Define Learning. Compare and Contrast Conditioned and Instrumental Learning. Give an Example of How a Particular Behaviour Is Learned and Modified in Organization.

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Define Learning. Compare and contrast conditioned and instrumental learning. Give an example of how a particular behaviour is learned and modified in organization. Ans: Learning can be defined as ‘a relatively permanent change in behaviour that occurs as a result of prior experience’ -E.R.Hilgard. Hence learning process involves the following implications: 1. Learning invariably involves change, which can be good or bad from an organization’s point of view. 2. Change in behaviour must be relatively permanent. 3. The change in behaviour should occur as a result of experience, practice or training. 4. The practice or experience must be reinforced in order for learning to occur. 5. The learning is reflected in behaviour. Learning can be explained in terms of four theories: Classical conditioning, Operant conditioning, Social Learning, Cognitive learning. 1. Classical conditioning: Learning though Classical conditioning was first studied by Ivon Pavlov. The classical conditioning theory deals with the association of one event with another desired event resulting in a desired behaviour or learning. Here an individual responds to some stimulus that would invariably produce such a response (Stimulus → Response). Unconditioned Stimulus (US)-Meat Unconditioned Response (UR)- Salivation (Neutral Stimulus – Bell is paired with US-Meat) Conditioned Stimulus (CS)-Bell Conditioned Response (CS)-Salivation Thus, under classical conditioning, learning is a conditioned response, which involves building up an association between a conditioned stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus. By pairing the stimuli- one compelling and the other one neutral- the neutral one becomes a conditioned stimulus and hence, takes on the propertied of the unconditioned stimulus. However, classical conditioning is passive.

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