EME2040 Class

1. Behaviorism
Julio Vanattia
4/8/2012

2. Behaviorism Overview
• What is it?
1
• Key Figures
2
• Uses in the Classroom
3
4 • Uses in My Classroom

3. What is it?
 Idea that behaviors are learned
through conditioning
 Conditioning is learned by
interaction with environment
 All behavior is observable and
measurable
 No consideration of mental
states (i.e. emotions or feelings)

4. Key Points
 Classical Conditioning
◦ Pavlov
◦ Learning by association
 Operant Conditioning
◦ Skinner
◦ Learning by consequences (reinforcement and
punishment)
 Social Learning Theory
◦ Bandura
◦ People learn from one another (via
observation, modeling, and imitation)

5. Key Figures
Ivan Pavlov (1849- John Watson(1878 -
1936) 1958)
Albert Bandura
B.F. Skinner (1904 –
(1925 – Present)
1990)

6. B.F. Skinner
 Contributions
◦ Operant Conditioning
◦ Shaping
 Major Works
◦ Verbal Behavior
◦ Walden Two
◦ The Behavior of
Organisms

7. Operant Conditioning
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8. Uses in the Classroom – Teacher
Perspective
◦ Teachers use reward systems (reinforcement)
to promote learning
◦ Positive Reinforcement
 Reward is given for a desired behavior
 Behavior is more likely to occur again in the
future
◦ Teachers model appropriate behavior and
students imitate the behavior
◦ Do not need technology in order to see
benefits
◦ Hardly no cost to implement a good system

9. Uses in the Classroom – Student
Perspective
 Motivated to learn because they can get a
reward
 Wants to do well because others are
receiving rewards
 Increased self-esteem may lead to better
social relationships (new friends).
 Positive outlook on teacher (he/she cares
about me)

10. The Use of Behaviorism in My
Classroom
 My Philosophy
◦ Every child is capable of learning something
◦ Through the use of rewards:
 Could increase motivation or desire to learn
 Increase self-esteem of students
 Create a system in which the child would be
successful

11. The Use of Behaviorism in My
Classroom
 Classroom
Implementation
◦ Design a system that
would benefit entire
classroom (i.e. “star
chart” or token
system)
◦ Generalize system to
be effective outside
the classroom