2. Important People to Behaviorism
• Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)
• He became famous for his
behavioral experiments with
dogs.
• He won the Nobel Prize in
Physiology in 1904.
• He came up with classical
conditioning, the process that
refers to the natural reflex that
occurs in response to a
stimulus.
• (Shelly, Gunter, Gunter)
3. Important People to Behaviorism
• B.F. Skinner (1904-1990)
• He came up with another form
of conditioning that is labeled
as operant or behavioral
conditioning.
• Operant Conditioning
describes learning that is
controlled and results in
shaping behavior though
reinforcement of stimulus-
response patterns.
• Believed that people shape
their behavior based on
rewards they receive.
(Shelly, Gunter, Gunter)
4. Key Points of Behaviorism
• “Reinforce the desired behavior: praise is much
more potent than criticism or even punishment.” – As
teachers, we should praise students for good grades, good behavior,
or anything else we are tying to teach them.
• “Immediacy matters: feedback after the event is
useful at a cognitive level, but from a behavioral point of
view, the feedback (praise) has to be so close to the
specific bit of behavior that there is no doubt as to what
it applies to.” -Teachers should give students the praise or
rewards right after the desired behavior is shown.
• (Atherton)
5. Classroom Implications
What does the teacher do What does the student do
under behaviorism? under behaviorism?
• Teachers should present what • Students should pay attention to
what the teacher says they want
behavior is wanted. you to learn. Whether its good
• Teachers want students to do classroom behavior, being on
their homework, study for time to class, completing
assignments, etc.
tests, and have good classroom • The students should strive to get
behavior. the rewards in the classroom
• Teachers should have positive and at home. The students that
reach the desired behavior of the
reinforcement (praise or teacher, get the reward. The
rewards) to give students for ones who don’t get nothing.
acting good and succeeding in Seeing the other students get the
rewards should make the other
the class with effort. students want to achieve the
same thing.
6. What I think about Behaviorism:
• I think that Behaviorism is a
good way to influence students
to learn. I think that rewarding
good things students do will
reinforce good habits in them.
As a teacher I would use
behaviorism with rewarding
students with extra points on a
test if they completed all
homework for the content on
that test. This would make
them want to do their
homework, and they will be
studying at the same time!
7. Credits
- Atherton J S (2011) Learning and Teaching;
Behaviour modification [On-line: UK] retrieved
17 November 2011 from
http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/
behaviour_mod.htm
-Shelly, Gary B., Glenda A. Gunter, and Randolph E.
Gunter. Teachers discovering computers:
integrating technology and digital media in the
classroom. 6th ed. Boston, Mass.: Course
Technology, 20102009. Print.
