Learning theories- Behaviourism

Project Practicum EDB2002 Harshul Banodha
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
STUDENT NAME: HARSHUL BANODHA
ROLL NO: 197000025
SUBJECT NAME: LEARNING AND TEACHING
SUBJECT CODE: EDB 2002
COURSE: B.ED
SESSION: 2019-20
DATE OF SUBMISSION: 27 APRIL, 2020
SUBMITTED TO: MRS. PREETI VERMA MA’AM & MR. RAJESH
KUMAR SINGH SIR
SIGN:………………………..
REMARKS:…………………
GRADE:……………………..
197000025 Slide 1

INTRODUCTION
TOPIC: PRESENTATION ON LEARNING THEORIES
Learning is one of the fragments of educational psychology which is very much
important to know the learning process of the learner, as learning is linked with
good teaching, or vice-versa. Over the years, the group of psychologists have
conducted various experiments to prove and determine the process of learning
and propounded some theories that attempt to explain and demonstrate the way
people learn. Most of the theories figured out the characteristics of the learner,
Types of learning and Method of learning. The theories of learning put stressed
upon Stimulus, Response and Reinforcement and their match with each other. Let
us discuss some of the learning theories which tell us about the way we learn.

This presentation consists of three famous learning theories related to the
behavioural change and learning process. This practicum consist of EL
Thorndike’s Trial and Error or Connectionism or Behavioural Change Theory, Ivan
Pavlov’s Classical Conditioning Theory And BF Skinner’s Operant Conditioning.
This presentation follows the pattern of Introduction of Theorist, Base of theory,
Experiments to prove that base, Outcomes of experiments, Principles, laws and
results and finally its Educational Implications.

This project practicum comprises of illustrations, graphics and images which
depicts the concept of theories. It tends to make it more illustrative, dynamic and
interesting.
197000025 Slide 2

PRESENTATION GUIDE
1. TRIAL AND ERROR (CONNECTIONISM THEORY)

By Edward Lee Thorndike
…………………………………Slide 4 to 8……………………………………..
2. CLASSICAL CONDITIONING (PAVLOVIAN THEORY)
By Ivan Pavlov

…………………………………Slide 9 to 13………………………………..
3. OPERANT CONDITIONING (INSTRUMENTAL CONDITIONING
THEORY)
By Burrhus Frederick Skinner

…………………………………Slide 14 to 18………………………………
CONCLUSION
…………………………………Slide 19………………………………………
REFERENCES
…………………………………Slide 20………………………………………
197000025 Slide 3

1. TRIAL AND ERROR (CONNECTIONISM THEORY)

By Edward Lee Thorndike

EL Thorndike was an American psychologist and the Professor
who spent nearly his entire career at Columbia University. His work
and contribution to the psychology and the learning process led to
the connectionism theory and helped lay the scientific foundation
for educational psychology. He is famous for his experiments on
cat, rats and rabbits to study the learning process and behavioural
change. He had a powerful impact on reinforcement theory and
behaviour analysis, providing the basic framework for empirical
laws in behaviour psychology with his law of eﬀect. Through his
contributions to the behavioural psychology field came his major
impacts on education, where the law of eﬀect has great influence
in the classroom. 
197000025 Slide 4
EDWARD LEE
THORNDIKE
(1874-1949)

Experiment on Cat
As per the Thorndike’s views Learning is the process of forming
association or bonds with certain situation and resultant pleasure.
The initial work by Thorndike was based on series of puzzle box
experiments on animals, where learning was defined as a function
of the amount of time required for the animal to escape from the
box. 
His famous experiment was on cats, (see figure A) a hungry cat
was put in a puzzle box and the cat tried to come out of the box to
get the food. The door of the box could be open by pressing a liver
in the box. Initially cat tried in all directions and the liver was
pressed by chance and it could come out. In the trials which
followed the eﬀorts were restricted around the liver, gradually the
cat learned to press the liver immediately and come out to get the
food. Here, Drive is hunger, Goal is food, Barrier is cage, Stimulus
is smell of food, Response is its movement, Chance by success is
its luckily attempt, selection is selecting the way of opening the
cage and fixation is the knowing the method how this cage will
open.
197000025 Slide 5
FIGURE A

OUTCOMES
Later he applied the principles of learning to human beings also.
Thorndike summarised his theory on learning in the form of three
laws of learning (Primary):
• Law of Readiness – In simple terms it is stated as the
readiness of the organism to learn a particular response. It
also refers to the motivational aspects of learning. It is the
readiness on the part of the learner and he gets satisfaction
from the learning.  
• Law of Exercise – The law of exercise had two parts: the law
of use and the law of disuse. This law states that
connections grow stronger when used and are weakened
when not used. It suggests that we need repeated attempts
and practice to master a particular skill.  
• Law of Effect – The law of effect explains that the
connections between stimulus and response are
strengthened only when they result in a satisfying state of
affairs and they are weakened when the result is annoying
or irritating.  
197000025 Slide 6

Thorndike gave the following Secondary laws also:
• Law of Primacy- Learning that takes place in the beginning is
the best and lasting
• Law of Recency- ‘Recent acts are lasting’ we remember those
things better which are recent
• Law of Intensity of Stimulus- If a stimulus is strong, the
response will be strong, and vice-versa
• Law of Multiple Response- Confronted with a new situation the
organism responds in a variety of ways arriving at the correct
response
• Law of Set Attitude- The learner performs the task well if he
has his attitude set in the task
• Law of Analogy and Assimilation- The organism makes
responses by comparison or analogy and assimilation
• Law of Associative Shifting- According to this law we can get
any response, from the learner of which he is capable,
associated with any situation to which he is sensitive.
• Law of Partial Activity- This law states that teaching should be
done in parts. It is more true in the case of children’s
education.
 
197000025 Slide 7

Educational Implications of Thorndike’s Theory
• Readiness means desire to do a job. In the absence of desire
learning cannot be effective. Hence the teacher must arouse the
interest or readiness of the pupils. In teaching any topic, he must
tap their previous knowledge, arouse interest for the new topic
through suitable questions and then announce the aim of the new
lesson. So ‘motivation’ is one of the important step in lesson-
planning.
• Curiosity is essential for learning. Hence the teacher should
arouse curiosity for learning, so that the pupils feel ready to
imbibe the new experiences. Some teachers do not prepare their
pupils psychologically for their lessons. They dole out the
knowledge they possess in a mechanical way.
• The teacher should, before taking up the new lesson arouse
interest and curiosity by making the problems real and concrete.
Abstract elements not connected with real- life situations should
be avoided.
• The teacher should play the role of the motivator, guide and
facilitator. He should never impose learning forcibly there should
be independency in the process. If the learner is feeling stressed
or burdened the teacher should counsel him. Teacher should
figure out all the barrier which is coming before the learner and try
to sort out, or consult learner’s guardian, if possible.
197000025 Slide 8

2. CLASSICAL CONDITIONING (PAVLOVIAN THEORY)
By Ivan Pavlov

Ivan Pavlov was the Russian Psychologist, knowing primarily for
his work on classical conditioning. He was the eminent contributor
of the concepts in psychology. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for
Physiology or Medicine in 1904 for his work on digestive
secretions. During his studies on the digestive systems of dogs,
Pavlov noted that the animals salivated naturally upon the
presentation of food. He was the graduate in natural sciences, he
was the scientific fellow who always used to spend his time in the
laboratories. Later, He relate the same principles and concepts to
the human behaviour also considered to be the universal feature
presented in all animals. 
197000025 Slide 9
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (1849-1936

Experiment on Dog
In 1927 Ivan Pavlov conducted a famous experiment with dogs.
In his experiment, Pavlov used a bell as his neutral stimulus.
Initially he observed that food (Natural Stimulus) was able to
produce Salivation ( Natural response) but during his
experiments when he gave food to his dog, he also rang a bell.
After a number of repeated trials, he used the ringing of the bell,
as it was observed that after repeated trials, the bell alone was
now able to produce salivation. So the dog had learned an
association between the bell and the food and a new behaviour
had been learned. Because this response was learned (or
conditioned), it is called a conditioned response.
This kind of conditioning can be used to develop repetitive
actions with training, for example looking in the mirror (a neutral
stimulus) can be conditioned and a natural response (putting
your seatbelt on) can be conditioned while driving a car.
Kindly go through this video: Experiment on Dog: Illustration
197000025 Slide 10

197000025 Slide 11

OUTCOMES OF EXPERIMENT
1. ACQUISITION- For this process to begin, two different stimuli, CS
(Conditioned Stimuli) and UCS (Unconditioned Stimuli) must be
paired repeatedly before the CS unfailingly elicits a CR (Conditioned
Response). CS and UCS when paired together extract a certain
response. After repeatedly pairing two separate stimuli together, the
conditioned response gets stronger and stronger. This process is
called Acquisition. Acquisition of relationship between two stimuli is
absolutely vital for classical conditioning.
2. STIMULUS GENERALISATION- Generalisation is defined as the
process in which a stimulus similar to the original CS produces
similar behaviour identical to the CR.
3. STIMULUS DISCRIMINATION- This principle relates with the ability
of an organism to learn the difference between different stimuli and
respond only to the conditioned stimulus.
4. EXTINCTION- Extinction is said to have occurred when there is
complete absence of conditioned response, when the subject is
exposed to conditioned stimulus (absence of UCS). Extinction can
be produced by ending the association between conditioned and
unconditioned stimuli.
5. SPONTANEOUS RECOVERY- Sometimes, the CR suddenly
reappears even after then link between CS and UCS has been
broken down, or to put in another words, the organism has stopped
eliciting CR in response to CS. This principle can be used to explain
why “cured” alcohol and drug addicts again “relapse to addiction”.
When the cured addicts confront with the substance, the irresistible
urge to use the substance again may resurface because of the
strong connection to the drug previously. This can be termed as
Spontaneous Recovery.
197000025 Slide 12

Educational Implications of Pavlovian Theory
• Love, hatred and fear towards specific subjects are created
through classical conditioning. For example a Maths teacher with
his or her defective method of teaching and improper behaviour
in the classroom may be disliked by Learners. The Learners
develop hatred towards Maths due to teacher’s behaviour.
• The good method and kind treatment a teacher can bring
desirable impacts upon the Learners. The Learners may like the
boring subject because of teacher’s role.
• When a teacher want to teach a cat. He or she shows the picture
of the cat along with the spellings. When teacher shows picture at
the same time he or she spell out the spellings, after a while
when only picture is shown and the Learners spell the word cat.
• Elimination of bad habits like abusing, drug addiction, violation
can be sort with this conditioning.
• Drill and practice; the repetition of stimulus response habits can
strengthen those habits. For example, some believe that the best
way to improve reading is to have students read more and more.
“Practice is important; Students should encounter academic
subject matter in a positive climate and associate it with positive
 emotions.
197000025 Slide 13

3. OPERANT CONDITIONING (INSTRUMENTAL CONDITIONING
THEORY)
By Burrhus Frederick Skinner

BF Skinner was an American Psychologist, behaviourist, Social
Philosopher and professor. He was the Edgar Pierce Professor of
Psychology at Harvard University from 1958 until his retirement in
1974. He propounded the theory called Operant conditioning, in
which he did experiments on rats and pigeon to find out the radical
behaviourism in an organism. During his time at Harvard, Skinner
became interested in studying human behaviour in an objective
and scientific way. He developed what he referred to as an operant
conditioning apparatus, which later become known as a "Skinner
box." Skinner's research and writing quickly made him one of the
leaders of the behaviourist movement in psychology and his work
contributed immensely to the development of experimental
psychology. 
197000025 Slide 14
B.F. Skinner (1904-1990)

Experiment on Rat
A Skinner Box is a often small chamber that is used to conduct
Operant Conditioning research with animals. Where Response
comes first before stimulus. Within the chamber, there is usually a
lever (for rats) that an individual animal can operate to obtain a food
or water within the chamber as a reinforcer. The chamber is
connected to electronic equipment that records the animal's lever
pressing or key pecking, thus allowing for the precise quantification
of behaviour. See the figure B, Watch this video for video
illustration: Skinner Box Rat, Skinner's opinion
 
197000025 Slide 15
Figure B, Skinner box

OUTCOMES OF EXPERIMENT
Skinner identified three types of response,

• Neutral operants: responses from the environment that neither
increase nor decrease the probability of a behaviour being
repeated.

• Reinforcers: Responses from the environment that increase the
probability of a behaviour being repeated. Reinforcers can be either
positive or negative.

• Punishers: Responses from the environment that decrease the
likelihood of a behaviour being repeated. Punishment weakens
behaviour.

Positive Reinforcer- The box contained a lever on the side, and as
the rat moved about the box, it would accidentally knock the lever.
Immediately it did so a food pellet would drop into a container next
to the lever. The rats quickly learned to go straight to the lever after
a few times of being put in the box. The consequence of receiving
food if they pressed the lever ensured that they would repeat the
action again and again. Positive reinforcement strengthens a
behaviour by providing a consequence an individual finds
rewarding.
Negative Reinforcer- Skinner showed how negative reinforcement
worked by placing a rat in his Skinner box and then subjecting it to
an unpleasant electric current which caused it some discomfort.
The removal of an unpleasant reinforcer can also strengthen
behaviour. This is known as negative reinforcement because it is
the removal of an adverse stimulus which is ‘rewarding’ to the
animal or person. Negative reinforcement strengthens behaviour
because it stops or removes an unpleasant experience.
Punishment- Punishment is defined as the opposite of
reinforcement since it is designed to weaken or eliminate a
response rather than increase it.
197000025 Slide 16

Educational Implications of Skinner’s Theory
• In the conventional learning situation, operant conditioning
applies largely to issues of class and student management,
rather than to learning content. It is very relevant to shaping skill
performance.

• A simple way to shape behaviour is to provide feedback on
learner performance, e.g., compliments, approval,
encouragement, and aﬃrmation.

• if a teacher wanted to encourage students to answer questions
in class they should praise them for every attempt (regardless of
whether their answer is correct). Gradually the teacher will only
praise the students when their answer is correct, and over time
only exceptional answers will be praised.

• Unwanted behaviours, such as tardiness and dominating class
discussion can be extinguished through being ignored by the
teacher.

• Knowledge of success is also important as it motivates future
learning. However, it is important to vary the type of
reinforcement given so that behaviour is maintained.

197000025 Slide 17

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CLASSICAL AND OPERANT
CONDITIONING THEORY
The theory of Classical
Conditioning deals with the
learning process leading us
to gain a new behaviour via
the process of association.
Classical Conditioning works
by pairing involuntary
response with stimulus. After
which, unconditioned
response becomes
conditioned response.
Operant conditioning is a
form of learning which
explains the relation of
behaviours on certain
rewards and consequences.
Operant Conditioning works
by applying two major
concepts, Reinforcements
and Punishments, after the
behaviour is executed, which
causes the rate of behaviour
to increase or decrease.
197000025 Slide 18

CONCLUSION
These learning theories propounded to know the learning pattern
of the living being, precisely it meant to determine the learning
process and behavioural change of the human beings. Learning is
the very dynamic part of human behaviour which is consider to be
lifelong process, which means a learning of a person never stops
and never ends. Even the non-intentional observation would be
consider as the paradigm of learning. Some learning needs
association, instruction and even reinforcement. All of the theories
mentioned above tell us the notion of wide aspect of learning
process; Thorndike’s theory tells us about the law of eﬀect and trial
and error trait of an organism; Pavlovian theory tells us about the
associative learning which means a learner learns through some
kind of association or links of stimulus with other things; Skinner’s
theory tells us about the reinforcement and punishment notion
which means a learner tends to learn fast when reinforcement will
be there or the learner eliminates the behaviour after receiving
punishment. So, all these evinced notion showcase the human
behaviour. In education, we implement these notion into the
classroom to observe or identify child’s behaviour or his learning
process. A teacher must be aware about the catering of positive
reinforcement in the classroom, punishment is also required but in
very measured form. Hence, the classroom is filled with the
individual diﬀerences, a teacher must ensure each child’s learning
process, for weak pupil he has to be an informative one and for
intelligent pupil he has to be a motivator.

197000025 Slide 19

REFERENCES
1. http://etec.ctlt.ubc.ca/510wiki/Behaviourist
2. https://www.psychestudy.com/behavioral/learning-
memory/classical-conditioning/classical-vs-operant
3. https://www.simplypsychology.org/operant-
conditioning.html
4. https://www.verywellmind.com/edward-thorndike-
biography-1874-1949-2795525
5. https://towardsdatascience.com/reinforcement-
learning-brain-and-psychology-part-2-classical-
and-instrumental-conditioning-217a4f0a989
6. https://psychology.uiowa.edu/comparative-
cognition-laboratory/glossary/skinner-box
7. www.youtube.com
8. www.google.com/images
9. R. Lall Publications, Learning and Teaching
10. Advanced Educational Psychology, SK Mangal
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