Psychology 3720F/G Chapter 4: Psych 3720 Dovido, Chapter 4

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 3720F/G
• Professor: Haynes

Document Summary

A basic principle of learning theory is thorndike"s law of effect people are more likely to engage in actions that are rewarded and less likely to engage in actions that are punished. Learning theorists have identified certain fundamental learning processes: operant conditioning the extent to which the occurrence of a behaviour can be modified by the positive or negative consequences of the action, research shows this works with reinforcement. Social learning people can also learn to expect certain consequences for helping or not helping through information from other people. Social norms are rules for accepted and expected behaviour in situations. Personal norms are an individual"s expression of feelings of obligation to behave in a particular manner in a particular situation. Normative theories of helping emphasize that people help others because they have expectations based on previous social learning or because the current behaviour of others suggests helping is the socially appropriate response.