LEARNING FROM THE BEHAVIORIST

PERSPECTIVE:

Behavioris
m & Neo-
Behavioris
m GROUP 3-EDUC207
Facilitating Learner-centered Teaching
 Lesson
Objectives
At the end of the 90 minute discussion, you will be able to:

1 2 3
Make a simple plan on
Explain the basic Determine how
how to use
principles of theories affect the
reinforcement
behaviorism. teaching-learning
effectively.
processes.
The Behaviorist
Perspective
The behaviorist perspective is a theory of psychology that states that
human behaviors are learned, not innate. The behaviorist approach
asserts that human beings have no free will and that all actions,
characteristics and personality traits are the result of person’s
environment and the cultural forces that shape it.

The theory of behaviorism focuses on the study of observable and

measurable behavior. It emphasizes that behavior is mostly learned
through conditioning and reinforcement (reward and punishment). It
does not give much attention to the mind, and the possibility of thought
processes occurring in the mind.
How behaviorists view the function
of the brain

Stimulus Response

The behavioral learning theory is represented by an S-R paradigm.

The organism is treated as a “black box” by the organism’s response.
 Two Categories
There are two main categories of the behaviorist perspective.

BEHAVIORISM NEO-BEHAVIORISM

PAVLOV
TOLMAN
WATSON
SKINNER BANDURA

THORNDIKE
 ADVANCE ORGANIZER

BEHAVIORISM

CONNECTIONISM
CLASSICAL (Thorndike)
OPERANT CONDITIONING
CONDITIONING
(Skinner)
(Pavlov/Watson)
Law of Effect

Reinforcement
Law of Exercise

Law of Readiness Shaping Behavior

Behavior
• isism
a theory of learning based upon the idea that all behaviors are
acquired through conditioning. Conditioning occurs through
interaction with the environment.

• also known as Behavioral Psychology.

• As we learn, we alter the way we perceive our environment, the way

we interpret the incoming stimuli, and therefore the way we interact,
or behave.
 2 Major Types of
Conditioning

Classical Operant
 CLASSICAL
CONDITIONING
 IVAN PETROVICH
PAVLOV
September 26, 1849 - February 27, 1936

A Russian psychologist who is known for his work in classical

conditioning.

His initial work was to study the digestive process in dogs such as the
interaction between their salivation and their stomach. This was when
he stumbled upon classical conditioning.

He spent the rest of his life studying reflexes of dogs, which led him to
the discovery of classical conditioning , also known as association
theory.
 PAVLOV’S
EXPERIMENT
Pavlov discovered classical conditioning almost by accident.
Originally, he wanted to study the role of salivation in digestion.
He measured how much saliva dogs produce when given meat.
After a few days in the experiment, Pavlov noticed that the dogs
in his laboratory started salivating when the lab attendant
entered the room with the meat dish, before meat was placed in
their mouth.
 Classical Conditioning is a type of learning which based on the
association of a stimulus that does not ordinarily elicit a particular
response with another stimulus that does elicit the response.

(Papalia, Feldman, & Olds 2007)

• A STIMULUS is an observable environmental event that has a potential
to exert control over a behavioral response.

• A RESPONSE is an overt behavior by a learner.

• Let’s put it in a simpler way, a STIMULUS is anything that can directly

influence behavior and the stimulus produces a RESPONSE
 COMMON PHENOMENA IN
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
• Stimulus Generalization
• Extinction
• Spontaneous recovery
• Discrimination
• Higher Order Conditioning
IMPLICATIONS TO
EDUCATION

• Students need to be able to respond to a particular stimulus

(information) before they can be associated with a new one.
They must be able to practice and master a task effectively
before moving to the next one.
IMPLICATIONS TO
EDUCATION

2. Teachers should know how to motivate their students to

learn, they should have various strategies that can enhance
effective participation of the students.
IMPLICATIONS TO
EDUCATION

3. Most of the emotional responses can be learned through classical

conditioning. A negative or positive response comes through the stimulus
being paired with. Rewards will develop good feelings about school and
learning while punishment will have a negative impact on their view about
learning.
 JOHN BROADUS
WATSON
January 9, 1878 - September 25, 1958

An American psychologist who codified and publicized behaviorism,

an approach to psychology that, in his view, was restricted to the
objective, experimental study of the relations between environmental
events and human behavior.

Watson’s work was based on the experiments of Ivan Pavlov, who had
studied animals’ responses to conditioning. He became interested in the
work of Ivan Pavlov and included a brief summary of Pavlov’s works
in his major works. Pavlov and Watson believed that humans react to
stimuli in the same way.
 The LITTLE ALBERT
EXPERIMENT
• The Little Albert experiment was a controversial psychology experiment
conducted by John B. Watson and his graduate student, Rosalie Rayner.
• The experiment was performed in 1920 and was a case study aimed at testing
the principles of classical conditioning.
• Watson and Raynor presented Little Albert (a nine-month-old boy) with a
white rat and he showed no fear. Watson then presented the rat with a loud
bang that startled Little Albert and made him cry.
• After the continuous association of the white rat and loud noise, Little Albert
was classically conditioned to experience fear at the sight of the rat.
• Albert’s fear generalized to other stimuli that were similar to the rat, including
a fur coat, some cotton wool, and a Santa mask.
 Summary of Work
Watson presented little Albert with a simple white rat and he showed no reaction.
He then presented the rat with a strong bang that made little albert cry. The
continuous use of this bang made little Albert condition the banging to the rat.

Methodology
Experimental Test

Ethics
Unethical because they made a baby feel fear. There was no parental consent and
there was no desensitization after the experiment.
 OPERANT
CONDITIONING
 BURRHUS
FREDERICK
SKINNER
March 20, 1904 - August 18, 1990

An American psychologist, author, social philosopher and an

influential exponent of behaviorism.

He views human behavior in terms of responses to

environmental stimuli and favors the controlled, scientific of
responses as the most direct means of elucidating human
nature.
 Operant
Conditioning
is a theory of learning in which behaviors are
emitted to earn rewards or avoid punishment.

“Instrumental Conditioning or
Ontogenetic Conditioning”
 Example Operant
Conditioning

A child was given a treat (reinforcer)

after she sits quietly at the table (the

desired response or target behavior),

she is likely to sit quietly at the table

again next time.

Skinner Box
 REINFORCEMENT
it is anything that strengthens a desired response.

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT
it is any stimulus that is given or added to increase the response.

NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT
it is any stimulus results in the increased frequency of a
response when it is withdrawn or removed.
 NEGATIVE
VS PUNISHMENT
REINFORCEMENT

Reinforcement follow a behavior and results in a Punishment follows a behavior and results in a
increase in the future responding. decrease in future responding.

Negative Reinforcement strengthens, maintains and Punishment decreases and reduces

increases behavior behavior.

Negative refers to the removal of a stimulus. Whether a stimulus is added or removed following
Negative reinforcement occurs when a stimulus is the behavior, if the result is a decrease in the
removed following a behavior and results in an behavior, punishment has occurred.
increase in the behavior.
Punishment - Decreases behavior
Negative Reinforcement - Increase behavior
 Schedule of
Reinforcement
Reinforcement are more effective when they are given as soon as
possible after a student performs the target behavior. In continuous
reinforcement like this, a student learns very rapidly but when the
reinforcement stops, the behavior decreases rapidly too. Therefore, the
schedule of reinforcement was developed. The schedule will determine
when a behavior will be reinforced.
 4
Types
of • Fixed-ratio schedule

Schedule • Variable-ratio schedule

• Fixed-interval schedule
of • Variable-interval schedule
Reinforcement
Schedule of Reinforcement Description Example

A student may be given a bar of Kit Kat

A behavior is reinforced after a set
Fixed-ratio schedule chocolate for every 10 math problems
number of responses have occurred.
solved.

On a variable-ratio schedule, the number

Rewards could be given after 3, 5, 9, and
Variable-ratio schedule of responses needed to gain the
15 math problems solved.
reinforcement is not constant.

A behavior will be reinforced after a

certain period of time. No matter how Students are given a quiz every
Fixed-interval schedule
often it occurs, the behavior will not be Wednesday.
reinforced until the time is up.

Also based on time passing but the time

Variable-interval schedule Students are given pop quizzes.
period keep changing.
IMPLICATIONS TO
EDUCATION

• The teaching process as well as the learning environment must be so

designed as to create minimum frustration and maximum satisfaction to the
learner to provide him proper reinforcements for desired learning.
IMPLICATIONS TO
EDUCATION

• For the modification of undesirable behavior of maladjusted children.

• The development of personality can be successfully manipulated
through operant conditioning.
IMPLICATIONS TO
EDUCATION

• For developing motivation in the students for classroom work,

reinforcers like praise, prizes, grades should be used.

• Reinforcers should be used periodically so that the possibility of

extinction of desired behavior is reduced.
IMPLICATIONS TO
EDUCATION

• Teacher has to define the task and reinforce the child’s correct response to
increase the possibility of its recurrence.

• Learning activities have to be divided into large number of small tasks,

and have to be reinforced one by one.
 • Behavior that is positively reinforced will
reoccur; intermittent reinforcement is
Principles derived particularly effective.

from Skinner’s • Information should be presented in small

Operant amounts so that responses can be reinforced

(shaping)
Conditioning
• Reinforcement will generalize across similar
stimuli (stimulus generalization) providing
secondary conditioning.
 EDWARD LEE
THORNDIKE
August 31, 1874 - August 9, 1949

Edward Thorndike was an influential American psychologist who is often

referred to as the founder of modern educational psychology. He was perhaps
best-known for his famous puzzle box experiments with cats which led to the
development of his law of effect.

Thorndike's principle suggests that responses immediately followed by

satisfaction will be more likely to recur. The law of effect also suggests that
behaviors followed by dissatisfaction or discomfort will become less likely to
occur.
CONNECTIONIS
M
THEORY
 Connectionism
Theory
This theory posits that all behavior is the result of a
connection between a stimulus and a response, and
that these connections are strengthened or
weakened based on the consequences of the
behavior.
 Connectionism
Theory
Thorndike’s theory on connectionism states that
learning has taken place when a strong connection
or bond between stimulus and response is formed.
He came up with the three (3) primary laws of
learning:
Law of Effect
• The law of effect states that a connection between a stimulus and
response is strengthened when the consequence is positive
(reward) and the connection between the stimulus and response is
weakened when the consequence is negative.

• Thorndike later on revise this “law” when he found out that

negative rewards (punishment) do not necessarily weaken bonds,
and that seemingly pleasurable consequences do not necessarily
motivate performance.
Law of Exercise
• The law of exercise states that the more as stimulus and response
is practiced, the stronger it will become. The saying “Practice
makes perfect” seem to be associated with this law.

• However, like the law of effect, the law of exercise also had to be
revised when Thorndike found out that, practice without
feedback does not necessarily enhance performance.
Law of Readiness
• This law states that the more ready is the learner has to respond
to the stimulus, the stronger will be the bond between them.

• When the person is not ready to respond to stimulus and is not

made to respond, it becomes annoying to the person.
 • Learning requires both practice and rewards
Principles derived (law of effect/exercise.

from Thorndike’s • A series of stimulus and response connection

can be chained together if they belong to the
Connectionism same action sequence (law of readiness).

• Intelligence is a function of the number of

connections learned.
 NEO-
BEHAVIORISM:
TOLMAN &
BANDURA
Introduction
With new researchers, explanations provided but the basic
principles of behaviorism appeared not satisfy all learning scenarios.
New theories came into view which maintained some of the behaviorist
concepts but excluded others, and added new ideas which later came to
be associated with the cognitive views of learning. The neo-
behaviorists, then, were a transitional group, bridging the gap
behaviorism and cognitive theories of learning.
 ADVANCE ORGANIZER

NEO-BEHAVIORISM

TOLMAN’S BANDURA’S
Purposive Behaviorism Social Learning Theory

Goal - Directedness Principles

Cognitive Maps
Modeling
Latent Learning
4 Conditions for
Intervening Variables Effective Modeling
 EDWARD C. TOLMAN
April 14, 1886 - November 19, 1959

Edward C. Tolman is best-known for his influence on cognitive

behaviorism, his research on cognitive maps, the theory of latent learning
and the concept of an intervening variable.

He was one of the most prominent learning theorists of the 1930s and
beyond. Although he was a behaviorist, his theory incorporated some
strikingly nonbehavioral elements. One of his most important
creations was the notion of “intervening variables,” a concept that was
immediately taken up by other learning researchers.
 Tolman’s Purposive
Behaviorism
Purposive behaviorism has also been referred to as Sign Learning Theory and is
often seen as the link between behaviorism and cognitive theory.

Tolman believed that learning is a cognitive process. Learning involves forming

beliefs and obtaining knowledge about the environment and then revealing that
knowledge through purposeful and goal-directed behavior.

Tolman’s system was called purposive behaviorism because it studies behavior as

it is organized around purposes.
Tolman’s Key Concept

• Learning is always purposive and goal-directed.

Individual acts on beliefs, attitudes, changing
conditions, and they strive towards goals. Tolman
saw behavior as holistic, purposive, and
cognitive.

• Cognitive map - learning the location of reward.

Tolman’s Key Concept

• Latent Learning - whenever learning goes on

without its being evident in performance at the
time.

• Learning that stays or remains with the individual

until needed.
 Tolman’s Key
Concept
• The concept of intervening variable - these are
not readily seen but serve as determinants of
behavior.

• Learning is mediated or influenced by

expectations, needs, or other internal or
environmental variables.
 Tolman’s Key
Concept
• Reinforcement is not essential for learning -
Tolman concluded that reinforcement is not
essential for learning, although it provides an
incentive for performance.
 • Behavior implied a performance, the

Principles derived achievement of an altered relationship

between the organism and its environment;
from Tolman’s
• Behavior was functional and pragmatic;
Purposive
• Behavior involved motivation and cognition;
Behaviorism
• Behavior revealed purpose.
 ALBERT BANDURA
December 4, 1925 - July 26, 2021

Albert Bandura is an American psychologist and originator of social cognitive

theory who is probably best known for his modeling study on aggression,
referred to as the “Bobo doll” experiment, which demonstrated that children
can learn behaviors through the observation of adults.

In 1961 Bandura carried out his famous Bobo doll experiment, a study in
which researchers physically and verbally abused a clown-faced inflatable
toy in front of preschool-age children, which led the children to later
mimic the behaviour of the adults by attacking the doll in the same
fashion.
Bandura’s Social Learning
Theory
Social Learning Theory posits that people learn through observing, imitating,
and modeling others’ behavior. This theory posits that we can acquire new
behaviors and knowledge by watching others, a process known as vicarious
learning.

Bandura emphasized the importance of cognitive processes in learning, which

set his theory apart from traditional behaviorism.

He proposed that individuals have beliefs and expectations that influence

their actions and can think about the links between their behavior and its
consequences.
 • Observational Learning - People can learn through
Basic
observation.
Social
• Intrinsic Reinforcement - Mental states are important to
Learning Concepts leaning.
• The Modelling Process - Learning does not necessarily

lead to behavior change.

 Observational Learning:
People can learn through observation

The children in Bandura’s studies observed an adult

acting violently toward a Bobo doll. When the
children were later allowed to play in a room with the
Bobo doll, they began to imitate the aggressive
actions they had previously observed
 OBSERVATIONAL
LEARNING
• A live model - Involves an actual individual demonstrating or acting out a
behavior.
• A verbal instructional model - Involves descriptions and explanations of a
behavior.
• A symbolic model - Which involves real or fictional characters displaying
behaviors in books, films, television programs, or online media.
 Intrinsic Reinforcement
Mental states are important to learning

Bandura noted that external, environmental

reinforcement was not the only factor to influence
learning and behavior. Our own mental state and
motivation play an important role in determining
whether a behavior is learned or not.
 Intrinsic
Reinforcement

Intrinsic reinforcement is a form of internal

reward, such as pride, satisfaction and a sense
of accomplishment
 The Modeling Process:
Learning Does Not Necessarily Lead to Change

While behaviorists believed that learning led to a

permanent change in behavior, observational learning
demonstrates that people can learn new information
without demonstrating new behaviors.
 The Modeling Process
Not all observed behaviors are effectively learned. Factors involving both the
model and the learner can play a role in whether social learning is successful.

The ff. steps are involved in the observational learning and modeling process:

• Attention
• Retention
• Motor Reproduction
• Motivation
 ATTENTION
The individual needs to pay attention to the behavior and its

consequences and form a mental representation of the behavior.

For a behavior to be imitated, it has to grab our attention. We

observe many behaviors on a daily basis, and many of these are

not noteworthy. Attention is therefore extremely important in

whether a behavior influences others imitating it

 RETENTION

How well the behavior is remembered. The behavior may be

noticed but is it not always remembered which obviously

prevents imitation. It is important therefore that a memory of

the behavior is formed to be performed later by the observer.

 MOTOR
REPRODUCTION
This is the ability to perform the behavior that the model has just

demonstrated. We see much behavior on a daily basis that we would like

to be able to imitate but that this not always possible. We are limited by

our physical ability and for that reason, even if we wish to reproduce the

behavior, we cannot.
 MOTIVATION
The will to perform the behavior. The rewards and

punishment that follow a behavior will be considered by the

observer. If the perceived rewards outweigh the perceived costs

(if there are any), then the behavior will be more likely to be

imitated by the observer. If the vicarious reinforcement is not

seen to be important enough to the observer, then they will not

imitate the behavior

 1. Learning without performance: a distinction between learning
through observation and the actual imitation.

2. Cognitive processing during learning: attention is the critical

COGNITVE factor for learning.

FACTORS IN 3. Expectations: people form expectations about

consequences that future behaviors are likely to bring.
the

SOCIAL 4. Reciprocal causation: the three variables, the person, the

behavior, and the environment can have an influence on each
other.
LEARNING
5. Modeling: there are different types of modes: live model –
actual demonstration symbolic model - person or action portrayed
in other medium (television, videotape, computer programs)
IMPLICATIONS TO
EDUCATION
• Students often learn a great deal simply by observing other people.

• Describing the consequences of behavior can effectively increase the appropriate behaviors

and decrease inappropriate ones.

• Modeling provides an alternative to shaping for teaching new behaviors.

• Teachers and parents must model appropriate behaviors.

• Teachers should expose students to a variety of other models

PRINCIPLES
• People can learn by observing the behavior of others

DERIVED and the outcomes of those behaviors

FROM SOCIAL • Learning can occur without a change in behavior

LEARNING • Cognition plays a role in learning.

THEORY
 Behaviorism Advocates in
Education

In education, advocates of behaviorism have effectively adopted this system of

rewards and punishments in their classrooms by rewarding desired behaviors and

punishing inappropriate ones. Rewards vary, but must be important to the learner in

some way.
 SOMETHING TO
PONDER
Answer the following questions in not more than five (5) sentences.

• As a future teacher in elementary, how can you use these

Behavioral Theories in managing your classroom and students?

• How reinforcement can affect the development of your

students? How will you use reinforcement in your classroom?
Thank you
for
listening!
 https://www.verywellmind.com/social-learning-theory-2795074

https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/don-honorio-ventura-
technological-state-university/theories-of-personality/module-17-
albert-bandura/20756521

REFERENCES https://www.slideshare.net/Amaljithravi/albert-bandura-and-social-
learning-theory

https://www.simplypsychology.org/behaviorism.html

https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/educationallearningtheories3rd/
chapter/chapter-1-behaviorism/
 Nollora, Juan Jr. F.

GROUP De Asis, Elva B.

Labrador, Honeylyn L.
MEMBERS Bobares, Michelle F.
Banzuela, Cyrene C.
Cuerdo, Pauline S.