Behavioristic Approach to learning

1. Behavioristic Approach to Learning
Dr.M.Deivam
Assistant Professor (C)
Department of Education
The Gandhigram Rural Institute (Deemed to be University)
Gandhigram, Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu – 624 302

2. Approaches to Learning: Surface, Deep,
Strategic
Learning Approaches Overview:
1.Approaches to learning explain when and how
learning occurs.
2.They focus on learning methods and techniques.
3.Two main types: Surface and Deep approaches.
Surface Approach:
1.Goal: Completing task requirements.
2.Memorizing information without deep
understanding.
3.Treating the task as an imposition.

3. Contd.,
Deep Approach:
1.Goal: Understanding the learning content.
2.Active interaction with material.
3.Relating new ideas to previous knowledge and
experiences.
4.Examining conclusions critically.
Strategic Approach:
1.Goal: Achieving high exam grades.
2.Can use Surface or Deep approach.
3.Emphasis on well-planned study methods and time
management

4. Various approaches of Learning
• Behavioristic approach: This approach focuses on
how external stimuli and rewards influence behavior
and learning. It emphasizes conditioning and
reinforcement to shape behavior.
• Cognitive approach: The cognitive approach centers
on mental processes such as memory, thinking,
problem-solving, and information processing. It
explores how learners perceive, organize, and interpret
information.

5. Contd.,
•Social approach: The social approach to learning
emphasizes the role of social interactions and the
influence of others in the learning process. It
highlights the significance of collaborative learning
and social context.
•Humanistic approach: The humanistic approach
places importance on individual learners' self-
directedness, motivation, and personal growth. It
emphasizes the learner's autonomy and self-
actualization.

6. Concept of Behavioristic Approach to Learning
•The behavioristic approach to learning is a
psychological theory that focuses on studying directly
observable behaviors rather than internal mental
processes.
•Behaviorists believe that human behavior is
determined by the environment and the learning
experiences an individual goes through.

7. Characteristic of Behaviouristic Approach to Learning
•Behaviourists believe in the objective study of behaviour -
animal and human being both (objectively observable
behaviour).
• Its chief emphasis is on environment. This approach
considers environment more important than heredity in the
determination of behaviour.
• Conditioning is the key to the understanding of behaviour,
which is composed of stimulus and response links and can be
successfully analysed by the objective scientific method.

8. Contd.,
• The chief method of learning is condition.
• Behaviourists believe that one unit of knowledge gets associated
with a new unit of knowledge by virtue of similarity, contrast or
contiguity (closeness of occurrence in time or situation).

9. Pavlov's Classical Conditioning:
• Classical conditioning is a form of learning that was famously
studied and demonstrated by the Russian physiologist Ivan
Pavlov.
• Through his groundbreaking experiments with dogs, Pavlov
discovered the concept of classical conditioning, which has
since become a fundamental principle in behavioral
psychology.

10. Key Elements of Classical
Conditioning:
1.Unconditioned Stimulus (US):
The unconditioned stimulus is a stimulus that naturally and
automatically triggers a response without any prior learning. In
Pavlov's experiments, the unconditioned stimulus was the
presentation of food to the dogs.
2.Unconditioned Response (UR):
The unconditioned response is the reflexive response that occurs in
response to the unconditioned stimulus. In Pavlov's experiments,
the unconditioned response was the dogs' salivation when
presented with food.
3.Neutral Stimulus (NS):
The neutral stimulus is a stimulus that does not elicit any significant
response or reaction initially. In Pavlov's case, a bell was a neutral
stimulus before conditioning.

11. Contd.,
4.Conditioned Stimulus (CS):
The conditioned stimulus is a formerly neutral stimulus that, after
being paired with the unconditioned stimulus, starts to elicit a
response similar to the unconditioned response. In Pavlov's
experiments, the bell became the conditioned stimulus after
being associated with food.
5. Conditioned Response (CR):
The conditioned response is the learned response that occurs in
response to the conditioned stimulus after conditioning has taken
place. In Pavlov's experiments, the dogs' salivation in response to
the bell (without the presence of food) became the conditioned
response.

12. Classical Conditioning Process:
1.Before Conditioning:
The neutral stimulus (bell) does not evoke any salivation response
from the dogs.
2.During Conditioning:
The neutral stimulus (bell) is repeatedly paired with the
unconditioned stimulus (food). For example, whenever the food
(US) is presented, the bell (NS) is rung simultaneously.
3.After Conditioning:
After several pairings, the dogs start to associate the sound of the
bell (CS) with the presentation of food (US). As a result, the bell
alone begins to elicit salivation (CR) from the dogs, even when
food is not presented.

13. Educational Implications of Pavlov's
Classical Conditioning
• The use of rewards and punishments to shape behavior. When
students are rewarded for desired behaviors, they are more likely to
repeat those behaviors in the future. Similarly, when students are
punished for undesired behaviors, they are less likely to repeat those
behaviors.
• The use of association to create positive attitudes. By pairing
positive stimuli with academic tasks, teachers can help students
develop positive attitudes towards those tasks. For example, a
teacher might play relaxing music while students are working on
a difficult math problem. This association between the music
and the math problem could help students to view math as a
more enjoyable subject.

14. Contd.,
• The use of desensitization to reduce anxiety. Classical
conditioning can also be used to reduce anxiety. For example, a
teacher might help a student who is afraid of public speaking by
gradually exposing them to increasingly anxiety-provoking
situations. This process of desensitization can help the student to
overcome their fear of public speaking.
• The use of visual aids to enhance learning. Visual aids can be
used to create associations between new concepts and familiar
ones. This can help students to learn new concepts more easily.
For example, a teacher might use a picture of a cat to help
students learn the word "cat."

15. Skinner’s Operant Conditioning
Behavior and Operant Conditioning: Behavior refers to observable
and measurable activities of an organism, such as pressing a key,
uttering a word, or solving problems. Operant conditioning, proposed
by B.F. Skinner, is a learning theory that associates reinforcement
with a response rather than a specific stimulus.
Reinforcement: Reinforcement is a critical aspect of operant
conditioning. It involves presenting a stimulus (reinforcer) following a
response to increase the likelihood of that response being repeated in
the future. Positive reinforcement involves providing a reward,
such as food, when the desired behavior occurs.

16. Contd.,
Skinner Box Experiment: Skinner demonstrated his theory using a
simple experiment involving a rat in a box (Skinner Box). The hungry
rat accidentally presses a lever, and food is released. After repeated
instances, the rat learns to press the lever intentionally to obtain food,
and the behavior of pressing the lever is reinforced by the reward
of food.
Strengthening and Weakening Behavior: Operant conditioning affects
behavior, strengthening it with pleasurable consequences (positive
reinforcement) and weakening it with unpleasant consequences
(negative reinforcement or punishment).

17. Contd.,
Learning Objectives and Reinforcement: In operant conditioning,
learning objectives are broken down into small steps or tasks, and
each step is reinforced one by one to increase the likelihood of the
desired behavior recurring in the future.
External Conditions in Operant Conditioning: Three external
conditions are crucial in operant conditioning: reinforcement,
contiguity (the proximity of the reinforcer to the response), and
practice.
Contingency and Reinforcement: Reinforcement becomes
contingent upon the response in operant conditioning, meaning the
reinforcement occurs only when the desired response is emitted.

18. Contd.,
Positive reinforcement: Positive reinforcement is a stimulus that,
when presented following a desired behavior, increases the
likelihood of that behavior occurring again. It involves providing a
positive reward to strengthen the behavior. Examples of positive
reinforcement include praise, smiles, prizes, money, and enjoyable
activities like watching a funny television program.

19. Contd.,
Negative reinforcement: In contrast, negative reinforcement involves
the removal or avoidance of a stimulus to increase the likelihood of a
desired behavior occurring. When a negative reinforcer is removed
after a response, the behavior is strengthened.
For instance, closing windows and doors to avoid loud noise or giving
right answers to avoid wrong answers are examples of negative
reinforcement. The negative reinforcer in these cases is the
unpleasant stimulus (loud noise or wrong answers) that is avoided,
leading to relief from the unpleasant situation.

20. Contd.,
Distinction from punishment: It is essential to differentiate
negative reinforcement from punishment. Negative reinforcement
involves the removal of an aversive stimulus to strengthen
behavior, while punishment involves the presentation of an
aversive stimulus following an undesired behavior to weaken or
suppress that behavior.

21. Educational Implications
• Programmed Instruction:
1.Concept Overview:
1.Programmed instruction breaks subject matter into small steps.
2.Logical sequence for rapid learning.
3.Reinforcement after each step.
4.Student progress tracking.
2.Benefits and Individualization:
1.Highly individualized instructional strategy.
2.Effective for both classroom and self-learning environments.
3.Supports personalized learning journeys.

22. Contd.,
Teaching Machine
Definition and Purpose:
1.Teaching machines implement behavioristic principles.
2.Pre-determined sequence of content items.
3.Immediate student feedback.
Functionality:
1.Presents questions or stimuli to students.
2.Allows response and provides instant feedback.
3.Encourages active learning and engagement.

23. Contd.,
Types of Teaching Machines:
1.Constructed-response machines.
2.Multiple-choice machines.
• Educational Implications:
• Enhanced student engagement and interaction.
• Promotes self-paced learning.
• Supports effective feedback and assessment.

24. Further Readings
• https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/46576/1/Unit-2.pdf
• https://egyankosh.ac.in/handle/123456789/44768
• https://egyankosh.ac.in/handle/123456789/46576
• https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/8507/1/Unit-10.pdf

25. Thank you