Learning Part 3: Behaviorism

In Behaviorism,
learning is viewed as a process of acquiring and modifying associations among stimuli and responses, largely through a learner's direct interaction with the environment.

* people's behavior (responses)
*environmental events (stimuli and reinforcement that follows)

When 2 or more sensation occur together they often become associated

Classical conditioning- when automatic and reflexive responses to stimuli become associated with new stimuli that previously had no effect. (dog didn't use to salivate to bells) => Conditioned Response

(kids stand when school bell rings)

Operant conditioning becomes useful for behavioral modification as children mature because the behavior and its consequence can be separated by time. As they mature, children learn to delay gratification and to anticipate punishment and rewards.

How I can apply this in my own classroom:
-Give the learner immediate feedback that is specific and positive
-Break down tasks into small steps starting with the simplest to most complex
- Avoid punishment, unless absolutely necessary
- Clearly explain my expectation of behavior and tasks students are to complete
- Model a growth mindset

Classical Conditioning in the Classroom

Duranna is a conscientious and good student, although she is a bit unsure of herself. She’s typically very attentive in class, and her classmates regard her as someone who will usually be able to answer questions. One day, Mr. Harkness, her American history teacher, was conducting a question and answer session, and Duranna jerked when she heard her name called, suddenly realizing that she hadn’t heard the question. A couple of the boys giggled as Mr. Harkness stared at her. Her stomach clenched, and she felt her face turn red. She started to stammer, then fell silent. Now Duranna is uneasy whenever Mr. Harkness starts calling on students in class, and she doesn’t like geometry as well as she did either, because she never knows when Ms. Drake might call on her. She’s relieved when she’s in the safe confines of Spanish class, where Ms. Lopez always calls on students in order up and down each row. Consider this scenario as an example of classical conditioning. Q and A: Identify the unconditioned stimulus. An unconditioned stimulus evokes a reflexive, unlearned response.The unconditioned stimulus is the situation that caused the embarrassing experience. This situation is a combination of being called on, being stared at, and the boys giggling. We can’t be sure of the exact combination of the factors. It could be any one of them, two of them, or all three. Identify the unconditioned response. An unconditioned response is reflexive and unlearned. The unconditioned response was Duranna’s stomach clenching and her face turning red. These are reflexive responses to the situation. Identify the conditioned stimulus. A conditioned stimulus is one that has become associated with the unconditioned stimulus. The conditioned stimulus is an environment in which students are being questioned. It has become associated with the initial embarrassing situation. Notice that the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli are not necessarily related in any way, but they become associated. Identify the conditioned response. A conditioned response is similar to the unconditioned response but is provoked by a different stimulus. Duranna’s uneasiness is the conditioned response. Notice that uneasiness is a response that is similar to the unconditioned response—stomach clenching and face turning red. Based on Duranna's response, provide an example of generalization. Generalization refers to a situation in which stimuli similar to a conditioned stimulus elicit the conditioned response by themselves. Duranna’s uneasiness has now generalized to geometry because the environment there is similar to the environment in American history. Based on Duranna's response, provide an example of discrimination.. Discrimination refers to the ability to give different responses to related but not identical stimuli. Duranna discriminates between Spanish, where the questioning is patterned, and American history and geometry, where the process has been anxiety inducing. Think about the concept of extinction. Describe how Mr. Harkness could help Duranna eliminate her conditioned response, that is, help it become extinct. Extinction refers to the process by which the conditioned response disappears. Mr. Harkness could call on Duranna in a situation where he is certain that she is not taken by surprise. After Duranna is called on several times without incident (the conditioned stimulus occurring repeatedly in the absence of the unconditioned stimulus), her uneasiness should begin to disappear. He should also make and enforce a rule that forbids students from laughing at each other’s embarrassment “Thought processes cannot be directly observed.” This statement is characteristic of the behaviorist theory of learning. Behaviorists argue that, because thoughts can’t be observed directly, researchers should focus on overt and visible behaviors to understand how particular stimuli lead to specific, learned responses. Contrast this approach with the information processing approach, which infers mental processes and postulates specific mechanisms (e.g., the memory model) to explain those processes. “Students won’t learn to follow rules unless they are punished for misbehavior.” This statement would most likely be made by a strict behaviorist who focuses on operant conditioning. Operant conditioning suggests that behaviors that are punished will decline or disappear. I don't know boy Because Jimmy’s behavior is increasing—he says “I don’t know” sooner the second time than he did the first time, he is being reinforced. The reinforcer is Mr. Hanson “removing” the question from him (taking him off the hook), so it is an example of negative reinforcement. Notice how quickly Jimmy responds to his teacher’s inquiry. Jimmy is likely to say “I don’t know” even sooner than he did before.