Organizational Behavior, Dr. Pavlov Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Organizational Behavior, Dr. Pavlov - Essay Example Reinforcement means repeating a set pattern of actions, considering them pleasurable when doing so and doing it enough times for the body to bypass conscious evaluation of action and respond immediately with the set pattern that is linked to a stimuli. Pavlov's father was reinforcing him for priesthood after his accident. Athletes use reinforcement to prepare themselves, repeating the motions of their particular sport, enjoying the process even when they seem to be in physical plan and use repetition till the execution of the desire motion becomes second nature, this is reinforcement. Extinction is best explained like this. Constant exposure to a stimulus lowers its perceptible threat, given a new element is not introduced. Dr. Pavlov's indifference towards the danger of offending Stalin, who uncharacteristically didn't respond, explains extinction. The feeling of being annihilated is intense when the stimulus is new, but with constant exposure, the threat reduces and we feel safer. This is how children evolve from the fear of the boogeyman. With constant exposure to darkness (provided no one is trying to scare them), boogeyman does not feel so threatening anymore. The Pavlovian concept of discrimination is based on how a stimulus is evaluated and responded to, the response can be conditioned based on past experiences or unconditioned due to uncertainty on evaluating a new stimuli that has been introduced. Dr. Pavlov reprimanding his assistant for being late to the laboratory despite pitched battles taking place on the streets shows how he discriminated the situa tion differently from those around him. The most common examples of discrimination can be seen among people who have different preferences in music genres. An individual who prefers classical music like that of Mozart and Beethoven, discriminates the current hip hop scene very differently from one who lives off on such kind of music. Discrimination is based upon past conditioning and acquired response, but it can and does change over a period of time. Generalization, as the name suggests, is the perceptual experience of an uncommon situation, expressed through evaluation with past experiences. Dr. Pavlov's indifference to practicalities like taking care of his finances or personal safety, irrespective of penury or losing his son or on becoming a Nobel Prize winner and writing angry letters to Stalin, display his generalization towards practical matters. Most prominent generalizations are seen on television networks covering natural disasters like hurricanes. Before a hurricane hits shore, certain patterns are detectable, based on this predictions are made. Whenever a similar pattern emerges, a call for cover against hurricanes is called for; sometimes it is a false alarm. But generalizations have been made based on past data, assuming that when A = C, the chances of C happening when A manifests itself is highly probable, this is generalizing, the media conglomerates have understood this concept well and use it periodically and effectively.