Describe Instrumental conditioning Behavioural Learning Theory

Like classical conditioning, instrumental conditioning requires a link between a stimulus and a
response. However, in instrumental conditioning, the stimulus that results in the most
satisfactory response is the one that is learned. i.e Instrumental Conditioning occurs as an
individual learns to perform behaviors that produce positive outcomes and to avoid those that
yield negative outcomes. Response is made deliberately to achieve a goal, it may be complex
and a reward is usually received following a certain desired behavior. For example; if you visit a certain hotel one gets a free bottle of a soft drink after consuming a meal.
Over the time customers come to associate with products that earn them a reward or make them
feel good or satisfy some need.

Reinforcement of Behavior
Skinner distinguished two types of reinforcement (or reward) that influence the likelihood that a response will be repeated. The first type, positive reinforcement, consists of events that
strengthen the likelihood of a specific response. Using a shampoo that leaves your hair feeling
silky and clean is likely to result in a repeat purchase of the shampoo. Negative reinforcement is an unpleasant or negative outcome that also serves to encourage a specific behavior. An
advertisement that shows a model with wrinkled skin is designed to encourage consumers to
buy and use the advertised skin cream.
Forgetting and Extinction When a learned response is no longer reinforced, it diminishes to the
point of extinction ie to the point at which the link between the stimulus and the expected
reward is eliminated. If a consumer is no longer satisfied with the service a retail store provides the link between the stimulus (the store) and the response (expected satisfaction) is no longer reinforced and there is little likelihood that the consumer will return. When behavior is no longer reinforced it is ``unlearned’’

Strategic Applications of Instrumental Conditioning
Marketers effectively utilize the concepts of consumer learning when they provide positive
reinforcement by assuring consumer satisfaction with the product, the service and the total
buying experience. Customer Satisfaction (Reinforcement) The objective of all marketing
efforts should be to maximize customer satisfaction. Marketers must be certain to provide the
best possible product for the money and to avoid raising consumer expectations for product
performance beyond what the product can deliver Reinforcement Schedule: Marketers have found that product quality must be consistently high and provide customer satisfaction with each use for desired consumer behavior to continue.
However, they have also discovered that some non product rewards do not have to be offered
each time the transaction takes place, even an occasional reward provides reinforcement and
encourages consumer patronage. For example airlines may occasionally upgrade a passenger at
the gate or a clothing discounter may from time to time announce a one-hour sale over the store
loudspeaker. The promise of possibly receiving a reward provides positive reinforcement and
encourages consumer patronage.
Marketers have identified three types of reinforcement schedules: total (or continuous)
reinforcement, systematic (fixed ratio) reinforcement and random (variable ratio)
reinforcement. Needless to say, the basic product or service rendered is expected to provide
total reinforcement each time it is used. Another example of a total (or continuous)
reinforcement schedule is the free after-dinner drink always served to patrons at certain
restaurants.
A fixed ratio reinforcement schedule provides reinforcement every ``nth’’ time the product or
service is purchased (say every third time). For example Staples sends a credit voucher to
account holders every 3 months based on a percentage of the previous quarter’s purchases. A
variable ratio reinforcement schedule rewards consumers on a random basis or on an average
frequency basis (such as every third or tenth transaction). Gambling casinos operate on the
basis of variable ratios. People pour money into slot machines (which are programmed to pay
off on a variable ratio) hoping for the big win. Variable ratios tend to engender high rates of
desired behavior and are somewhat resistant to extinction-perhaps because for many consumers,
hope springs eternal. Other examples of variable ratio schedules include lotteries, sweepstakes, door prizes and contests that require certain consumer behaviors for eligibility.

Shaping. The reinforcement of behaviors that must be performed by consumers before the
desired behavior can be performed is called shaping. Shaping increases the probabilities that
certain desired consumer behavior will occur. For example, retailers recognize that they must
first attract customers to their stores before they can expect them to do the bulk of their
shopping there. Many retailers provide some form of preliminary reinforcement (``shaping’’) to
encourage consumers to just visit their store. For example, some retailers offer ``loss leader’’- popular products at severely discounted prices-to the first hundred or so customers to arrive, since those customers are likely to stay to do much of their shopping there. By reinforcing the behavior that’s needed to enable the targeted consumer behavior to take place, marketers increase the probability that the desired behavior will occur. Massed versus Distributed Learning. Timing has an important influence on consumer learning. Should a learning schedule be spread out over a period of time (distributed learning), or should it be ``bunched up’’ all at once (massed learning)? The question is an important one for advertisers planning a media schedule, because massed advertising produces more initial learning, whereas a distributed schedule usually results in learning that persists longer. When advertisers want an immediate impact (e.g to introduce a new product or to counter a competitor’s blitz campaign) they generally use a massed schedule to hasten consumer learning. However, when the goal is long term repeat buying on a regular basis, distributed schedule is preferable. A distributed schedule, with ads repeated on a regular basis, usually results in more long-term learning and is relatively immune to extinction.

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Titany answered the question on November 3, 2021 at 11:56