Essay on the Conditions of Learning – From the point of view of socialisation, some learning is regarded as ‘good’ or ‘successful’, and some learning as ‘bad’ or ‘unsuccessful’.
Socialisation, as a kind of learning, contributes to one’s ability to perform social roles. From the stand point of any particular social system, it is desirable and desired learning.
Hence it is quite appropriate to discuss the conditions under which ‘successful’ learning takes place. H.M. Johnson mentions three such conditions: (i) discrimination, (ii) reward and punishment, and (Hi) control of the effects of frustration.
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(i) Discrimination:
The person to be socialised must be enabled to distinguish between the new objects and the behaviour patterns which are already known to him. This is essential for the successful internalisation of new objects or behaviour patterns. The socialising agent must provide some ‘cues’ or ‘hints’ which help the learner to learn new things.
If the learner has to react appropriately, he must know what he is acting to. Hence it is necessary to define the situation correctly, for often the same manner of behaving, is appropriate in some situations but inappropriate in others.
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(ii) Reward and Punishment:
Another condition that favours successful learning is with regard to reward and punishment. The socialising agent must give reward for the child for ‘correct’ performances and either withhold reward or punish for “incorrect” performances.
Reward and punishment are said to “reinforce” the desired behaviour patterns. Sometimes, a mere smile is more effective than a chocolate as a reward. Similarly, a mere staring is more effective as a punishment than beating.
As Johnson has stated, the effectiveness of reinforcement of desired behaviour patterns increases under certain conditions. That is (i) When the correct behaviour is rewarded very often; (ii) when such behaviour is more consistently rewarded (iii) when there is greater difference between the satisfaction coming from the correct behaviour and the dissatisfaction resulting from incorrect behaviour in the same situation-, and (iv) when the reward comes soon after the correct behaviour.
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Various studies have revealed that both reward and punishment are effective in training. Still some societies depend more on one than on the other. Are they equally effective? It is known that reward is quite effective and is less likely than punishment to produce undesirable side effects on the personality.
Punishment, if exceeded, may bring about deep frustration. It has some dangerous effects also. It may produce hatred for the socialising agent. It may make the learner to become less sensitive to the disapproval of others, or may induce him to disobey or retaliate the socialising agent.
Another danger is, it may make the person to “over-learn “. This ‘over-learning’ may develop undue anxiety which may inhibit his normal and desirable behaviour patterns. Punishment for aggressive behaviour may produce anxiety about normal expression.
Still it could be said that we have no good reasons to give up punishment completely in socialisation. It is better to train by punishment than to leave the child with its own tendencies.
(iii) Control of the Effects of Frustration:
This is yet another confusion of learning. Any learner has to face the problem of frustration in socialisation. The feeling of frustration is an unpleasant response. Due to frustration one may feel that he is thwarted in some activity, deprived of something that others are enjoying, refused something that one wished to have.
Frustration is likely to be relatively severe during the early years for two reasons: (i) The young child cannot understand the ‘reasons’ as to why others are frustrating him. (ii) Secondly, the child is yet to know clearly his own feelings and to cope with them. Hence he may feel that the socialising agents are unjustly and arbitrarily thwarting, depriving and refusing him whatever is due to him.
Whatever be the causes of frustration, frustration tends to produce aggressive feelings and sometimes indignation. Due to the feelings of aggression, indignation and anxiety the child is not able to give attention to the ‘ task’ of learning. He may even fail to make the necessary discrimination.
He may even refuse to cooperate. Hence it is necessary for the socialising agent to do something to counteract the effects of frustration. The child must be taken into confidence and reward be given whenever it is required.
As it is noted, same amount of frustration is bound to be there in socialisation. But the amount of frustration the child must undergo in socialisation varies considerably from one society to another. It all depends upon the practices of society and its value systems.