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The Theory and Application of Behaviorism

By: Hannah Mendel

Educational Psychology
EPSY 302
Professor Mark Hawkes

Behaviorism revolves around the measurable and observable characteristics of human


behavior, and is based on the principle that behavior is a result of stimulus-response
associations. The purpose of this learning theory is using conditioning in order to acquire a
desired behavior. Once understood, the use of behaviorism can be an effective tool in the
classroom for educators to use. In this paper, the method of Behaviorism will be discussed, as
well as its application in the classroom.
Three prominent discoverers of this learning theory are Pavlov, John B. Watson, and B.
F. Skinner. Watson believed that human behavior was a result of the environment and the
stimuli that brought about specific responses from it. He believed that human development
could be determined from what is observed instead of trying to decipher what kind of brain
processes or subconscious motives were involved. A lot of Watsons ideas about behaviorism
actually come from the studies that were done by Ivan Pavlov (Standridge).
Ivan Pavlov did a study on how external stimuli can cause a reaction from a subject. His
study involved him ringing a bell whenever he gave food to a dog. Pavlov had noticed that the
dogs salivated when their food was about to be given them. He later discovered that, after
ringing the bell during the feedings, the dogs began to salivate at the sound of the bell alone. If
the bell was rung without the food being presented too frequently, though, the dog would no
longer respond to the stimulus. It was from this study, that Watson was able to come up with his
view of classical conditioning (Standridge).
Classical conditioning is a learning process that uses two stimuli to obtain a desired
response. The response originally is a reaction to the second stimulus, but it eventually
becomes a response to the first stimulus as well. It all begins with an unconditioned stimulus
and an unconditioned response. This form of stimulus and response are what comes naturally
(McLeod, Classical Conditioning).

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Once the unconditioned stimulus and response is identified, the unconditioned stimulus
is paired with a neutral stimulus. A neutral stimulus is a stimulus that does not receive a specific
response other than being acknowledged. Over time, the neutral stimulus becomes a
conditioned stimulus that elicits a conditioned response. This conditioned stimulus is able to
produce the same response that the unconditioned stimulus was able to create. The response
becomes a conditioned response after it becomes associated with the conditioned stimulus. It is
the specific pairing of the unconditioned stimulus and the conditioned stimulus that leads to the
learned behavior (McLeod, Classical Conditioning).
There is a chance that the response may occur when variations of the conditioned
stimulus occurs; this is called generalization. To be more exact, the conditioned response will
occur after a stimulus that is relatively similar, yet different, to the actual conditioned stimulus.
After a period of time of a behavior not being reinforced, the association between the
conditioned stimulus and the conditioned response is broken. The term used in this instance is
called extinction (McLeod, Classical Conditioning).
This form of conditioning can be used in the classroom in many ways. For
example, the teacher of a class as an alarm that rings every day at 2:00 in the afternoon. At first,
when the alarm would ring, she would tell her students to put away their homework and to find a
book to read for the next hour. After a couple weeks of this regular routine, the students began
to put away their homework as soon as the alarm began to ring and would begin reading,
without the teacher having to say anything. Later, the teachers alarm breaks, so she has to buy
a new alarm. Even though the sound of the alarm is different, the students still react to the
sound in the same fashion. If the teacher stops using the alarm during class, eventually the
students will forget what the alarm signaled for them to do and would be required to be
conditioned again (McLeod, Classical Conditioning).

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B. F. Skinner expanded on Watsons ideas and came up with what is known now as
operant conditioning. His model included a broader idea of what is used in conditioning. This
idea of operant conditioning is based on Skinners observations that both animals and humans
repeat behaviors that lead towards a reward and tend to not repeat acts that cause undesired
consequences (Standridge).
Skinner tested his theory of operant conditioning on a rat. The rat was placed in a cage
and, whenever he pressed a lever that was in the cage, the rat would be given food. He also
tested how a behavior could be suppressed, by having the rat receive an electric shock every
time it pressed the lever, causing the rat to stop pressing the lever. This experiment showed
how reinforcements and punishers can be used to elicit certain desired behaviors (Standridge).
Operant conditioning is a learning process where desired behaviors are reinforced.
Certain behaviors, either desirable or undesirable, have consequences that follow immediately
after it. The theory behind this is, when a behavior is followed by a good consequence, that
behavior will become more frequently evident. Unlike classical conditioning, where the response
came after the stimulant, operant conditioning has the response occur before the reinforcement.
Any behavior that is not reinforced will be extinguished (Standridge).
There are various forms of reinforcers. First, there is a primary reinforcer, which includes
anything that satisfies a biological need: such as water, food, or oxygen. Next is the secondary
reinforcer, which satisfies other needs: such as praise, money, or trophies. These reinforcers are
part of what is considered positive reinforcement, which is when a response has a result of a
desirable reward. There is also negative reinforcement, which is when a certain behavior is
rewarded through the removal of a negative or painful stimulus (McLeod, Skinner- Operant
Conditioning).

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Reinforcement can also be given at certain times. Each pattern has a different effect on
the speed of learning or extinction of a behavior. One pattern is called continuous reinforcement.
This is when the same reinforcement is given every time a specific behavior is exhibited.
Another pattern is called intermittent reinforcement. This when reinforcement is given
inconsistently and certain behaviors are only enforced occasionally (McLeod, Skinner- Operant
Conditioning).
These various types of reinforcements can be used inside of the classroom. For
example, when all of the students in a class complete their homework within a certain time
period, the teacher may give them a negative reinforcement and not assign any more homework
for the day. Or, if a certain percentile of students receives a high score on a test, the class may
be offered a positive reinforcement where they are given candy as a reward for their good work
(McLeod, Skinner- Operant Conditioning).
In operant conditioning there is also a method called punishment, which is the opposite
of reinforcement. Instead of trying to increase the frequency of a behavior, like reinforcement
does, punishment is meant to decrease the frequency of behavior. One form of punishment is
called positive punishment; where an aversive stimulus is given in response to undesirable
behavior. The other form of punishment is called negative punishment; where something
desirable is taken away due to a show of undesirable behavior (Standridge).
Since some students respond to certain punishments differently, it is good for teachers to
be able to understand different types of punishment so that they can find the most effective
method in getting the desired response or behavior. For example, if a student is caught saying
foul language, the teacher may ask him to clean the classroom during recess or send him to the
principals office. Another example would be if a class was being loud and disruptive, the
teacher would make them sit at their desks with no talking and would give them extra homework
to do (McLeod, Skinner- Operant Conditioning).
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When I become a teacher, I hope to use these different techniques in my classroom. To


be specific, I will use behaviorism to instill discipline in my classroom and help students work
more efficiently in their studies. Classical conditioning is a good method to use when trying to
teach students to follow a specific daily routine. Operant conditioning is an effective method to
use when trying to cause children have a positive outlook on school, and to give motivation to
create quality work. When used properly, these various methods of behaviorism can be used as
effective tools to ensure a superior classroom experience.

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Bibliography
McLeod, Saul. Classical Conditioning. 2014. 11 November 2015.
<http://www.simplypsychology.org/classical-conditioning.html>.
. Skinner- Operant Conditioning. 2015. 11 November 2015.
<http://www.simplypsychology.org/operant-conditioning.html>.
Standridge, Melissa. Behaviorism. Ed. In M. Orey. 2002. 11 November 2015.
<http://epltt.coe.uga.edu/index.php?title=Behaviorism>.

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