Course description
This course introduces learners to the principles of learning and behavior by surveying relevant theoretical and empirical approaches within psychology. The overall emphasis is on the theoretical foundations of psychology as they relate to human learning and behavior. The following topics will be reviewed: historical perspectives of early learning theories, prevailing theories of human development, classical and operant conditioning, effects stimuli have on learning and behavior, social learning, motivation, cognitive developmental theory in the context of learning stages and processes, memory and human information processing models, and problem-solving methods. Understanding these human processes is an integral part of psychology and other domains of human behavior, such as marketing, sports, health, education and relationships. Learning theories are an outgrowth from philosophies of thought. The philosophical approaches of rationalism and empiricism, and the works of Plato and Descartes form the underpinnings of learning theory. However, developments in psychology added an interest in objectivity and scientific research to demarcate the psychological approach to learning
Course Content
- Basic
Concepts
- Philosophy
and Psychology: Thinking about Learning
- The
nature and scope of organizational behaviour
- Individual
and group dynamics
- E.L.
Thorndike: The Original Connectionism
- Behaviorism:
Basic Concepts and Processes
- Classical
Conditioning vs. Operant Conditioning
- Behaviorism
and Real World Applications
- Social Learning Theory
- Cognitive Theor
Learning Outcome
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Identify
major historical timelines and perspectives associated with learning theory.
- Explain
foundational concepts associated with learning theory.Integrate
common principles of learning theory into larger domains of psychology.
- Align
major theorists with specific contributions to psychology of learning and
behavior.
- Analyze
and describe empirical research as it relates to effectiveness of learning and
behavior management techniques.
- Identify the utilization of psychology of learning and behavior in domains outside the field of psychology.
Compulsory Reading Materials
- Robbins, S. P., Judge, T. A., &Sanghi, S. (2009). Organizational behaviour (13th ed.). New Delhi: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Optional Reading Materials
- Du Brin, A. J. (2005). Fundamentals of organizational behaviour (3rded.). South-Western
Cengage Learning.