Download Educ2130 chapter 1 B

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* No matter the various interpretation of
Behaviorism, all focus on measurable and
observable aspects of human behavior.
* Behaviors and actions, rather than thoughts or
emotions, are worthy of study.
* Behaviorists believe that all behavior is learned and
can also be unlearned and replaced by new
behaviors.
* A key element to this theory of learning is the
rewarded response. The desired response must be
rewarded in order for learning to take place.
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* John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner are the
principal originators of the behaviorist
approaches to learning.
* Watson was influenced by Pavlov’s theory of
classical conditioning and believed that
conclusions about human development could
only be made from directly observable overt
behavior. In his stimulus-response model,
specific stimuli evoked observable responses in
human behavior.
* Skinner expanded on Watson’s stimulus-response
model by developing his operant conditioning model.
* With operant conditioning, part of the desired
behavior or a random act that approaches it is
rewarded. According to Skinner, “things we call
pleasant have an energizing or strengthening effect on
our behavior” so humans and animals repeat
pleasurable acts and stop unpleasant ones.
* Skinner’s experiments on animals demonstrate operant
conditioning. For example, a rat presses a bar and
receives a food pellet; it will likely press the bar
again. The pressing of the bar is the operant and the
food pellet is the reinforcer.
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* Modeling is observational learning in which a
child sees a behavior and attempts to
reproduce that behavior.
* Children acquire favorable and unfavorable
behaviors through modeling. An example of
modeling is a child who kicks another child
after seeing this on the playground.
* Teachers can use modeling to demonstrate
behavior and encourage children to learn from
observation.
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* Shaping is the process of gradually changing a
given response over a period of time.
* The desired behavior is segmented into small
steps. As each step progresses toward the
desired behavior, it is rewarded with a positive
reinforcer.
* The behavior gradually changes from a
negative one to a positive one.
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* A group of students enter the classroom noisily and
walk around the room. The classroom teacher
wants students to enter the classroom, sit down and
wait quietly until the bell rings. She offers a point
system to the students, in which they accumulate
points to redeem rewards. They enter the
classroom and sit down, but continue to talk after
the bell rings. They earn one point for
improvement since all students are seated. Next
time, the students must be seated and quiet to earn
points.
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* Cueing uses verbal or non-verbal responses to make
someone aware if their behavior is appropriate or
inappropriate.
* Teachers can discuss the use of a cue immediately
before the desired action is expected to help
student recall correct behavior.
* For example: If the teacher is working with a
student who consistently answers without raising his
hand, the teacher should discuss how she will use a
cue of hand-raising at the end of a question posed
to the class to remind him to raise his hand before
answering.
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* Behaviorist techniques have long been used in education to promote desirable
behavior and discourage inappropriate behavior. Some of the methods that come from
behaviorist theory used in classroom management are reinforcement, punishment,
contracts, and extinction.
* Reinforcement is defined as anything that increases the desired behavior.
* With positive reinforcement, something is added to increase the desired behavior.
An
example of positive reinforcement would be giving a student a compliment on good
performance. Students are rewarded by this and therefore, they will continue to
perform the desired behavior in order to receive the positive reinforcement.
* With negative reinforcement, something is removed to increase a desired behavior.
For example, give a free homework pass for turning in assignments on time. You
increase the desired behavior by removing something that a student finds unpleasant;
lightening the load so to speak.
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* In contrast to reinforcement, punishment presents a
strong stimulus that decreases the frequency of an
undesired behavior.
* With positive punishment, something is added to
decrease the undesired behavior. For example, give
a student detention for failing to do their
homework.
* With negative punishment, something is removed to
decrease the undesired behavior. For example,
take away a student’s recess time for not following
class rules.
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* Contracts are an effective way of helping
students focus on changing an undesirable
behavior.
* The agreement between the student and the
teacher should focus on the behavioral change.
* The relevant behavior should be identified
* Together, the student and teacher should decide
on the terms of the contract.
* Teachers and parents work together to ensure
that the contract is being fulfilled.
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* For example, a contract can help a student
who is not completing homework assignments.
The teacher and the student design a contract
agreeing that the student will stay for extra
help, ask parents for help, and complete
assigned work on time. The teacher will be
available after school, and during free periods
for additional assistance.
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* Extinction is the removal of a previously
reinforcing stimulus in order to decrease an
undesired behavior.
* Example of extinction: Students are frequently
late to class, and contrary to school policy, the
teacher does not require a late pass. The
teacher decides to enforce the rule requiring a
late pass and students begin to arrive on time.
The behavior of being late to class is
extinguished.
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