Overview of this Learning Theory
I believe everyone is familiar with Pavlov’s experiments with dogs. Pavlov used what he called classical conditioning (or stimulus-response). [1] B.F. Skinner experimented with rats and believed that classical conditioning was too simplistic. “He believed that the best way to understand behavior is to look at the causes of an action and its consequences. He called this approach operant conditioning.”[2] His research was based on Thorndike’s Law of Effect (1898).[3] These are typical examples of behaviorism. Predominantly, Behaviorism focuses on observable behaviors.
Connections to Teaching and Learning
An example of a learning scenario that represents Behaviorism would be an online course or e-learning module. After completing the course, students are presented with a quiz with multiple-choice questions. Behaviorism works best when there is clearly one correct answer to the question. When the student selects the right answer, they immediate receive a positive reinforcement such as a green check mark or “good job”. Whereas, when an incorrect answer is chosen, a negative reinforcement is given such as a red “X” or “try again”.
Behaviorism in Practice
As I reflect on my learning experiences, my French teacher in high school used repetition for our pronunciation and grammar and provided positive reinforcement when we were correct. We were constantly reviewing our verb conjugation until it became second nature.
References:
- McLeod, S. A. (2013). Pavlov’s dogs. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/pavlov.html
- McLeod, S. A. (2015). Skinner – Operant Conditioning. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/operant-conditioning.html
- McLeod, S. A. (2018). Edward Thorndike. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/edward-thorndike.html
Additional Resources:
- Behaviorism
- Implications Of Learning Theories On Instructional Design
- Classical Conditioning and E-Learning
- An Overview of Behavioral Psychology
Cynthia Proctor 