{

BEHAVIORIS

Behaviorism assumes
that a learner is
essentially passive,
responding to
environmental stimuli.

The learner
starts off as a
clean slate.

Behavior is shaped
through positive and
negative
reinforcements.

Reinforcement
increases the
possibility of an
event happening
again.

Positive reinforcement
applying a stimulus.
Negative reinforcement
- withdrawing a stimulus.

Punishment

decreases the
possibility of an
event happening
again.

IMPORTANT
CONTRIBUTOR
S in
Behaviorism

John B. Watson
An American
psychologist in 20th
century.
He coined the word
behaviorism
He published the
book, The
Behaviorist
Manifesto

Burrhus Skinner
An American
Psychologist who
developed the
theory of Operant
Conditioning.

Ivan Pavlov

Russian psychologist
Did the experiment
with the dogs.
Came up with the
theory of Classical
Conditioning.

Classical
Conditioning

Classical Conditioning
Theory
- involves learning a
new behavior through
the process of
association.

In simple terms, two

stimuli are linked
together to produce a
new learned
response in a person
or animal.

3 Stages of
Classical
Conditioning

Stage 1: Before Conditioning

The unconditioned stimulus
produces an unconditioned
response in an organism.

This stage also involves

another stimulus which
has no effect on a person
and is called the neutral
stimulus.

Unconditioned
Stimulus

Unconditioned
Response

Neutral
Stimulus

No
Response

Stage 2: During
Conditioning
The stimulus which
produces no response is
associated with the
unconditioned stimulus at
which point it now becomes
known as conditioned
stimulus.

Bell

+
Food

Salivation

Stage 3: After
Conditioning
The conditioned stimulus
has been associated with
the unconditioned stimulus
to create a new conditioned
response.

Conditioned
Stimulus

Conditioned
Response

Little Albert
Experiment
(Phobias)

CLASSROOM
IMPLICATIONS
Teachers need to make sure that
students associate positive
emotional experiences with learning.
If a student associates negative
emotional experiences with school,
then this can obviously have bad
results.

Application of the theory

in teaching
Give the learner immediate feedback.
Break down the tasks into small steps.
Repeat the directions as many times as
possible.
Work from the simplest to the most
complex tasks.
Give positive reinforcement.

Application of the
theory for students
Respond to reinforcement.
Pace themselves in an assignment
to work from the most basic to the
more complicated concepts.
Ask questions for more clarity in
directions.
Ask for feedback.