Learning Theory: Behaviorism

Mackenzie Gough
Educational Psychology 302
June 25, 2014

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As an Early Childhood Education teacher candidate it is important to know the different

approaches or theories of learning. This is because it is the teachers job to apply the correct
approach based on the student. Whether its constructivism, the social learning theory, or
behaviorism. Behaviorism or behavioral psychology is the theory that a new behavior is learned
through conditioning. According to Richard Calcutta, all behavior is determined by the
environment either through association or reinforcement (Behaviorist Learning Theory).
Therefore, behaviorism is the belief that the learner in turn, starts off as a clean slate and is
shaped through reinforcement and punishment. There are many behaviorists that have
contributed to this theory like Ivan Pavlov, Edward Thorndike, B.F. Skinner, John B. Watson,
Edward C. Tolman, and Clark L. Hull.
Each behaviorist has small differences in their beliefs. For example, in Richard Calcuttas
article Behaviorist Learning Theory he talks about their differences.
Some behaviorists argue simply that the observation of behavior is the best or most
convenient way of investigating psychological and mental processes. Others believe that
it is in fact the only way of investigating such processes, while still others argue that
behavior itself is the only appropriate subject of psychology, and that common
psychological terms (belief, goals, etc.) have no referents and/or only refer to behavior.
(Calcutta)
Each behaviorist had their own methodology. For example, John Watsons Little Albert
experiment showed that classical conditioning applies to humans by conditioning an eleven
month old to assimilate the fear of the noise of a hammer sticking a bar with a white rat. Overall,
Watson focus was on classical conditioning and in McLeods article he stated that, Watson
believed that all individual differences in behavior were due to different experiences of learning

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(Behaviorist Approach). The theory of classical conditioning was discovered by Ivan Pavlov
accidentally. This Russian psychologist, Ivan Pavlov, stumbled upon the realization while
conducting an experiment on dog salivation and their reaction to being fed. Pavlov realized from
this experiment that dogs dont learn to salivate whenever they see food resulting in the term
unconditioned response, or a natural response.
On the other hand another behaviorist, Edward Thorndike, is known for his work that
lead to the development of operant conditioning by studying cats and a puzzle box. According to
Saul McLeod article Edward Thorndike, Thorndikes experiment resulted in adopting a
behavior.
Thorndike would put a cat into the box and time how long it took to escape [...]
Eventually they would stumble upon the lever which opened the cage. When it had
escaped it was put in again, and once more the time it took to escape was noted. In
successive trials the cats would learn that pressing the lever would have favorable
consequences and they would adopt this behavior, becoming increasingly quick at
pressing the lever. (McLeod)
This experiment resulted in Thorndikes theory of a law of effect that gave the idea, that any
behavior that is followed by pleasant consequences is likely to be repeated, and any behavior
followed by unpleasant consequences is likely to be stopped (McLeod). B.F.Skinner, is known
for his work that was based off of Thorndikes law of effect. Skinner is famous for his study of
operant conditioning using animals (rats) that he placed in a Skinner Box. The Skinner box is
an example of operant conditioning because food followed a particular behavior, therefore the
rats learned to repeat that behavior.

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Although there may be different opinions on how people learn, the basis of behaviorism
is that a person learns through conditioning. In addition, there are two types of conditioning,
operant and classical conditioning. Classical conditioning is a stimulus receiving a response
where the learner has no control over whether the response occurs. Operant conditioning is the
form of learning in which a behavior increases as a result of it being followed by reinforcement,
where the learner can control whether or not the behavior occurs (Ormrod). In Saul McLeod
article Classical Conditioning he gives a great comparison of classical and operant
conditioning by saying, Classical conditioning depends on developing associations between
events, operant conditioning involves learning from the consequences of our behavior
(McLeod). Therefore, classical conditioning and operant conditioning are pretty different.
Classical conditioning also known as Pavlovian conditioning is how people can be
trained to perform a certain task or response by providing some sort of trigger. Which could be
things like a sound, a picture, or a phrase. Classical conditioning could be used in the classroom
to get students to follow the teachers directions. For example, if a teacher is consistent on
counting down from twenty when she asks her students to clean up. Eventually the students will
learn to behave properly, and clean up when the teacher starts to count down from twenty.
Another example is using technology to have students be classical conditioned. For example, if a
teacher wants her students to learn multiplication tables she could give them a calculator to help
them find the answers. If the teacher continues to repeat the use of calculators to learn
multiplication tables with the students, they will be able to slowly learn the answers. After the
conditioning the students will not need the calculators and will know the answers. Overall, I
hope to use classical conditioning in my classroom to teach my students proper behaviors for
routine activities without having to repeat my expectations.

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In addition, operant condition could also be a very useful tool for a teacher and their
classroom. With operant conditioning, rewarding a desired behavior will make the behavior more
likely to happen or repeat. Therefore teachers can use the principle ideas of positive and negative
reinforcement to motivate their students to well by reinforcing good behavior. For example, a
teacher could award classroom dollars for a good behavior like earning an A on a test. The
student could then use those classroom dollars in the treasure chest at the end of the week. Which
will cause the student to want to earn an A again. This is beneficial to the students because it
motivates them to do well. Another example is giving a student a zero on a test for cheating. This
teaches the student that cheating is wrong and weakens the frequency of that behavior. As a
teacher candidate this makes me want to think of different ways to motivate my students to do
well in their schooling. There are so many different ways that operant conditioning could be used
in the classroom and it could be very useful tool to receive good behaviors form the students and
to improve their performance on activities as well.
Overall, behaviorism or the behaviorist theory is a very successful theory as to how
people learn. This theory is the result of many psychologist (Ivan Pavlov, Edward Thorndike,
B.F. Skinner, John B. Watson, Edward C. Tolman, and Clark L. Hull) that either expanded on
others beliefs or stumbled upon a great discovery by pure accident. Either way it is known that
behaviorism is the ability to learn through conditioning, both classical and operant conditioning.
Both types of conditioning could be a very useful tool for a teacher to use in the classroom. In
the end benefiting the student, which is what teaching is all about.

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References
Richard Calcutta. Behaviorist Learning Theory. Innovative Learning. 2010. Web. 25
June 2014.
McLeod, S. A. Behaviorist Approach. Simplypsychology.org. 2007. Web. 25 June 2014.
McLeod, S. A. Classical Conditioning. Simplypsychology.org. 2008. Web. 25 June
2014.
McLeod, S. A. Edward Thorndike. Simplypsychology.org. 2007. Web. 25 June 2014.
Ormrod, Jeanne E. Essentials of Educational Psychology. New Jersey: Pearson
Education, Inc., 2006. 59-62.