2. Behaviorism
Let’s contemplate the ensuing challenges:
1. Explain the basic of principles of BEHAVIORISM
2. Make a simple plan applying the primary laws of learning
3. Determine how to use rewards in the learning process more
effectively
WHAT IS
BEHAVIORISM?

3. Which is which … (YOU’RE A WITCH!!! )
 BEHAVIORISM is an attitude.
 BEHAVIORISM is a doctrine.
CHOOSE WISELY!
(All is fair in LOVE and WAR .)

4. Loosely speaking …
 BEHAVIORISM is a philosophy of
psychology based on the proposal,
states that all things that organisms
do– including acting, thinking, and
feeling, can should be regarded as
behaviors.

5. Strictly speaking …
 Let’s consider the following
three sets of claims:
1. Psychology is the science of behavior.
2. The source of behavior is external, not
internal.
3. Mental terms can be replaced by
behavioral terms.
(Psychological disorders are best treated by altering
behavior patterns or modifying the environment.)

6. Individuals behind
BEHAVIORISM

7. Individuals behind
BEHAVIORISM
 Ivan Pavlov
– 1849-1936
 Pavlov wanted to see if external stimuli could
affect the salivation process
– he rang a bell at the same time he gave the
experimental dogs food.
– After a while, the dogs -- which before only
salivated when they saw and ate their food --
would begin to salivate when the bell rang, even
if no food were present.
– Classical Conditioning
A type of learning in which a neutral stimulus
becomes conditioned by being associated with
an unconditioned stimulus.

8. Classical Conditioning

9. Pavlov also had the
following conclusions:
 Stimulus Generalization – Once the dog
has learned to salivate at the sound of the
bell, it will salivate at other similar sounds.
 Extinction – If you stop pairing the bell with
the food, salivation will eventually cease in
response to the bell.
 Spontaneous discovery – Extinguished
responses can “recovered” after an elapsed
time, but will soon extinguish again if the
dog is not presented with food.

10.  Discrimination – The dog could learn to
discriminate between similar bells and
discern which bell would result in the
presentation of food and which wouldn’t.
 Higher-Order Conditioning – Once the
dog has been conditioned to associate the
bell with food, another unconditioned
stimulus, such as light may be flashed at the
same time that the bell is rung. Eventually,
the dog will salivate at the flash of the light
without the sound of the bell.

12. Individuals behind
BEHAVIORISM
 Edward Thorndike (1874 – 1949)
– One of the most influential non-pavlovian
American psychologists
– Theory consisted of research with animals
 Placed cats into a puzzle box so the cat would have to
try to escape in order to get food.
 Concluded that cats obtained food only through “trial
and error”.
– Theory was later modified by his most famous
student, B.F. Skinner

13. Thorndike’s theory of
Connectionism
 Learning has taken place when a
strong connection or bond between
stimulus and response is formed.

14. Laws

15.  Law of Readiness
The Law of Readiness means a person can learn when
physically and mentally adjusted (ready) to receive
stimuli. Individuals learn best when they are ready to
learn, and they will not learn much if they see no reason
for learning. If trainees have a strong purpose, a clear
objective and a sound reason for learning, they usually
make more progress than trainees who lack motivation.
When trainees are ready to learn, they are more willing to
participate in the learning process, and this simplifies the
instructor's job. If outside responsibilities or worries weigh
heavily on trainees' minds or if their personal problems
seem unsolvable, they may have little interest in learning.

16.  Law of Exercise
The Law of Exercise stresses the idea that repetition is
basic to the development of adequate responses; things
most often repeated are easiest remembered. The mind
can rarely recall new concepts or practices after a single
exposure, but every time it is practiced, learning
continues and is enforced. The instructor must provide
opportunities for trainees to practice or repeat the task.
Repetition consists of many types of activities, including
recall, review, restatement, manual drill and physical
application. Remember that practice makes permanent,
not perfect unless the task is taught correctly.

17. Law of Effect
This law involves the emotional reaction of the learner.
Learning will always be much more effective when a feeling
of satisfaction, pleasantness, or reward accompanies or is a
result of the learning process. Learning is strengthened when
it is accompanied by a pleasant or satisfying feeling and that
it is weakened when it is associated with an unpleasant
experience. An experience that produces feelings of defeat,
frustration, anger or confusion in a trainee is unpleasant.
Instructors should be cautious about using negative
motivation. Usually it is better to show trainees that a problem
is not impossible, but is within their capability to understand
and solve.

18. Principles

19.  Learning requires both practice and
rewards (laws of effect /exercise)
 A series of S-R connections can be
chained together if they belong to the
same action sequence (law of
readiness).
 Transfer of learning occurs because of
previously encountered situations.
 Intelligence is a function of the number
of connections learned.

20. Individuals behind
BEHAVIORISM
Who am I?
(perhaps, the fusion of DODENG
DAGA and MOJO JOJO …
hmmm :D)

21. History of Behaviorism
 John B. Watson (1878 – 1958)
– American “Founding Father
of Behaviorism”
– “Little Albert”
 Application of Classical
Conditioning to induce
learned fear in baby Albert

22. Presuppositions of
Behaviorism
 Man has no soul or
mind
 Behavior is a
product of
conditioning
 We do not
consciously act
 We are not
responsible for our
actions

23. History of Behaviorism
 B.F. Skinner (1904 – 1990)
– American student of Thorndike
 He created the principles of Operant
Conditioning, which include:
1. Positive Reinforcement
2. Negative Reinforcement
3. Punishment
4. Extinction

24. Operant Conditioning
 Positive reinforcement: Good job!
Here, have some candy.
 Negative reinforcement: Good job! No
chores for you today.
 Punishment: Bad boy! No dessert for
you.

28. Extinction
Jose has been a bad boy. He shouts out answers
in class instead of raising his hand like everyone
else.
–The teacher tolerates this for 2-3 days but then
decides to ignore Jose whenever he does this.
–When Jose continues this behavior, the teacher
makes a greater effort to ignore Jose.
–Soon, Jose stops the behavior.
(Wolfgang, 2001)

29. Shaping of Behavior
Behavioral Chaining
Reinforcement Schedules
Fixed Interval Schedules
Variable Interval Schedules
Fixed Ratio Schedules
Variable Ratio Schedules

30. Implications of Operant
Conditioning
 Practice should take the form of
question – answer frames which
expose the student to the subject in
gradual steps.
 Require that the learner makes a
response for every frame and receives
immediate feedback.

31.  Try to arrange the difficulty of the
questions so the response is always
correct and hence, a positive
reinforcement.
 Ensure the good performance in the
lesson is paired with secondary
reinforcers such as verbal praise,
prizes and good grades.