Download Behaviorist Op-Ed

TEAM JAMAS
Recorder
Susan Cotter
Explorer
Adriana Diaz
Elaborator
Abdul Abaker
Coordinator Michelle Drolet
Explorer
John Harp
Behaviorism Revisited
Is behaviorism dead? According to most scholarly articles and textbooks on the subject of learning
theories and their applications for instructional design, we should all wear black and bid a fond farewell to
the theory of behaviorism. The common refrain is that behaviorism is an antiquated view of learning,
with a heavy emphasis on reinforcement with little regard to the internal processes of the human mind.
However, we believe we are donning those funeral garments too soon. In fact, it’s our belief that the
learning theory based on behaviorism is still alive and a useful tool to be used in today’s learning
environment. The practical applications of behaviorism can be seen within the esteemed walls of
education and is a common presence in board meetings of top corporations. In this article, we’ll explore
how behaviorism is still a very active participant in the learning process.
It is true, behaviorism is far from perfect. Unfortunately, no where is this lack of perfection more evident
than within the classroom. With the advent of the “No Child Left Behind” Act, a governmental legislation
that pressures school districts and teachers to help their students achieve higher scores, the pressure is
on teachers to “teach to the test”. When showing the teachers the proper stimulus (paycheck), they
teach only the information on the test, instead of making sure they cover all areas of a subject area
according to approved state standards. In a society where teachers are underpaid, any bonus,
supplemental pay, or increase in a paycheck is an attractive draw. So, is that stimulus check waved in
front of a teacher akin to the conditioning of Pavlov’s dogs? Possibly, but it’s our belief that behaviorism
is not entirely at fault but rather society’s pressure and inadequate compensation that forces teachers
into extremes to meet demanding goals-- from society and institutions (such as school boards)-- with
limited resources.
If used properly, behaviorism is still a useful tool in the educational system. It is useful in teaching
students with learning disabilities, for example, because they require that tasks be broken down into
simple parts and often work at their best when they receive immediate feedback. Dr. Steele
(http://cie.asu.edu/volume8/number10/index.html#behavior) strongly encourages that a combination of
behaviorism and other theories be applied in the class room; yet, she insists that behaviorism not be left
aside when teaching students with learning disabilities. In all classrooms, with simple, consistent verbal
cues, a student can be redirected and refocused. By clapping a pattern or using a consistent phrase, an
entire classroom can be quieted. Behaviorism is a useful tool for many parts of education and one that
students often need to get the reassurance of consistency and of their success. Grades on assignments
and report cards are a constant request from students in order to assure their confidence, growth, and
acceptance by the teachers.
Behaviorism in corporate America is certainly alive and strong. We see it in the franchise restaurants
such as Burger King and McDonalds; the enormous retail store chains like WalMart, and Target; and even
in the technical world with IBM and AT&T. Employees are trained, rewarded, and promoted to act in
specific manners to a set of conditions. Some employees are trained to answer phones using a specific
script. Other employees are trained to follow certain steps in completing a memo or preparing a
hamburger. These processes have allowed large corporations the ability to establish their unique
branding image, replicate these well-trained specific behaviors on a global scale, provide consistency with
their employees and management throughout the company, and be able to quickly measure results.
Ultimately, when employees follow these processes, they receive awards, bonuses, and promotions.
Behaviorism is a learning theory that provides consistency, is easily repeatable and trainable, has
measurable results, and is scalable based on the immediate need. Behaviorism truly deserves to be a
revisited theory. While the faults can be extreme, simple retraining of the participants could lead to fewer
problems. Within education and the corporate world, we aren’t asking for robots. Behaviorism simply
gives a few requests for consistency and minimal expectations with the remaining areas allowing for selfexpression. Behaviorism, when not taken to extremes, is a great way of giving us minimally accepted
behaviors within school and work environments to help us achieve success. Revisiting behaviorism as a
successful learning theory is something that we strongly support in order to fix the bad reputation that
it’s misuse has caused to B.F. Skinner’s theory.