Escape, Avoidance, Punishment, Modelling, and Social Learning
📘 6.5 Escape, Avoidance, Punishment, Modelling, and Social Learning
🆘 1. Escape Learning
Definition:
Escape learning occurs when an individual learns a behaviour that terminates an ongoing aversive stimulus.
Example:
- A child learns to press a button to stop a loud noise.
- A student who fakes illness to get out of a stressful class is escaping the situation.
Real-life relevance:
- A government employee learns to file reports on time to avoid last-minute stress (aversive event).
- Using an umbrella during a rainstorm to escape getting wet.
🛡️ 2. Avoidance Learning
Definition:
Avoidance learning happens when a behaviour prevents the onset of an aversive stimulus.
Example:
- A student studies regularly to avoid failing an exam.
- Citizens wear helmets not after accidents but to prevent fines or injuries.
Difference with Escape:
Escape = stop current discomfort
Avoidance = prevent future discomfort
Policy example:
- Vaccination is avoidance learning: you don’t wait to fall ill; you act beforehand.
⚠️ 3. Punishment
Definition:
Punishment is a consequence that reduces the likelihood of a behaviour occurring again.
Types:
a) Positive Punishment
- Adding something unpleasant.
Example: Imposing a fine for littering.
b) Negative Punishment
- Taking away something pleasant.
Example: Suspension of a student’s privileges for bad behaviour.
Important:
Punishment suppresses behaviour but doesn’t teach what to do instead. Hence, reinforcement is usually more effective.
🧍 4. Modelling (Observational Learning)
Definition:
Modelling involves learning a new behaviour by observing others and imitating them. Proposed by Albert Bandura.
Famous experiment:
Bobo Doll Experiment – children who saw adults hitting the doll were more likely to imitate aggressive behaviour.
Everyday examples:
- Children imitate parents’ speech and mannerisms.
- An aspirant starts making mind maps after watching toppers do it in videos.
Policy angle:
- Public officials displaying ethical behaviour can influence junior staff.
- Celebrity endorsements in social campaigns (e.g. polio drops) leverage modelling.
🤝 5. Social Learning
Definition:
Social learning includes modelling, imitation, and reinforcement through social context. It blends cognitive and behavioural elements.
Key components:
- Attention
- Retention
- Reproduction
- Motivation
Examples:
- Students learn time management by observing disciplined peers.
- A bureaucrat adopts a senior’s empathetic style after observing positive results.
Indian relevance:
- “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” campaign encourages positive gender role models.
- Community-led initiatives (e.g., Nirmal Gram Yojana) spread through social modelling.
🔄 Comparison Table
| Concept | Goal | Trigger | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Escape Learning | Stop discomfort | Aversive stimulus present | Using umbrella in rain |
| Avoidance Learning | Prevent discomfort | Aversive stimulus expected | Studying to avoid failing |
| Punishment | Decrease unwanted behaviour | After undesirable action | Fine for breaking traffic rule |
| Modelling | Learn by observation | Watching others | Imitating role models |
| Social Learning | Learn via social context | Observing + interacting | Adopting values through community influence |
🧠 Relevance to UPSC & Governance
- Ethics Paper:
- Role models (modelling) in administration promote ethical behaviour.
- Avoidance behaviour can lead to ethical lapses unless corrected.
- GS Paper II:
- Behavioural change strategies use punishment (fines), modelling (leaders), and social learning (community outreach).
- E.g., Toilet usage behaviour promoted via Swachh Bharat ambassadors.
✅ Summary
- Escape = learning to stop discomfort.
- Avoidance = learning to prevent it.
- Punishment = reduces unwanted behaviour.
- Modelling = learning by observation.
- Social Learning = learning via interaction and observation in a group context.
✍️ Answer Writing Tip
- Use a clear definition-example-application approach.
- Include real-life public policy examples to stand out.
- Link to Bandura’s theory for modelling/social learning.
