psychology essay
TRANSCRIPT
Name: Do Thi Phuong DungClass: 11BSM4
Learning is a permanent change in human behavior because of their experience. There are a
lot of theories of learning. However, there are two main kinds which are concerned by learners
and educators. They are classical conditioning learning theory and operant conditioning theory.
There are a lot of differences between them that need to be clarified to make them have good
insight for everyone.
At first, we need to talk about its definitions, classical conditioning is based on what happen
before we respond and it begins with a stimulus that reliably triggers a response. Meanwhile, in
operant conditioning, learning is based on the sequences of responding. A response may be
followed by a reinforcer or punishment. Understanding the differences between two theories
can help us have good view of them to apply in our life and job, especially in human resources
management as these theories influence on human thoughts and reactions. Classical
conditioning counts on unconditioned reflex response that is dependable in-born stimulus and
response connection. For examples, when we were burnt by fire, we would keep our hands out
of it when we see it again. Another example, if we had made to blind when we saw an intense
light, we will keep our eyes close when we see it the next time. These reflexes can be linked to a
new stimulus. The classical condition theory also impacts on people’s emotion. For examples,
when we heard a person complain that they were hurt when they went to a dentist to take out
a decay tooth or fill in a tooth cavity, we can feel fear when we go to a dentist. Besides, when
students have a lot of homework to prepare for their examination and they have experienced
study hardship or failure, they often feel phobia when they are ready for an exam. Those are
some effects of classical condition theory on learners. For operant condition theory of learning,
we expect that a certain response will have effect at certain times. We also learn that a
particular response is linked to reinforcement. Moreover, operant reinforce works the best
when it is response contingent that is given solely after a desired responded has occurred. A
reinforcer tells a person that a response was right and worth repeating. For example, when
parent see their child not say “thank you” to others when he or she is given something. Parent
will ask him or her to say thank you or ask the giver to take back their things until this child says
“thank you”. They ask or even force the child say 3 or 4 times the phrase “thank you” to show
that he or she have to do this when they receive gift. After this event, this child will have the
habit thanking others when they get something from adults. Coon and Mittener states that
sometimes rewards cannot lead to a good result, for example when we give a child some
chocolates to ask them to do what we consider as good behaviors, but they really doesn’t like
chocolates so they will refuse to do what we ask them. We, therefore, need to find which
awards or prizes that is suitable to meet responder’s need or passion to attract them. Coon and
Mitterer continue to claim: “operant principles greatly affect behaviors in homes, schools and
businesses. It is always worthwhile to arrange reinforcers so that they encourage productive and
responsible behaviors”. We can see that operant reinforcement get its result when it can see
the correct response after we give signals to responders. Generally speaking, we can succeed if
we present a reinforce after a response we need it to change. We need to award children when
they are willing to respond after they get our reinforcement. The award or prize we present
them can make them satisfied and love, we are successful. We even encourage or stimulate
their interests to what we give our responders that make them behave well in life or moral.
Coon and Mitterer refer an example to clarify the mature of human beings: “let’s say I work
hard all semester in a class to get an A grade. Wouldn’t the delay in reinforcement keep me
from learning anything? No, for several reasons”. They then give three reasons for their opinions
that as a mature man, you can anticipate which prizes or awards you can get from your
behaviors or attitude at school, at work or in life. You can get reinforcement on quiz or test
grades through the whole semester. Moreover, a single reinforce can maintain a long response
chain. We need to refer a trend before we conduct to apply what we learn and study the
differences between the classical conditioning theories and operant conditioning theories of
learning into life. That is superstitious behaviors which are repeated because they appear to
produce reinforcement though they are unnecessary. However, they, more or less, impact
people’s behaviors or reflection later. Some people walk under a ladder and then break a leg,
they may avoid ladders in the future. Fishermen are so superstitious that they never turn up and
down a cooked fish when they eat it because this action can be considered as the image of a
sunk boat or ship. They teach their children and other members in the family avoid doing it and
they become superstitious without any clues or being testified. This act can impact life of many
people originated from this back ground. In some cultures in the world, especially in some
countries in Asia like Japan, Korean, Vietnam and Thailand where people are taught from their
childhood that they need to bow their head and greet older people when they see those who
are older than they are. They are praised by their behaviors which are considered good and
obedient and they are given good compliments and some gifts. When they grow up, they have
that image and impression that they got from their childhood and continue to behave to what
they have been educated. Meanwhile, westerners just say “hello” to people when they meet
each other, they rarely or even never bow their head and greet others with the best respect as
Oriental people often do. It doesn’t mean that they don’t respect others when they don’t bow
their head. It’s just cultural aspects that are originated from their ancestors.
Many people say that both of theories we have discussed above impact our behaviors and
attitude at school and at work. It is obvious that this works to some extent of life, especially in
human resources management which is one of the most important issues to people who work in
business field. We cannot deny its special importance because human resources now become
one of the most important key to the success of any companies in the world. It may be seen and
planned carefully before conducting business or expand their scale. How to manage and develop
human resources to the trend of implementing classical conditioning theories and operant
conditioning theories of learning is which business needs to concentrate and make it work
better.
We discuss the impact of implementing classical conditioning theories of learning in Human
Resources Management. This theory can impact well in business operation. The condition
inferred may be seen as law, regulations and any policies made, granted and notified to
employers before they are recruited. They need to follow all these to work at their office or
department they are involved. The directors or managers tend to these theories are people who
love to dominate strictly all their employees. All regulations or policies are made by the boss
without consulting any people in the company. The employees have to observe all the
instruction from the Head of their department they will have to be punished, minus salary or
bonus or in some cases, they cannot get the benefits that they need to be met. It is, to some
extent, good and effective in the event of the boss can control all activities of the company or
facilities they are in charge. However, how can a person control and dominate all the activities
of an organization with big scale. The disadvantages occur when they don’t have time to put
everything, every people, and every section under their control. They are just a human being
with their mental and physical limit. They can become tired and exhausted in a certain time
when his or her employers will do something that harms the result of their business. Some
employers have the habit to work very hard when the boss appears or under strict supervision
from their supervisors or their Head. Yet, they will stop working and do something silly, foolish
or personal work. They ignore company’s policy because they think that they are working while
staying at their desk or remain at workplace. They commit thefts. They are stealing company’s
time, and obviously, they are robbing legally their boss’s properties. This situation often
happens in company with classical condition theories. Furthermore, this often occurs in the
company with fixed salary offer to the employers. This can cause domino effect when other
employers see one commits this violation without punishment and imitate. Who knows what
happens next. The whole company or organization will be in crisis, they work like a heavy
machine system with bad work performance. As the result of that, they will soon be closed
because of bankruptcy and all employees become jobless.
Now, we discuss about operant conditioning theories of learning and their influence on
work attitude of employees. Obviously, the employers should be the people who are flexible
and tend to administrate their organizations in democracy. They need to train and instruct their
employees as co-workers in a team. They need to listen to their employees to know their need
and interest. We can see that everyone who applies for a job always loves to have a stable job
with the income they can support their family so nobody want to do something harm to the
company. The boss needs to perform that his or her business is the whole company’s property
and everyone in the company needs to make their effort to work, to inspire new ideas that can
develop the company and show their highest responsibility to the tasks they are appointed. The
boss needs to be successful when they get the most rapid response after the reinforcement.
They have to give the signal to inform their employees that they can be awarded if they work
hard and effectively. In addition, the boss also needs to tell their employees that they can be
punished, if causing something that can harm the company’s operations. However, this also
causes some negative effects. For examples, we refer about the employees’ thoughts and
attitude. They may be led to the thought that they only keep the best workers and dismiss the
worse ones instead of encouraging or stimulating them to try their best to work and they can be
awarded the same as ones who perform better at work. Moreover, they can create unfair
competition to all employees in the organization. Some employees try to get more work
performance bonus by violating company rules, work morals or trying to devalue other
colleagues in the same company. Most of all, the boss can fall into the behavior of respecting
and encouraging of individualism which should be avoided in modern world, especially in
business management where collaboration is a key point to the success of the company.
To make the operant condition theories of learning work well in certain circumstances, the
employers need to know the need and interest of their employees so that they can give awards
or prizes that are suitable and meet their desire. They should inform their workers that they can
get good bonus in specific numbers or they can have better free lunch, longer holiday with best
comfort and facilities if they try their best to follow the company policies in order to develop the
production and product quality improvements that satisfy the customers the best. They will get
higher income and interests that suit their work and life expectation. The boss can show the
best image for their employers they can get the dreaming income if they try more. Awards and
prizes can be higher and more exciting and attractive that secures a part of their life. We can see
that the need for life is getting higher and higher. How we can pay for all expenses that seem
increasing day after day? Only by hard working with new ideas and the best results and work
performance could they gain enough money for their life. The boss can create competition
between employees and department because it is very necessary. Yet, we should avoid
individualism trend in them because it can cause some thing negative to collaboration
environment. Success is for the whole group and they are fairly awarded to their devotion or
dedication. The employers have to ask and study what their workers love the best. They should
listen to their employees’ most necessary needs and meet their need. Remember your
employees’ needs, not your need. You can be successful when they know exactly what people
need. This act needs an analyst who can study the need of people in the organization. They have
to do survey and has exact information about the employees’ need and interests so that the
boss can have good plan for their organization drawn from the principles of operant
conditioning theories of learning in their human resources management with the best study and
implement in life and work.
We can see the advantages and disadvantages of above two theories. How to develop the
good points and reduce or improve the bad points to a better trend belongs to the ability to
comprehend and implement what we study from these theories. If we don’t understand and
misuse them, we can face a lot of problem in life, especially in Human Resources Management
in our organization. We cannot deny the important of classical conditioning theories of learning
though they have some limit. We can see that each of them have good sides and bad sides so
we have to combine them in good, effective and scientific way to make it run well that help us
to operate better and more successfully at work and in our life. However, we shouldn’t talk too
much about the theories, we have to apply and implement them in work as soon as possible and
we have to do them right away since we have known the importance and necessity of these
theories to business and human resources management in modern world. We can be left behind
if we go after others. Being late is better than never doing anything for our organization’s
success and development.