Behaviorism and Social Cognitive Theory 2 Assessment 1: Behaviorism and Social Cognitive Theory- Gisela PSY-FP7411 Capella University Professor Tara James-Lamonica Ashley Moore 6/5/18 Case Study Gisela is a 6-year-old girl who has begged her family for a pet dog for years. Her parents claim that she has been drawn to them since she was a baby, but they just haven’t had the time for a puppy, yet everyone in their neighborhood seems to have one. A few months ago, while she was walking the two blocks to school all by herself, a beautiful looking dog was in a yard along her path. Delighted, she opened their gate and rushed to the dog while squealing with delight. Suddenly the dog jumped on her and knocked her down, giving her a growl and snapping his teeth at her. The dog continued to bark at her until the owner came out from the house and discovered a shaking, sobbing child who had wet herself in terror. She was unable to tell the man her name or where she lived, and it was an hour until police arrived to assist. Gisela’s parents share that now, several months later, they have a big problem. At first, Gisela seemed to only be afraid of that one brown dog, but now she has become afraid of just about anything related to dogs. Gisela is too afraid to walk to school even with her parents, she is afraid there will be a dog around every corner, she notices dog barks “from really far away”, she is afraid of sirens, and won’t go to parades. She has wetting accidents almost every day when she did not before. Ironically, she is still begging for one of her own, and while they are now considering a family dog, they are hesitating given Gisela’s situation. Behaviorism The Behaviorist Theory was developed as an alternative orientation toward studying and explaining a person’s conscious experience and originally rejected both the tenets of mentalism. Mentalism was focused on the study of mind, applying the method of introspection. In Watson's classical approach on the Behaviorist Theory, it was conveyed as an objective experimental branch of natural science whose goal was the prediction and control of behavior, whose boundaries acknowledged no dividing line between humans and animals, and his approach rejected perceptions such as mind, consciousness, and introspection (Roeckelein, 2006). The Formal Behaviorist Theory was influenced by logical positivism, where propositions in science need to be verified by empirical and observable evidence. This approach attempted to explain behavior in terms that consisted of operational definitions of concepts, processes, and events both directly observed and unobserved. The logical behaviorism of the American psychologist Clark Leonard Hull (1884-1952), was formulated in terms of a hypothetico-deductive learning theory and it was the most systematized theory of the formal behaviorists. Another variation of the formal behaviorist theories was the American psychologist Edward Chace Tolman's (1886-1959) purposi ...

1. Behaviorism and Social Cognitive Theory 2
Assessment 1: Behaviorism and Social Cognitive Theory-
Gisela
PSY-FP7411
Capella University
Professor Tara James-Lamonica
Ashley Moore
6/5/18
Case Study
Gisela is a 6-year-old girl who has begged her family for a pet
dog for years. Her parents claim that she has been drawn to
them since she was a baby, but they just haven’t had the time
for a puppy, yet everyone in their neighborhood seems to have
one. A few months ago, while she was walking the two blocks
to school all by herself, a beautiful looking dog was in a yard
along her path. Delighted, she opened their gate and rushed to
the dog while squealing with delight. Suddenly the dog jumped
on her and knocked her down, giving her a growl and snapping
his teeth at her. The dog continued to bark at her until the
owner came out from the house and discovered a shaking,
sobbing child who had wet herself in terror. She was unable to

2. tell the man her name or where she lived, and it was an hour
until police arrived to assist.
Gisela’s parents share that now, several months later, they have
a big problem. At first, Gisela seemed to only be afraid of that
one brown dog, but now she has become afraid of just about
anything related to dogs. Gisela is too afraid to walk to school
even with her parents, she is afraid there will be a dog around
every corner, she notices dog barks “from really far away”, she
is afraid of sirens, and won’t go to parades. She has wetting
accidents almost every day when she did not before. Ironically,
she is still begging for one of her own, and while they are now
considering a family dog, they are hesitating given Gisela’s
situation.
Behaviorism
The Behaviorist Theory was developed as an alternative
orientation toward studying and explaining a person’s conscious
experience and originally rejected both the tenets of mentalism.
Mentalism was focused on the study of mind, applying the
method of introspection. In Watson's classical approach on
the Behaviorist Theory, it was conveyed as an objective
experimental branch of natural science whose goal was the
prediction and control of behavior, whose boundaries
acknowledged no dividing line between humans and animals,
and his approach rejected perceptions such as mind,
consciousness, and introspection (Roeckelein, 2006).
The Formal Behaviorist Theory was influenced by logical
positivism, where propositions in science need to be verified by
empirical and observable evidence. This approach attempted to
explain behavior in terms that consisted of operational
definitions of concepts, processes, and events both directly
observed and unobserved. The logical behaviorism of the
American psychologist Clark Leonard Hull (1884-1952), was
formulated in terms of a hypothetico-deductive learning theory
and it was the most systematized theory of the formal
behaviorists. Another variation of the formal behaviorist
theories was the American psychologist Edward Chace

3. Tolman's (1886-1959) purposive/cognitive behaviorist theory,
which rejected the mechanical approaches of Watson and Hull.
This theory adopted the notion that organisms are constantly
moving towards or away from their goal/s; where their purpose
is to learn about their environments not just respond to
stimuli. Tolman ‘s theory developed the internal conceptions
of purpose, cognition, cognitive maps, and expectancies as a
way to explain behavior (Roeckelein, 2006).
The Informal Behaviorist Theory also called the stimulus-
response theory, was created using covert mediating events or
unobservable responses between the initial stimulus and the
final response in a learned behavior. The behaviors of memory,
thinking, language, and problem solving could be utilized in
behavior theory terms where the notion of the central mediating
response was a core concept. Radical behaviorist theory is the
closest of all the neobehaviorist variations to Watson's classical
theory. This approach proposes that whatever cannot be
observed and measured simply does not exist. It rejects certain
concepts in psychology such as mind, free will, personality,
self, and feelings; even though it allows an organism's private
world/environment to be researched scientifically (Roeckelein,
2006).
Social Cognitive Theory
The Social Cognitive Theory is a comprehensive theory of
human activity that examines the correlations between persons,
behaviors, and environments. From this perspective, human
behavior is viewed as the result of the interactions between
intrapsychic factors within individuals and the broad range of
social environments that influence them such as; environments
that are forced on them, the environments that they choose, and
those that they make. Applying this theory both therapeutically
and in counseling, while continuing with the conceptualization
of human functioning within the triadic model of reciprocal
determinism; interventions are directed at personal,
environmental, and behavioral levels. In the view of
observational learning there is more attention given to cognitive

4. processes than in most social learning theory approaches. This
theory continued to develop the role of cognitive processes in
human development and change. These processes were not
intangible from the experience of the individual but were
entrenched within the ongoing experiences of the individual
(Bussey, 2017).
This approach helped pave the way for Bandura to place human
activity at the foundation of the Social Cognitive Theory.
People were not only influenced by their environments, but they
also created both their own environments and destiny. This is a
more cognitive approach to gain understanding interpreting
human behavior and it gave insight on the role of self in guiding
the course of human development, adaptation, and change. The
importance of self-reflection, self-regulatory processes, and
self-organizing persons who were not only reactive to their
environmental conditions but also proactively shaped their life
course within sociocultural constrictions. Departing from
traditional behavioristic approaches to human functioning,
Bandura acknowledged the role of introspection and human
thought in comprehending human behavior (Bussey, 2017).
The Social Cognitive Theory is different from biological
theories that accentuate the role of evolutionary forces. In this
approach, more attention is directed toward cognition than in
the earlier, more behavioristic approaches of Social Learning
Theory. While behavior change is at the basis of any therapeutic
intervention from this perspective, achieving behavioral
modification requires not only behavior change but also
cognitive change, along with consideration of the social context
in which the behavior occurs. As previously stated, this
approach views the development, maintenance, and modification
of human functioning within the triadic model of reciprocal
interconnection. It is assumed that personal, behavioral, and
environmental factors all influence and or affect each other. The
personal factors are comprised of cognitive, affective, and
biological experiences. The environmental factors refer to the
various social influences that people encounter in their

5. everyday lives. While, behavior factors consist of the broad
range of activity models. The interaction of these variables can
vary based on the different contexts and or phases in
development (Bussey, 2017).
Information-processing Theory
The development of high-speed computers in the 1950s led to
the theory of Information-processing. Researchers showed that
computers could be used to replicate human intelligence. Due to
this development researchers realized that computer
information-processing could provide insight into the way the
human mind receives, stores, and uses information. The
development of the Information-processing Theory aided in the
end of the decades of behaviorism being the dominant theory in
American psychology. This theory emphasized the innate mental
capacities versus the external observable behavior of
behaviorism theory. This theory gave psychologists the
opportunity to test theories about the complexity of mental
processes through the use of computers; information-processing
models provided evidence that the internal thought process is an
important area of scientific study.
This theory encompassed the basic stages of human cognition.
Human senses provide information from both external and
internal stimuli. Mental operations give and transform
information which, leads to perceptual processes that act on that
information. That information is then stored in either short or
long-term memory, it then interacts with information already
stored to generate a response and or output. These stages can
occur in a number of different situations. The serial mode is
similar to a chain reaction, where the output of each stage
becomes the input for the succeeding one. Stages can occur
simultaneously, this is called parallel processing. Both of these
processes can be combined into hybrid models. The efficiency
of resource allocation or the way energy gets distributed into
the system, is dependent on whether other stages are operating
too (Longe, 2016).
Cognitive psychology compares the human mind to a computer.

6. Both the human mind and a computer process information and
based on that information generate a response. Human error is
examined using the information-processing models. Errors that
happen in the early stages are classified as misunderstanding or
mistakes; which occur during the selection or execution of
responses. Gaining insight on the occurrences of errors has
provided ways to eliminate technical and industrial problems by
isolating and addressing their causes. Mistakes involve the size
of the information and how it is dealt with. Researchers
investigate the loads of information that are presented through
several outlets including the internet. Lastly, reaction time is
another area of study using the Information-processing Theory.
Reaction time is influenced by many factors including: the
complexity of decision-making before action can be taken,
stimulus response compatibility, speed, and accuracy of the
required response (Longe, 2016).
Constructivism
The theory of Constructivism states that people construct
their own realities due to their experiences; thus, creating their
own knowledge and world view. Constructivist psychology
approaches view human knowledge as developing from active
constructive processes of each person. Constructivist
psychology assesses the ways in which people generate their
understanding of their experiences and their world. In order to
create new meaning and effect change in a person’s life,
constructivist clinical psychology and psychotherapies promote
active participation. Constructivism is also called metatherapy
or metatheoretical perspective because it integrates aspects of
several disciplines such as: psychology, psychiatry,
neurobiology, medicine, physics, linguistics, philosophy,
history, spirituality, and political science. Constructivism has
been accepted and influenced by other disciplines that include;
medicine, education, and psychology. Constructivism
concentrates on the person’s individual construction of their
reality, versus evaluating how well their construction reflects
the external reality. The basic themes of Constructivism are:

7. ordering and organizing experiences, the basis of human
experience being a continual active agency by the individual
versus an outside function or external force, organization of
personal activities and experiences that remain in a person’s
identity, personal existence and growth within social and
symbolic relationships systems, and the construction of
experience as a lifelong journey.
Next, ideas on organizing the processes of the human mind
began over two thousand years ago; however, constructivism
and construct terminology started surfacing in the language of
psychology in the end of the twentieth century. Philosophers
from the late 1600’s to the early 1800’s defined knowledge as
the active structuring of experiences rather than the integration
of reality. Later it was viewed as exhibiting reality formed by
functional fictions that guided people through their lives.
George Kelly (1905-1967) was an American clinical
psychologist that proposed the Constructivist Theory of
psychotherapy. He developed the Personal Construct
Psychotherapy (PCP), which is a theory on personality and
cognition during the 1950’s. Kelly stated that individuals
organize themselves by organizing their thoughts. Kelly
hypothesized that individuals utilize their personal constructs to
determine the behaviors of others and continually testing new
perspectives and behaviors one can change their personal
constructs. The goal of psychotherapy is to facilitate an
individual’s assessments of their own minds without the
intervention of the clinician.
Then in the late 1970’s, Michael Mahoney and other
researchers furthered Constructivism to Cognitive Therapy and
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. The goals of these therapies
were to increase self-awareness and help people reconstruct
their emotional identity. This altered the focus of Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy from inner conscious dialogue to a more
intuitive non-conscious process. Eventually Constructivism
spread to psychoanalyses as well (Longe, 2016).

8. Analysis of Case Study
Gisela was a six-year little girl who longed for a dog of her
own. According to her parents she has been drawn to dogs since
she was a baby and has been begging for one for quite some
time. Dogs are all over her neighborhood but her parents have
not had the time for a puppy. While walking to school Gisela
spotted a beautiful dog and went into the fenced gate and ran up
to it. The dog then jumped on her growling and showing its
teeth until its owner came outside. This experience has scarred
her and left her with underlying symptoms of PTSD since.
Single-blow traumas are associated with PTSD symptomatology
and it is also likely that more risk factors will be associated
with greater dysfunction. For children, quality and availability
of parental support is important. When parental support can be
used to make the trauma seem more manageable, trauma
reactions and other dysfunctions should be minimized. Parents,
however, may experience a trauma response when their child's
life is threatened. Lower levels of parental distress and greater
availability were related to lower levels of child dysfunction in
dog attack (B.B. Robbie Rossman PH.D., 2009). She
disassociated during the attack and wet herself while shaking
and crying. Unable to speak to the owner after the attack, she
experienced the sirens, police, and commotion of a lot of people
trying to locate her family and examine her as well. She showed
signs of shock, anxiety, and panic that still are occurring
several months later. Her fear of one brown dog has increased
to all dogs, barking, sirens, walking to school, and parades. She
still wants a dog of her own; which, could be beneficial with
therapy.
Tolman ‘s theory developed the internal conceptions of purpose,
cognition, cognitive maps, and expectancies as a way to explain
behavior. Examining this case study using Tolman’s theory on
behaviorism shows that Gisela’s internal concepts due to her
experience has left her with the expectancy of something bad
happening with dogs and that explains her behavior of showing
fear to dogs, barking, and sirens, avoidance of walking to

9. school, and bed wetting due to the trauma she experienced. The
Informal Behaviorist Theory also called the stimulus-response
theory, which was created using covert mediating events or
unobservable responses between the initial stimulus and the
final response in a learned behavior. The behaviors of memory,
thinking, language, and problem solving could be utilized in
behavior theory terms where the notion of the central mediating
response was a core concept. Applying this theory to Gisela’s
case indicates that the initial stimulus and or dog attack has led
to a final response of fear and panic. The memory of what
happened to her has altered her thinking about dogs, hearing
them bark, hearing sirens, and even walking to school produces
her to behave fearfully and wet herself (Roeckelein, 2006).
The Social Cognitive Theory shows the relationship between
Gisela and dogs, her behavior of PTSD, anxiety, wetting, and
fear, and the environments of dogs, barking, walking to school,
sirens, and parades. The reciprocal determinism in this case
would be that she still wants her own dog; therefore, this could
be used in conjunction with therapy for equine therapy to
overcome her PTSD and anxiety. That would alter her human
activity of walking to school and interacting with dogs to
become a positive one. Being attacked by the dog in her
neighborhood has led to her creating her own environment of
fear and danger related to dogs. However, self-reflection in this
case would benefit Gisela. This could help her realize that there
are safety measures needed to take when dealing with dogs that
belong to other people, that her choice to go into the gate is
what led to her attack, that the dog was protecting its owner and
territory, and she can learn how to avoid this from happening
again. Also, incorporating her own dog into the therapy by
helping her to realize that her dog will protect her, go on walks
together to overcome her anxiety, and learning what its barks
mean will help her overcome her fears too (Bussey, 2017).
The Information-processing theory can be examined and applied
to Gisela’s case study too. The information that Gisela received
from her experience with a dog attacking her has been stored

10. and used to induce fear in her. Her internal thought process and
information-processing needs to change. The external stimuli
and or dog attack has produced mental and perceptual processes
that act on that information in a negative and fearful way and or
output. The serial mode in Gisela’s case has begun a chain
reaction where the input of the occurrence, barking, sirens, and
parades generate an output of fear, panic, wetting herself, and
avoidance of walking to school. This has become a human error
and or mistake in the information-processing during the
execution stage of responses to these particular inputs. Isolating
the cause, which is the occurrence of the dog attack, will help
eliminate the error according to this theory (Longe, 2016).
Constructivism can be utilized in this case study also. Gisela
has constructed the reality of fear and panic where dogs, sirens,
barking, and parades are concerned due to her experience; thus,
creating a world view and or knowledge that tells her to go into
fight or flight response. This causes her to experience panic,
fear, avoidance, and wetting. In order to create new meaning
and effect change in her constructed reality she must actively
participate in metatherapy. This would be the opportunity to
include her own dog into to her therapy to overcome and
reconstruct her reality (Longe, 2016).
References

11. B.B. Robbie Rossman PH.D., R.D. (2009). Symptomatology and
Adaptive Functioning for Children Exposed to Normative
Stressors, Dog Attack, and Parental Violence. Journal of the
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 1089-
1097.
Behaviorist, Behavioristic, and behaviorism theory. (2006). In
J. E. Roeckelein (Ed.), Elsevier's dictionary of psychological
theories. Oxford, UK: Elsevier Science & Technology.
Retrieved from
http://library.capella.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreferenc
e.com/content/entry/estpsyctheory/behaviorist_behavioristic_an
d_behaviorism_theory/0?institutionId=816
Bussey, K. (2017). Social Cognitive Theory. In E. S. Neukrag,
The SAGE Encyclopedia of Theory in Counseling and
Psychotherapy. SAGE Publications, Inc.
"Constructivism." The Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology, edited
by Jacqueline L. Longe, 3rd ed., vol. 1, Gale, 2016, pp. 252-
254. Gale Virtual Reference Library,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3631000175/GVRL?u=mi
nn04804&sid=GVRL&xid=3cd53d19. Accessed 13 May 2018.
"Information-processing Theory." The Gale Encyclopedia of
Psychology, edited by Jacqueline L. Longe, 3rd ed., vol. 1,
Gale, 2016, pp. 574-575. Gale Virtual Reference Library,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3631000392/GVRL?u=mi
nn04804&sid=GVRL&xid=b99a03a0. Accessed 13 May 2018.
Behaviorism and Social Cognitive Theory 2

12. Assessment 1: Behaviorism and Social Cognitive Theory-
Gisela
PSY-FP7411
Capella University
Professor Tara James-Lamonica
Ashley Moore
6/5/18
Case Study
Gisela is a 6-year-old girl who has begged her family for a pet
dog for years. Her parents claim that she has been drawn to
them since she was a baby, but they just haven’t had the time
for a puppy, yet everyone in their neighborhood seems to have
one. A few months ago, while she was walking the two blocks
to school all by herself, a beautiful looking dog was in a yard
along her path. Delighted, she opened their gate and rushed to
the dog while squealing with delight. Suddenly the dog jumped
on her and knocked her down, giving her a growl and snapping
his teeth at her. The dog continued to bark at her until the
owner came out from the house and discovered a shaking,
sobbing child who had wet herself in terror. She was unable to
tell the man her name or where she lived, and it was an hour
until police arrived to assist.
Gisela’s parents share that now, several months later, they have
a big problem. At first, Gisela seemed to only be afraid of that
one brown dog, but now she has become afraid of just about
anything related to dogs. Gisela is too afraid to walk to school

13. even with her parents, she is afraid there will be a dog around
every corner, she notices dog barks “from really far away”, she
is afraid of sirens, and won’t go to parades. She has wetting
accidents almost every day when she did not before. Ironically,
she is still begging for one of her own, and while they are now
considering a family dog, they are hesitating given Gisela’s
situation.
Behaviorism
The Behaviorist Theory was developed as an alternative
orientation toward studying and explaining a person’s conscious
experience and originally rejected both the tenets of mentalism.
Mentalism was focused on the study of mind, applying the
method of introspection. In Watson's classical approach on
the Behaviorist Theory, it was conveyed as an objective
experimental branch of natural science whose goal was the
prediction and control of behavior, whose boundaries
acknowledged no dividing line between humans and animals,
and his approach rejected perceptions such as mind,
consciousness, and introspection (Roeckelein, 2006).
The Formal Behaviorist Theory was influenced by logical
positivism, where propositions in science need to be verified by
empirical and observable evidence. This approach attempted to
explain behavior in terms that consisted of operational
definitions of concepts, processes, and events both directly
observed and unobserved. The logical behaviorism of the
American psychologist Clark Leonard Hull (1884-1952), was
formulated in terms of a hypothetico-deductive learning theory
and it was the most systematized theory of the formal
behaviorists. Another variation of the formal behaviorist
theories was the American psychologist Edward Chace
Tolman's (1886-1959) purposive/cognitive behaviorist theory,
which rejected the mechanical approaches of Watson and Hull.
This theory adopted the notion that organisms are constantly
moving towards or away from their goal/s; where their purpose
is to learn about their environments not just respond to
stimuli. Tolman ‘s theory developed the internal conceptions

14. of purpose, cognition, cognitive maps, and expectancies as a
way to explain behavior (Roeckelein, 2006).
The Informal Behaviorist Theory also called the stimulus-
response theory, was created using covert mediating events or
unobservable responses between the initial stimulus and the
final response in a learned behavior. The behaviors of memory,
thinking, language, and problem solving could be utilized in
behavior theory terms where the notion of the central mediating
response was a core concept. Radical behaviorist theory is the
closest of all the neobehaviorist variations to Watson's classical
theory. This approach proposes that whatever cannot be
observed and measured simply does not exist. It rejects certain
concepts in psychology such as mind, free will, personality,
self, and feelings; even though it allows an organism's private
world/environment to be researched scientifically (Roeckelein,
2006).
Social Cognitive Theory
The Social Cognitive Theory is a comprehensive theory of
human activity that examines the correlations between persons,
behaviors, and environments. From this perspective, human
behavior is viewed as the result of the interactions between
intrapsychic factors within individuals and the broad range of
social environments that influence them such as; environments
that are forced on them, the environments that they choose, and
those that they make. Applying this theory both therapeutically
and in counseling, while continuing with the conceptualization
of human functioning within the triadic model of reciprocal
determinism; interventions are directed at personal,
environmental, and behavioral levels. In the view of
observational learning there is more attention given to cognitive
processes than in most social learning theory approaches. This
theory continued to develop the role of cognitive processes in
human development and change. These processes were not
intangible from the experience of the individual but were
entrenched within the ongoing experiences of the individual
(Bussey, 2017).

15. This approach helped pave the way for Bandura to place human
activity at the foundation of the Social Cognitive Theory.
People were not only influenced by their environments, but they
also created both their own environments and destiny. This is a
more cognitive approach to gain understanding interpreting
human behavior and it gave insight on the role of self in guiding
the course of human development, adaptation, and change. The
importance of self-reflection, self-regulatory processes, and
self-organizing persons who were not only reactive to their
environmental conditions but also proactively shaped their life
course within sociocultural constrictions. Departing from
traditional behavioristic approaches to human functioning,
Bandura acknowledged the role of introspection and human
thought in comprehending human behavior (Bussey, 2017).
The Social Cognitive Theory is different from biological
theories that accentuate the role of evolutionary forces. In this
approach, more attention is directed toward cognition than in
the earlier, more behavioristic approaches of Social Learning
Theory. While behavior change is at the basis of any therapeutic
intervention from this perspective, achieving behavioral
modification requires not only behavior change but also
cognitive change, along with consideration of the social context
in which the behavior occurs. As previously stated, this
approach views the development, maintenance, and modification
of human functioning within the triadic model of reciprocal
interconnection. It is assumed that personal, behavioral, and
environmental factors all influence and or affect each other. The
personal factors are comprised of cognitive, affective, and
biological experiences. The environmental factors refer to the
various social influences that people encounter in their
everyday lives. While, behavior factors consist of the broad
range of activity models. The interaction of these variables can
vary based on the different contexts and or phases in
development (Bussey, 2017).
Information-processing Theory
The development of high-speed computers in the 1950s led to

16. the theory of Information-processing. Researchers showed that
computers could be used to replicate human intelligence. Due to
this development researchers realized that computer
information-processing could provide insight into the way the
human mind receives, stores, and uses information. The
development of the Information-processing Theory aided in the
end of the decades of behaviorism being the dominant theory in
American psychology. This theory emphasized the innate mental
capacities versus the external observable behavior of
behaviorism theory. This theory gave psychologists the
opportunity to test theories about the complexity of mental
processes through the use of computers; information-processing
models provided evidence that the internal thought process is an
important area of scientific study.
This theory encompassed the basic stages of human cognition.
Human senses provide information from both external and
internal stimuli. Mental operations give and transform
information which, leads to perceptual processes that act on that
information. That information is then stored in either short or
long-term memory, it then interacts with information already
stored to generate a response and or output. These stages can
occur in a number of different situations. The serial mode is
similar to a chain reaction, where the output of each stage
becomes the input for the succeeding one. Stages can occur
simultaneously, this is called parallel processing. Both of these
processes can be combined into hybrid models. The efficiency
of resource allocation or the way energy gets distributed into
the system, is dependent on whether other stages are operating
too (Longe, 2016).
Cognitive psychology compares the human mind to a computer.
Both the human mind and a computer process information and
based on that information generate a response. Human error is
examined using the information-processing models. Errors that
happen in the early stages are classified as misunderstanding or
mistakes; which occur during the selection or execution of
responses. Gaining insight on the occurrences of errors has

17. provided ways to eliminate technical and industrial problems by
isolating and addressing their causes. Mistakes involve the size
of the information and how it is dealt with. Researchers
investigate the loads of information that are presented through
several outlets including the internet. Lastly, reaction time is
another area of study using the Information-processing Theory.
Reaction time is influenced by many factors including: the
complexity of decision-making before action can be taken,
stimulus response compatibility, speed, and accuracy of the
required response (Longe, 2016).
Constructivism
The theory of Constructivism states that people construct
their own realities due to their experiences; thus, creating their
own knowledge and world view. Constructivist psychology
approaches view human knowledge as developing from active
constructive processes of each person. Constructivist
psychology assesses the ways in which people generate their
understanding of their experiences and their world. In order to
create new meaning and effect change in a person’s life,
constructivist clinical psychology and psychotherapies promote
active participation. Constructivism is also called metatherapy
or metatheoretical perspective because it integrates aspects of
several disciplines such as: psychology, psychiatry,
neurobiology, medicine, physics, linguistics, philosophy,
history, spirituality, and political science. Constructivism has
been accepted and influenced by other disciplines that include;
medicine, education, and psychology. Constructivism
concentrates on the person’s individual construction of their
reality, versus evaluating how well their construction reflects
the external reality. The basic themes of Constructivism are:
ordering and organizing experiences, the basis of human
experience being a continual active agency by the individual
versus an outside function or external force, organization of
personal activities and experiences that remain in a person’s
identity, personal existence and growth within social and
symbolic relationships systems, and the construction of

18. experience as a lifelong journey.
Next, ideas on organizing the processes of the human mind
began over two thousand years ago; however, constructivism
and construct terminology started surfacing in the language of
psychology in the end of the twentieth century. Philosophers
from the late 1600’s to the early 1800’s defined knowledge as
the active structuring of experiences rather than the integration
of reality. Later it was viewed as exhibiting reality formed by
functional fictions that guided people through their lives.
George Kelly (1905-1967) was an American clinical
psychologist that proposed the Constructivist Theory of
psychotherapy. He developed the Personal Construct
Psychotherapy (PCP), which is a theory on personality and
cognition during the 1950’s. Kelly stated that individuals
organize themselves by organizing their thoughts. Kelly
hypothesized that individuals utilize their personal constructs to
determine the behaviors of others and continually testing new
perspectives and behaviors one can change their personal
constructs. The goal of psychotherapy is to facilitate an
individual’s assessments of their own minds without the
intervention of the clinician.
Then in the late 1970’s, Michael Mahoney and other
researchers furthered Constructivism to Cognitive Therapy and
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. The goals of these therapies
were to increase self-awareness and help people reconstruct
their emotional identity. This altered the focus of Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy from inner conscious dialogue to a more
intuitive non-conscious process. Eventually Constructivism
spread to psychoanalyses as well (Longe, 2016).
Analysis of Case Study
Gisela was a six-year little girl who longed for a dog of her
own. According to her parents she has been drawn to dogs since
she was a baby and has been begging for one for quite some
time. Dogs are all over her neighborhood but her parents have
not had the time for a puppy. While walking to school Gisela

19. spotted a beautiful dog and went into the fenced gate and ran up
to it. The dog then jumped on her growling and showing its
teeth until its owner came outside. This experience has scarred
her and left her with underlying symptoms of PTSD since.
Single-blow traumas are associated with PTSD symptomatology
and it is also likely that more risk factors will be associated
with greater dysfunction. For children, quality and availability
of parental support is important. When parental support can be
used to make the trauma seem more manageable, trauma
reactions and other dysfunctions should be minimized. Parents,
however, may experience a trauma response when their child's
life is threatened. Lower levels of parental distress and greater
availability were related to lower levels of child dysfunction in
dog attack (B.B. Robbie Rossman PH.D., 2009). She
disassociated during the attack and wet herself while shaking
and crying. Unable to speak to the owner after the attack, she
experienced the sirens, police, and commotion of a lot of people
trying to locate her family and examine her as well. She showed
signs of shock, anxiety, and panic that still are occurring
several months later. Her fear of one brown dog has increased
to all dogs, barking, sirens, walking to school, and parades. She
still wants a dog of her own; which, could be beneficial with
therapy.
Tolman ‘s theory developed the internal conceptions of purpose,
cognition, cognitive maps, and expectancies as a way to explain
behavior. Examining this case study using Tolman’s theory on
behaviorism shows that Gisela’s internal concepts due to her
experience has left her with the expectancy of something bad
happening with dogs and that explains her behavior of showing
fear to dogs, barking, and sirens, avoidance of walking to
school, and bed wetting due to the trauma she experienced. The
Informal Behaviorist Theory also called the stimulus-response
theory, which was created using covert mediating events or
unobservable responses between the initial stimulus and the
final response in a learned behavior. The behaviors of memory,
thinking, language, and problem solving could be utilized in

20. behavior theory terms where the notion of the central mediating
response was a core concept. Applying this theory to Gisela’s
case indicates that the initial stimulus and or dog attack has led
to a final response of fear and panic. The memory of what
happened to her has altered her thinking about dogs, hearing
them bark, hearing sirens, and even walking to school produces
her to behave fearfully and wet herself (Roeckelein, 2006).
The Social Cognitive Theory shows the relationship between
Gisela and dogs, her behavior of PTSD, anxiety, wetting, and
fear, and the environments of dogs, barking, walking to school,
sirens, and parades. The reciprocal determinism in this case
would be that she still wants her own dog; therefore, this could
be used in conjunction with therapy for equine therapy to
overcome her PTSD and anxiety. That would alter her human
activity of walking to school and interacting with dogs to
become a positive one. Being attacked by the dog in her
neighborhood has led to her creating her own environment of
fear and danger related to dogs. However, self-reflection in this
case would benefit Gisela. This could help her realize that there
are safety measures needed to take when dealing with dogs that
belong to other people, that her choice to go into the gate is
what led to her attack, that the dog was protecting its owner and
territory, and she can learn how to avoid this from happening
again. Also, incorporating her own dog into the therapy by
helping her to realize that her dog will protect her, go on walks
together to overcome her anxiety, and learning what its barks
mean will help her overcome her fears too (Bussey, 2017).
The Information-processing theory can be examined and applied
to Gisela’s case study too. The information that Gisela received
from her experience with a dog attacking her has been stored
and used to induce fear in her. Her internal thought process and
information-processing needs to change. The external stimuli
and or dog attack has produced mental and perceptual processes
that act on that information in a negative and fearful way and or
output. The serial mode in Gisela’s case has begun a chain
reaction where the input of the occurrence, barking, sirens, and

21. parades generate an output of fear, panic, wetting herself, and
avoidance of walking to school. This has become a human error
and or mistake in the information-processing during the
execution stage of responses to these particular inputs. Isolating
the cause, which is the occurrence of the dog attack, will help
eliminate the error according to this theory (Longe, 2016).
Constructivism can be utilized in this case study also. Gisela
has constructed the reality of fear and panic where dogs, sirens,
barking, and parades are concerned due to her experience; thus,
creating a world view and or knowledge that tells her to go into
fight or flight response. This causes her to experience panic,
fear, avoidance, and wetting. In order to create new meaning
and effect change in her constructed reality she must actively
participate in metatherapy. This would be the opportunity to
include her own dog into to her therapy to overcome and
reconstruct her reality (Longe, 2016).
References
B.B. Robbie Rossman PH.D., R.D. (2009). Symptomatology and
Adaptive Functioning for Children Exposed to Normative
Stressors, Dog Attack, and Parental Violence. Journal of the
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 1089-
1097.

22. Behaviorist, Behavioristic, and behaviorism theory. (2006). In
J. E. Roeckelein (Ed.), Elsevier's dictionary of psychological
theories. Oxford, UK: Elsevier Science & Technology.
Retrieved from
http://library.capella.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreferenc
e.com/content/entry/estpsyctheory/behaviorist_behavioristic_an
d_behaviorism_theory/0?institutionId=816
Bussey, K. (2017). Social Cognitive Theory. In E. S. Neukrag,
The SAGE Encyclopedia of Theory in Counseling and
Psychotherapy. SAGE Publications, Inc.
"Constructivism." The Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology, edited
by Jacqueline L. Longe, 3rd ed., vol. 1, Gale, 2016, pp. 252-
254. Gale Virtual Reference Library,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3631000175/GVRL?u=mi
nn04804&sid=GVRL&xid=3cd53d19. Accessed 13 May 2018.
"Information-processing Theory." The Gale Encyclopedia of
Psychology, edited by Jacqueline L. Longe, 3rd ed., vol. 1,
Gale, 2016, pp. 574-575. Gale Virtual Reference Library,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3631000392/GVRL?u=mi
nn04804&sid=GVRL&xid=b99a03a0. Accessed 13 May 2018.
Scoring Guide ToolPrintPSY-FP7411 - Section 02
[u05a1] - Learning Utopia (Ideal Learning Situation)Moore ,
Ashley
Overall Comments
Hi Ashley, great start to this assessment. This is a complex

23. assessment as it as many parts. There were a couple of parts to
the instructions that are missing. Once you incorporate into
your work, you will be able to meet all of the criteria.
Everything you have is good! You will need to add to it.
Here are the missing parts from the instructions. You will need
to identify something specific that you want to learn (in this
case it will be ok to use first person for that part), you will also
need to refer back to the case that you chose for assessments 1
and 2.
Start by identifying a skill or concept that you always wanted to
learn.Which learning theory or theories best support how you
would learn this topic?
Compare this with the case study you chose for assessments 1
and 2.Which components should be tailored to the specific
learner?Which components of your learning situation could be
applied to a broader population?Evaluate the effectiveness of
your learning situation for the case study.
I look forward to reading you updated assessment. Warmly, Dr.
SullivanCriterionNon-
performanceBasicProficientDistinguishedCriterion
Apply learning theory
terminology and concepts to describe a learning situation.
Competency
Evaluate the strengths, limitations, and applications of learning
sub-processes.

24. not selected
Does not
apply learning theory terminology and concepts to describe a
learning situation.
not selected
Inaccurately
applies learning theory terminology and concepts to describe a
learning situation.

25. selected
Proficient
Applies
learning theory terminology and concepts to describe a learning
situation.
not selected
Applies
learning theory and concepts to a learning situation in ways that

26. are consistent with the theoretical framework, useful toward the
resolution of the learning situation, and impactful in conveying
precise meaning and intent.
Comments:
This was hard to grade because you did a great job of discussing
the theories, motivation, and learning in general. However, a
specific personal learning task was not identified.Criterion
Justify which learning theory
best supports a personal learning situation.
Competency
Evaluate the strengths, limitations, and applications of the
foundational learning theories.

27. not selected
Does not
select a learning theory to support a personal learning situation.
not selected
Selects a
learning theory that supports a personal learning situation, but
does not provide justification for selection.

28. selected
Proficient
Justifies
which learning theory best supports a personal learning
situation.
not selected
Justifies
which learning theory best supports a personal learning
situation. Identifies strengths and limitations of the personal
learning situation.

29. Comments:
Same for this criterion.Criterion
Evaluate the role of motivation
in a learning situation.
Competency
Evaluate the strengths, limitations, and applications of learning
sub-processes.
not selected

30. Does not
discuss the role of motivation in a personal learning situation.
not selected
Discusses
motivation but does not evaluate the role of motivation in a
personal learning situation.
selected

31. Proficient
Evaluates
the role of motivation in a personal learning situation.
not selected
Evaluates
the role of motivation in a personal learning situation.
Incorporates techniques that will help monitor and maintain
personal motivation.

32. Comments:
Even though you didn't discuss a specific personal learning
situation, for this one you did a really good job of integrating
theory, motivation and personal learning. Once you add your
learning task, you can address how to maintain motivation for it
too.Criterion
Evaluate how effective this
learning situation would be with the previous case study and
broader population.
Competency
Apply evidence based research in learning theories to guide
decision making and problem solving.
selected
Non-
performance

33. Does not
analyze how learning the situation could be used with the
previous case study.
not selected
Analyzes
how the learning situation could be used with the previous case
study.

34. not selected
Evaluates
how effective this learning situation would be with the previous
case study.
not selected
Evaluates
how effective this learning situation would be with the previous
case study. Identifies criteria that can be used to measure the
effectiveness of the learning situation.

35. Comments:
I didn't see any reference to one of the case studies. You will
need to compare your learning situation with the case in context
of the learning theories you addressed.Criterion
Differentiate between the
components of the learning situation that are specific to the
individual and those that are more broadly applicable.
Competency
Evaluate the strengths, limitations, and applications of the
foundational learning theories.
not selected
Does not
explain the components of the learning situation.

36. not selected
Explains the
components of the learning situation, but does not differentiate
those that are specific to the individual and those that are more
broadly applicable.
not selected
Differentiates between the components of the learning
situation that are specific to the individual and those that are
more broadly applicable.

37. selected
Distinguished
Differentiates between the components of the learning
situation that are specific to the individual and those that are
more broadly applicable by providing an example from a
specialized field in psychology.
Comments:

38. Even though you didn't discuss a specific personal learning
situation, for this one you did a really good job of integrating
theory, motivation and personal learning and learning for a
broader population. Criterion
Write clearly and logically, with
correct use of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and mechanics;
format paper, citations, and references using APA style.
Competency
Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and
consistent with expectations for members of the psychological
professions.
not selected
Does not
write clearly and logically, with correct use of spelling,
grammar, punctuation, and mechanics; does not format paper,
citations, and references correctly using APA style.

39. not selected
Uses
sentence structure that is mostly clear, with a few minor
spelling or grammatical errors but fails to attribute quotes and
citations in a few places, or allows some inconsistencies in APA
style.
selected

40. Proficient
Writes
clearly and logically, with correct use of spelling, grammar,
punctuation, and mechanics; formats paper, citations, and
references using APA style.
not selected
Writes
clearly and logically, with correct use of spelling, grammar,
punctuation, and mechanics; uses relevant evidence to support a
central idea; and formats paper, citations, and references using
APA style.

41. Comments:
Overall good writing and APA. Your references page was a
little off on this one. Watch for subject-verb agreement and
missing words here and there. You might try reading your work
slowly out loud. Or read it backwards - with the last sentence.
It is sometime easier to hear where things are missing this way.
PrintLearning Utopia (Ideal Learning Situation) Scoring Guide
Learning Utopia (Ideal
Learning Situation) Scoring Guide Grading Rubric
Criteria
Non-performance
Basic
Proficient
Distinguished
Apply learning theory
terminology and concepts to describe a learning situation.
Does not apply learning theory
terminology and concepts to describe a learning situation.

42. Inaccurately applies learning theory
terminology and concepts to describe a learning situation.
Applies learning theory terminology
and concepts to describe a learning situation.
Applies learning theory and concepts
to a learning situation in ways that are consistent with the
theoretical framework, useful toward the resolution of the
learning situation, and impactful in conveying precise meaning
and intent.
Justify which learning theory
best supports a personal learning situation.
Does not select a learning theory to
support a personal learning situation.
Selects a learning theory that supports
a personal learning situation, but does not provide justification
for selection.
Justifies which learning theory best
supports a personal learning situation.
Justifies which learning theory best
supports a personal learning situation. Identifies strengths and
limitations of the personal learning situation.
Evaluate the role of motivation

43. in a learning situation.
Does not discuss the role of
motivation in a personal learning situation.
Discusses motivation but does not
evaluate the role of motivation in a personal learning situation.
Evaluates the role of motivation in a
personal learning situation.
Evaluates the role of motivation in a
personal learning situation. Incorporates techniques that will
help monitor and maintain personal motivation.
Evaluate how effective this
learning situation would be with the previous case study and
broader population.
Does not analyze how learning the
situation could be used with the previous case study.
Analyzes how the learning situation
could be used with the previous case study.
Evaluates how effective this learning
situation would be with the previous case study.
Evaluates how effective this learning
situation would be with the previous case study. Identifies
criteria that can be used to measure the effectiveness of the

44. learning situation.
Differentiate between the
components of the learning situation that are specific to the
individual and those that are more broadly applicable.
Does not explain the components of
the learning situation.
Explains the components of the
learning situation, but does not differentiate those that are
specific to the individual and those that are more broadly
applicable.
Differentiates between the
components of the learning situation that are specific to the
individual and those that are more broadly applicable.
Differentiates between the
components of the learning situation that are specific to the
individual and those that are more broadly applicable by
providing an example from a specialized field in psychology.
Write clearly and logically, with
correct use of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and mechanics;
format paper, citations, and references using APA style.
Does not write clearly and logically,
with correct use of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and
mechanics; does not format paper, citations, and references

45. correctly using APA style.
Uses sentence structure that is mostly
clear, with a few minor spelling or grammatical errors but fails
to attribute quotes and citations in a few places, or allows some
inconsistencies in APA style.
Writes clearly and logically, with
correct use of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and mechanics;
formats paper, citations, and references using APA style.
Writes clearly and logically, with
correct use of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and mechanics;
uses relevant evidence to support a central idea; and formats
paper, citations, and references using APA style.