This document provides an introduction to behaviorism in psychology. It discusses key aspects of behaviorism such as defining behavior as responses to external stimuli that can be observed, the view that the mind is a "black box" that cannot be observed, and the idea that learning is defined as behavior changes due to environmental experiences. The document also summarizes the history of behaviorism including the influential work of John Watson and B.F. Skinner, and discusses concepts like classical conditioning, reinforcement, and how behaviorism influenced education with a focus on external motivation and reinforcement of behaviors.

1. Name:Shekhar Manohar Jadhav
Roll no.210054
Class:FYBA
Topic: Behviorism
Sub: Psychology

2. INTRODUCTION OF BEHVIORISM
▪ An attempt to make psychology more
scientific by studying only external behavior
▪ Behavior: response of an organism to stimuli;
objective & observable
▪ The study of how environmental stimuli bring
about changes in people’s behaviors
▪ Behaviorists ignore what goes on inside our
mind since it can’t be seen or measured
Mind is a “black box”

3. •According to Behaviorists, we are born as:
•“blank slates” one’s environment writes on; “vessels” to pour
knowledge into
•“lumps of clay” that can be shaped by one’s environment
•Believed the environment (extrinsic forces) is the only thing that
matters
•Learning = Behavior change due to experience
•Doesn’t consider/believe in intrinsic motivation

4. HISTORY OF BEHVIORSM
 Very popular in U.S. before Piaget and
Vygotsky’s writings were translated and brought
here
• Behaviorism via Thorndike beat out John
Dewey’s theories to become the dominant
theory in U.S.
• U.S. schools were structured after Behaviorism
rather than Dewey’s model
• Americans very interested in a scientific way to
parent and educate

5. •History of Behaviorism: Watson
“Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed,
and my own special world to bring them up in and
I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train
him to be any type of specialist I
might select – a doctor, a lawyer,
artist…”
- John B. Watson 1924

6. Classical Conditioning
Explains learning of involuntary emotional &/or
physiological responses
• Happens when two stimuli are presented at the same
time
• Being kicked by a horse; associating horse with kick;
severe anxiety around horses
• Important for teachers since school can cause
unintentional learning through classical conditioning,
especially anxiety
• Test anxiety, general school anxiety, fear, frustration,
humiliation

7. Examples of Classical Conditioning
Hearing a teacher, friend, boy/girlfriend say to
you, “We need to talk”
• Upon hearing this phrase your stomach“flutters”
• Any of your own examples?
• The point is, we learn to associate a stimulus with a
response, & eventually our body does this
automatically in the presence of the stimulus. Our
response is involuntary.

8. Consequences for Behaviors
 Positive Reinforcement – You behave in a way that
results in a reward – so you are more likely to repeat that
behavior
• Negative Reinforcement – You behave in a way that
results in the removal of something unpleasant – so you
are more likely to repeat that behavior (ex: doing a paper
early)
• In both cases, something happened that you saw as
“good” and as a result, you exhibited the behavior more.

9. Negative Reinforcement & Punishment
 Negative reinforcement: Something unpleasant
is removed & as a result you are more likely to
do it again
• You see this as “good”
• Punishment: A consequence happens that you
don’t like and you are less likely to do it again.
The punishment can add something or take
something away.
• You see this as “bad”

10. •Behaviorism & Education
• Focus on Rewards & Punishments
• Classroom Management
• External rather than Internal Motivation
• Incremental View of Learning
• Learning broken down into small chunks
• Ex: must pass part 1 before beginning part 2
• Repetition to strengthen stimulus response bonds – “Drill
& Practice” activities
• Mastery Learning
• Focused on the Individual rather than Social

11. Motivation in Behaviorism
External motivation only
• Skinner didn’t believe in internal motivation
• We do things only for a reward or to avoid
punishment
• Grades
• Praise
• Stickers
• Money
• Social Status