Running head: BEHAVIORAL LEARNING THEORY

Behavioral Learning Theory

Angelica Rinebarger
Northern Arizona University
December 10th, 2014

BEHAVIORAL LEARNING THEORY

Behavioral Learning Theory

Introduction
Behavioral Learning Theory can be an advantageous reference for teachers
seeking to modify student behavior or attempting to engineer the classroom environment
for student achievement.
Positive Reinforcement
When referring to Sallys disruptive behavior, the concept of positive
reinforcement would help explain her actions. Positive reinforcement is a consequence
that brings about the increase of behavior through the presentation of a stimulus (BF
Skinner as referenced in Slavin, 2014). In this case, the occurrence of positive
reinforcement ensues when Sallys removal from class follows her disruptive behavior.
Sally is far behind her classmates in almost every subject because of her poor attendance
and her removal from class allows her to avoid academic tasks that are difficult for her,
therefore positively reinforcing her disruptive behavior.
Negative Reinforcement
The concept of negative reinforcement would help decipher Sallys disruptive
behavior as well. Negative reinforcement gives a release from an unpleasant situation
and strengthens the behavior (BF Skinner as referenced in Slavin, 2014). The existence
of negative reinforcement occurs when Sally makes her teachers lose their cool as a
source of pride, she smiles when she sees that she is getting to a teacher. This is an
example of negative reinforcement gone askew because Sally enjoys getting under the
skin of her teachers and when a teacher gets upset with her, Sally continues to repeat the
behavior. In essence, removing Sally from class is a positive reinforcement for

BEHAVIORAL LEARNING THEORY

inappropriate behavior. However, Mr. Jefferson could use this important behavioral
principle to his and Sallys advantage. He could remove homework on days when Sally
produces a specified amount of in-class work. This use of the negative reinforcement
principle would assist Sallys academic performance. In a similar manner, Mr. Jefferson
must learn not to show annoyance at Sallys disruptive behavior when it happens or else
he is inadvertently positively reinforcing inappropriate behavior.
Classical Conditioning
The idea of classical conditioning would help interpret Sallys fathers emotions
when he walked up to the front door of the school. Classical conditioning is the process
of repeatedly associating a previously neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus in
order to evoke a conditioned response (Ivan Pavlov as referenced in Slavin, 2014). In the
instance of Sallys fathers emotions about school, the unconditioned stimulus is the front
door of the school while the unconditioned response is his anxious and sick to his
stomach feelings. The conditioned stimulus is the door causing the feelings of anxiety
and sickness while the conditioned response is seeing the door again years later and still
having those feelings.
Extinction
An understanding of classical conditioning extinction would help predict what
would happen if Sallys father goes back to school several times and nothing bad happens
to him. Classical conditioning extinction is the weakening and eventual elimination of a
learned behavior as reinforcement is withdrawn (Ivan Pavlov as referenced in Slavin,
2014). If Sallys father were to go back to school several times without anything back
happening to him, eventually his feelings of anxiety and sickness would fade to

BEHAVIORAL LEARNING THEORY

extinction. Therefore, Sallys father would someday be able to go back to school and no
longer feel anything bad. The unconditioned stimulus of the front door would become
the conditioned stimulus that no longer caused Sallys father any feelings of anxiety or
sickness.
Observational Learning
As a footnote to this exploration of behaviorism applied, Albert Bandura added to
BF Skinner and Pavlovs ideas with his prominence on observational learning. Bandura
stressed that every new behavior does not inevitably have to be the reinforced target in an
elaborate scientific design (Albert Bandura as referenced in Slavin, 2014). For example,
we might ask, How much of Sallys problem was actually vicariously learned by
observing or listening to her fathers school-related trouble? In its original form or in its
later variations, effective applications of behaviorism can make us better teachers.

BEHAVIORAL LEARNING THEORY

References
Slavin, R. (2014). Educational psychology: Theory and practice (10th ed.). Boston:
Pearson Education.

ORIGINAL WORKS
Bandura, A. (1965). Influence of models reinforcement contingencies on the
acquisition of imitative responses. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
28(2), 117-148.
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social-cognitive theory.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: Freeman.
Bandura, A. (2001). Social cognitive theory: An agentic perspective. Annual Review of
Psychology, 52, 1-26.
Pavlov, I., & Gantt, W. (1928). Lectures on conditioned reflexes. New York:
International.
Skinner, B. (1976). Walden two. New York: Macmillan.