This is a detailed Power Point on Behaviorism and all its contents, as well as a discussion on how to combine technology in trying to teach in a Behavioral way.

1. Behaviorism
Group Three
Chelsey McCurdy
Erin Seo
Celeste Mortellaro
Breanna Cooksey
Hayley Friedman
Taran Haecherl

2. Behaviorism
• Behaviorism is the prediction and control of
human behavior in which introspection and/or
independent thinking play no essential part of its
teaching methods.
• Behaviorism came into vogue during a period
of time that coincided with the industrial
revolution called modernism in which everything
of value (including learning) was measured solely
in terms of science.

3. Behaviorism Continued
• To a behaviorist, human learning is purely an
objective and experimental branch of natural
science. There is no internal cognitive
processing of information.
• Behaviorists recognize that man and animals
both learn to behave through a system of
positive and negative rewards, called
conditioning.

4. B.F. Skinner
• He became a well known
behaviorist.
• He developed the
"behavioral technology"
that portrayed the his
later principles of
"behavior control."
Image Source:
http://www.skeptically.org/skinner/id3.html

5. B.F. Skinner continued
• He developed many experiments including the
Skinner Box or Operant Chamber, shaping
behavior
procedure, reinforcers, reinforcement
schedules, and operant conditioning.
• He truly believed external forces shaped
behavior.

6. Image source:
http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/jwb/Psychology/LearnInt
ell/SkinnerBox.htm

7. Operant Conditioning
• Operant conditioning describes learning that
is controlled and results in shaping behavior
through the reinforcement of stimulus-
response patterns.

8. Four Contexts of Operant Conditioning
• 1) Positive reinforcement (reinforcement):
occurs when a behavior (response) is followed
by a stimulus that is rewarding, increasing the
frequency of that behavior.
• In the Skinner box experiment, a stimulus such
as food or sugar solution can be delivered
when the rat engages in a target
behavior, such as pressing a lever.

9. Four Contexts of Operant Conditioning
Continued
• 2) Negative reinforcement (escape): occurs when
a behavior is followed by the removal of an
aversive stimulus, thereby increasing that
behavior's frequency.
• In the Skinner box experiment, negative
reinforcement can be a loud noise continuously
sounding inside the rat's cage until it engages in
the target behavior, such as pressing a lever, upon
which the loud noise is removed.

10. Four Contexts of Operant Conditioning
Continued
• 3) Positive punishment (punishment): occurs
when a behavior is followed by a stimulus, such
as introducing a shock or loud noise, resulting in a
decrease in that behavior.
• 4) Negative punishment (penalty): occurs when a
behavior is followed by the removal of a
stimulus, such as taking away a child's toy
following an undesired behavior, resulting in a
decrease in that behavior.

11. Image source: "Norway Rat," The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American
Mammals, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. New York, 1991, picture 140, description p. 512.

12. What the teacher does under this
theory (with and without technology)
• The teacher can set up a reward system in
order to have students efficiently accomplish a
task or behave in a desired mannerism.
• Examples: give out prizes, homework
passes, points towards treasure box, give
special computer time with fun educational
software and games (Jump Start to…)

13. What the students do under this
theory (with and without technology)
• The students are conditioned to respond when
they are given a particular stimulus or
motivator, which causes them to behave in the
desired manner. Students learn
consequences, and the concept of reward and
punishment.
• Examples: Taking away recess time
• Educational software: giving students
reinforcement for items done correctly
(coins, points, tokens, encouraging sayings)

14. What do you think about the theory
for your own teaching
• This theory is very effective; students are
reinforced for good behavior, which encourages
them to continue that certain behavior.
• Also it sets up a system of rewards that prompts
them to behave in a certain way so the students
know exactly what is expected of them and what
they should expect if they do not respond in the
appropriate way.