2. Menu
I. Behaviorism Basics
II. Different Emphases
III. Key Behaviorist Figures
d. Pavlov and Watson
e. BF Skinner
 Behaviorism in the Classroom
 Philosophy of Behaviorism
 Teachers
 Students

3. Behaviorism Basics
 An approach to Psychology.
 Proposition: behavior can be researched
scientifically without recourse to inner mental
states.
 Denies independent significance for mind.
 Free will is illusory = behavior is determined by
environment.
 Association vs. Reinforcement

4. Different Emphases
 Classical: no mental life nor internal states.
 Radical: mental life, not mechanistic, no internal
states.
 Theological: accepts internal states & parsimony.
 Methodological:
1. Third-person behavior
2. Psychological data must be inter-subjectively verifiable.
3. Group data
4. Not dynamic

5. Key Behaviorist Figures
 Ivan Pavlov
1. Investigated Classical Conditioning
2. Neutral, Unconditional and Conditional Stimuli
3. “Pavlov and his dogs”
 John B. Watson
1. Rejection of introspective methods.
2. “Little Albert and the White Rat” experiment
3. Events precede and follow behavior
Ivan Pavlov John B. Watson
(1849-1936) (1878-1958)

6. Little Albert Video

7.  B.F. Skinner
2. Born on March 20, 1904 and died August 18, 1990.
3. Behaviorist, author, inventor, social philosopher and poet.
4. Father of Radical Behaviorism
5. Behavior is a function of environmental histories of reinforcing
consequences.
6. Consequences influence behavior.
7. Positive vs. Negative Reinforcement

8. Behaviorism in the
Classroom
 Experiment #1:
1.Classical Conditioning
2. Over the course of two weeks, we will expose
class mouse to the colors green and blue.
3. When he touches green, he will receive cheese.
4. When he touches red, he will receive nothing.
5. Through positive reinforcement, mouse will touch
green automatically.

9.  Experiment #2
1.Classical Conditioning
2.Two weeks time
3. Each time we feed mouse we
must ring the bell.
4. Eventually, mouse will
associate bell with cheese.
5. When we ring bell, mouse will
automatically travel to designated
feeding area.

10. Philosophy + Behaviorism
 Teachers and Behaviorism:
1. Encourage positive reinforcement with
students.
2. Understand that there are consequences
for every action.
3. Collecting data may lead to breakthroughs.
4. Understanding students on a mental level.

11.  Students and Behaviorism:
1. Students can learn hands-on through experiments.
2. Students may understand the concept of
consequence.
3. Students have opportunities to interact.
4. Students may learn different branches of
psychology.