Theoretical analysis of ‘classical conditioning leaning’ in influence fashion: the case of the Kandyan kingdom of Sri Lanka

Abstract

This paper aims to find out how learning affect on influence fashion. Learning has been descriptively defined in psychology. Green F. Psychologist says that learning is only one in influence in behavior. The selected study setting of the research is the Kandyan era of Sri Lanka (15th Century AD to 1815). Kandyan Kings as the first civil category of the society exerted considerable Western influences was selected for the research. The influencing process was over the Kandyan setting and ample visual, written evidences reveal their fashion attitude. Therefore, Kandyan period is remarkably noteworthy with very significant signs of foreign influenced fashions. Historical analysis explored how new royal costume of the Kandyan Kingdom was invented by learning. Many historical records, temple murals testify that foreign costumes had been considered by the Kings of the Kandyan Kingdom as a symbol of displaying their high social status to the society. The dress became the vehicle to reach the high society. Exquisite dresses were coupled psychologically with good social status. The royalties predicted that foreign cloth had coupled with foreigners and their good social status then they tended to wear foreign cloths to achieve good social status. Finally, reinforced philosophies were compared with formally established theories. Methodology of the research was based on ‘Grounded Theory Method’. The methodology uses set of procedure of data analysis, begins with observational study then proceeds by memoing, coding, concept mapping to discover patterns of concepts. The analysis is explored through actual descriptions made by observational - participants, historical records, murals of the period and finally comparing with the elements of theories of former philosophers. Scrutinized theory is assessed according to the learning process ‘Classical Conditioning’ by Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov in order to validate the found theory.