Behaviorism Learning Theory

T.N.EME 2040

November 15, 2011

Behaviorism is a view that operates on a principle of “stimulus response.”

Behaviorism is the prediction and control of human behavior where independent thinking play no essential part of its teaching methods.

To a behaviorist, human learning is solely an objective and experimental branch of natural science.

What is the Behaviorism Theory?

The learner starts off with a clean slate.

Then behavior is shaped with positive or negative reinforcements.

Positive rewards indicate the application of a stimulus. Negative rewards indicate the withholding of a stimulus.

Learning is defined as a change in behavior in the learner.

What is the Behaviorism Theory?

1. Learning is manifested by a change in behavior.

2. The environment shapes the behavior.3. The principles of proximity and

reinforcement are central to explaining the learning process.

Learning is the acquisition of new behavior through conditioning.

Three Basic Assumptions

Ivan Pavlov B.F. Skinner Albert Bandura

Important Contributors

Pavlov became famous for his behavioral experiments with dogs. He won the Nobel Prize in 1904.

Pavlov’s ExperimentHe provided dogs with a stimulus (food.) The dogs would produce his desired reflex (salivation.) He would ring a bell. Eventually the dogs associated the bell with food and they would begin to salivate when he rang the bell. This process is called classical conditioning. Classical conditioning is the

natural reflex that occurs in response to a stimulus.

Ivan Pavlov

Skinner conducted experiments with pigeons. He would reward them when he saw them behaving in a desired manner. He was able to teach them to teach them complex tasks using the stimulus-response pattern.

He believed people shape their behavior based on the rewards/positive reinforcement they receive. He believed human behavior is based on stimulus-response theory.

Found that reinforcement is a powerful motivator.

B.F. Skinner

Bandura believes people acquire behaviors through the observation of others and then they imitate what they have observed.

He analyzed a person’s personality as an interaction among three things: the environment, behavior, and the person’s psychological processes.

Albert Bandura

The teacher will reward positive behavior. Behaviors that are rewarded will increase.

The teacher will not reward negative behavior. Behaviors that are not rewarded will decrease.

Since students learn without teaching in their natural environments, teachers will arrange special opportunities to expedite learning.

The teacher should:1. Give the learner immediate feedback.2. Break down the task into smaller steps.3. Repeat the directions as many times as possible.4. Work from the most simple to the most complex

tasks.5. Give positive reinforcement.

Classroom Implications

I believe students learn from positive and negative reinforcements. A student that receives an award for a positive behavior will be more inclined to repeat the behavior then the student who did not receive an award. I will practice this theory in my classroom by reinforcing behaviors that are good, such as turning in homework and sharing with the other students. I think praise is very important and it is key to the motivation of students.

What I Think

http://cie.asu.edu/volume8/number10/index.html#behavior

http://21stcenturytechnologyclassroom.blogspot.com/2009/07/behaviorism-in-classroom.html

Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom by Shelly, Gunter, and Gunter.

Works Cited