Essay On Behaviorism

756 Words2 Pages

Kaley Dahlin
Luisa Abellan-Pagnani
Educational Psychology Wednesday 1:00
22 January 2014
Research Paper #1
Behaviorism is a theory of learning that focuses on the way that pleasant or unpleasant consequences of behavior can change someone’s behavior over time. It’s based upon the idea that all behaviors are developed through forms of conditioning. Conditioning happens through interacting with the environment, and behaviorism is the belief that our responses to these environmental stimuli shape our behaviors.
The two researchers that really shaped this belief are Ivan Pavlov and B.F. Skinner. Ivan Pavlov researched the digestive systems of dogs to discover the classical conditioning process, which demonstrated that this learning process could be used to make an association between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus. The two elements are then known as the conditioned stimulus and the conditioned response. B.F. Skinner came up with the concept of operant conditioning, which showed the effect of punishments and reinforcements on behavior. Through operant conditioning, a connection is made between a behavior and a consequence for that behavior. The basic principles of behaviorism are widely used today, in many situations ranging from parenting to education.
Vicarious learning, also known as observational learning, is a type of learning that includes observation, retaining information, and replicating the behavior from others. This type of learning can take place at any stage in life, however it is very important during childhood as authority plays a bigger part in children’s lives. Albert Bandura came up with the process of social learning called modeling and he gave four conditions needed for a person to suc...

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...ccur more often. Punishment is the delivery of a consequence that decreases the likelihood that a response will occur. It is defined as the exact opposite of reinforcers and they are made to weaken or get rid of a response rather to increase it. Punishment can work by applying an unpleasant stimulus after a response.
In handling his students’ inappropriate behavior, Mr. Swan should follow this approach. If the students continue to talk loudly, use tools inappropriately, and hit at each other, he should use a punisher. These behaviors could include the verbal or nonverbal communications for the purpose of stopping behaviors or even a detention. When the students start doing well, they should be reinforced and rewarded for doing good. Reinforcement improves student motivation and it will be effective in helping Mr. Swan handle these students’ inappropriate behaviors.

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