This presentation explains briefly the theory of behaviorism.

1. BEHAVIOURISM
Supervised by:Dr. Evelyn Everheart
Presented by :
Noureddine Abada
Sofiane Achermad
Hicham El Mhali
Mohamed Qacemy
Brahim Ougati

2. TABLE OF CONTENT
01
02
03
04
05
06
WELCOME: HOW DO WE LEARN?
LEARNING BY ASSOCIATION (CLASSICAL CONDITIONING)
LEARNING FROM WHAT HAPPENS AFTER (OPERANT CONDITIONING)
PUTTING IT TOGETHER: LEARNING OUR BEHAVIORS
WHY THIS IS USEFUL
QUIZZ

3. HOW DO WE LEARN?

4. "How exactly do we learn?"

5. HOW DO WE LEARN?

6. HOW DO WE LEARN?

7. HOW DO WE LEARN?

8. HOW DO WE LEARN?

9. HOW DO WE LEARN?

10. TAKE A MOMENT TO SHARE
WITH THE PERSON NEXT TO
YOU
how did you learn something simple recently?"

11. Everyday Learning Examples

12. "So, we learn all the time! From practicing, from
linking things together, and from what happens
after we do something."
"Scientists, especially psychologists, have been
fascinated by how this happens for a long, long
time."
"They wanted to understand the 'rules' of
learning."

13. Behaviourism

14. Behaviourism
"Behaviorism says: focus on what we can see. What actions do people (or animals!)
do?
And what happens in the world around them right before or after they do those
actions?"
two main ways that behaviorists explained how we learn these kinds of behaviors,
based on what happens before and what happens after."
"It's all about studying observable behavior."

15. Behaviourism
"As one famous behaviorist, B.F. Skinner:
'Behavior is simply what an organism does.’
"Give me a child and I'll shape him into
anything." - B.F. Skinner

16. Classical
Conditioning
Ivan Pavlov (Sep 1849- Feb 1936)
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1904
Prize motivation: “in recognition of his work on the
physiology of digestion, through which knowledge on
vital aspects of the subject has been transformed and
enlarged”.
A Russian physiologist

17. Classical
Conditioning
Ivan Pavlov (Sep 1849- Feb 1936)
Classical conditioning is a form of associative learning in
which a neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditioned
stimulus to produce a similar response.

23. Operant
Conditioning

27. B.F. Skinner (1904–1990)
an American psychologist who developed Operant Conditioning.
He showed that behavior is shaped by rewards and punishments,
using experiments like the Skinner Box with rats.

28. Operant Conditioning
It is a form of learning in which the
consequences of a behavior produce
changes in the probability that the
behavior will occur again in the future.

29. Operant Conditioning

30. Is a consequence that increases the probability that a behavior will occur.
Reward introduced to increase a
behavior
Positive reinforcement

31. The frequency of a response
increases because it is followed
by the removal of an aversive
(unpleasant) stimulus.
Strengthen a behavior that avoids or
removes a negative outcome.
Negative Reinforcement

32. Operant Conditioning

33. Is a consequence that decreases the probability a behavior will occur.
Punishment introduced to decrease a
behavior (something bad is added )
Positive Punishment

34. Is a consequence that decreases the probability a behavior will occur.
removing a stimulus to remove a
certain behavior. (something good is
removed)
Negative Punishment

35. Operant Conditioning
How behavior changes overtime

36. How behavior changes overtime
Generalization Discrimination Extinction
When a behavior is
repeated in similar
situations .
When a behavior is learned
only in a specific situation
and not in others.
When a learned behavior
stops because it’s no longer
reinforced.

39. How They Work Together in Language
Teaching
In a classroom setting, you can use classical conditioning to create
a positive emotional environment, and use operant conditioning
to reinforce specific language behaviors.
Classical: If students feel relaxed and successful when speaking in
English due to a supportive environment, they'll associate
speaking English with positive emotions.
Operant: If a student forms correct English sentences and gets
praise or points, that behavior is reinforced and more likely to
happen again

40. 🧑‍🏫Situation:
A teacher is introducing "simple past tense" to first-year high school
students in Morocco.
🌟Classical Conditioning Elements:
The teacher plays cheerful background music during grammar activities.
She starts the lesson with a fun storytelling game where students listen to a
short, funny story using past tense.
- Students laugh, feel relaxed, and become emotionally engaged.
👉Result: Students start associating grammar lessons with fun and low
stress — this reduces anxiety around learning grammar.

41. Operant Conditioning Elements:
During a practice activity, the teacher asks students to form past tense
sentences.
For every correct sentence, students get praise ("Great job!" or applause) or
small rewards (stickers, points, or class leaderboard).
- If a student makes a mistake, the teacher gently corrects them and
encourages them to try again (using constructive feedback, not
punishment).
👉Result: Correct use of past tense is reinforced, and mistakes are corrected
without creating fear — improving both accuracy and confidence

42. ✅Summary:
Classical conditioning sets the stage for positive emotional learning, while
operant conditioning shapes specific linguistic behaviors. When used together,
they:
Reduce classroom anxiety
Promote motivation
Reinforce correct language use-
Help build positive habits

43. STRENGTHS
&
LIMITATIONS

44. Simple and effective
It works well for clear, observable
behaviors.
Used in real life
Education, parenting, animal training,
therapy.
Measurable
Easy to test, observe, and apply.
✅Strengths (Why it works):

45. Doesn’t explain thinking
It can’t explain imagination, decision-making,
or emotions.
Too focused on behavior
it looks at what people do, not why they do it.
Can feel controlling
People may behave just for rewards, not
because they understand or care.
❌Limitations (Why it doesn’t always work):

46. Task 1: Scenarios

47. A teacher gives students candy for
participating in class. Over time, they raise
their hands more often.

48. A university student stops attending
lectures because they feel anxious and
overwhelmed, not because they were
punished.

49. A dog learns to avoid a certain room after
being scolded there several times.

50. A language learner studies every day
because they enjoy the process and want
to express themselves in another language.

51. Discussion
“Can you think of a time when you were motivated by
a reward or punishment — and a time when that
wasn’t enough to make you do something?”

52. THANK
YOU

53. Resources
Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and human behavior. Macmillan.
Watson, J. B. (1930). Behaviorism (Revised edition). University of Chicago
Press. (Originally published 1924)
The book of Educational Psychology by Steven R. Wininger , Antony D.
Norman, and Bruce W. Tuckman
"Simple YouTube videos explaining Pavlov's Dogs or Skinner's Box." (e.g.,
CrashCourse Psychology on YouTube)
"Introductory psychology websites or textbooks." (Mention specific,
accessible ones if possible).
"Educational websites like Simply Psychology or Khan Academy
(Psychology section)."