Behaviorism

Behaviourism is a learning theory that suggests that people learn by reacting to different stimuli utilizing an array of conditioned and unconditioned responses. Behaviourism is often separated into two separate categories: Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning.

The classical conditioning theory was created by Ivan Pavlov in the early 1900s after observing that the dogs in his laboratory began to salivate when they saw the technician that usually fed them, regardless of whether or not the technician was feeding them. Pavlov called this “classical conditioning,” which describes how learners (and dogs) react to unconditioned and conditioned stimuli to create unconditioned and conditioned responses. Pavlov learned (among other things) that one could utilize the dogs’ reactions to the unconditioned stimulus and thus evoke a conditioned response to a different, conditioned stimulus. One way this can be useful in education is for routines and classroom management. For example: if a teacher would like their students to know at what part of the lesson they should change subjects, get out their books, or do any other routine task, they can utilize classical conditioning by first combining an action (such as a sound, turning the lights off or on, or another stimulus) to the action they would like the learners to complete (such as sitting down, being quiet, or speaking, reacting, etc.).

 

The operant conditioning theory was studied and first promoted by Edward Thorndike starting with his research beginning in 1898 and continuing into the early 20th century and was later furthered by B.F. Skinner. Thorndike designed a puzzle box for cats with the intention of observing their behaviour when trying to escape; when the cats were successful, they received a treat. As the cats learned how to escape faster and faster with each turn inside the puzzle box, Thorndike created his “law of effect” which describes how people (and animals) will repeat their actions if the results are favourable; however, they less often repeat their actions when the responses are unpleasant.

B.F. Skinner studied Thorndike’s law of effect and also created his own puzzle box, this time for rats or birds instead of cats. His box was more sophisticated than Thorndike’s and contained both a “reinforcer” and a “punisher”. Reinforcers are positive things (such as food) which encourage the animal to repeat the action, and punishers are negative things which encourage the animal to stop repeating an action. After observing the animals, Skinner further subdivided reinforcers into the categories “positive reinforcement” (which works by adding something pleasant to encourage repetition of a desired action) and “negative reinforcement” (which works by removing something unpleasant to encourage repetition of a desired action) (Feder, 2022). The punishers were also subdivided into the categories “positive punishment” (which is when an unpleasant thing is added to deter repetition of an undesired action) and “negative punishment” (which is when a pleasant thing is removed to deter repetition of an undesired action).

Skinner’s and Thorndike’s findings can be useful in educational settings in many ways. One example is in completing coursework. If an instructor would like to encourage students to submit their work on time, they can utilize negative punishment by stating that those who submit their work late will have a specific percentage of their final grade removed for every day they are late. Alternatively, they can offer negative reinforcement by removing a small test from those who submit the required work on time.

 

Behaviorism can be useful when teaching information that requires a static response or reaction such as a drill or Q&A (Western Governors University [WGU], 2020). This learning theory is also very useful for repetition or revision work, where specific concepts or terminology may need to be reviewed. However, it is limited in its efficacy in exercises or subjects that require more dynamic responses, such as an essay or artistic projects, and it can become a crutch for educators if they rely solely on behaviorism for all instruction. Perhaps it is best to use behaviorism in combination with other learning theories in order to most effectively instruct learners.

When it comes to instructional design, designers should integrate some elements of behaviorist activities into their courses such as quizzes, flashcard activities, or sorting activities in order to provide the learners with feedback on their understanding of key course concepts and terminology and also to assist instructors in assessing the efficacy of their material in reaching their desired goals. 

 

References:

 

Feder, M. (2022, June 8). What is behaviorist learning theory? University of Phoenix. Retrieved October 14, 2022, from https://www.phoenix.edu/blog/what-is-behaviorist-theory.html?_tt=184bbfb8-bbee-4879-ad13-f2f2c0bcb209

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Western Governors University. (2020, May 29). What is the behavioral learning theory? Western Governors University. Retrieved October 14, 2022, from https://www.wgu.edu/blog/what-behavioral-learning-theory2005.html