) Motor reproduction process

After a person has seen a new behavior

by observing the model, the watching
must be converted to doing. It involves
recall the model’s behaviors and
performing own actions and matching
them with those of the model.
This process then demonstrates that the
individual can perform the modeled
activities.
iv) Reinforcement process

Individuals are motivated to exhibit the

modeled behavior if positive incentives or
rewards are provided. Behavior that is
positively reinforced is given more
attention, learned better and performed
more often.
4. Social Learning Theory
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.