EDS 103 Theories of Learning

Module 3. BEHAVIORAL THEORIES

Module 3
BEHAVIORAL THEORIES OF LEARNING

Behaviorists define learning as “the relatively permanent change in behavior as a

consequence of experience or practice”, and the term learning theory is often associated
with the behavioral view (Huitt & Hummel, 2006). They believe that with appropriate
conditioning, any person can be made to learn (i.e., acquire behaviors), regardless of
genetic and socio-emotional attributes (Cherry, 2019, History and Key Concepts of
Behavioral Psychology).
For the behaviorist, learning is manifested as “observable and
measurable” change in behavior. To date, it is common practice to Change in behavior:
 publicly observable
use “publicly observable and measurable behaviors” as a basic  measurable
criterion for what constitutes “good” learning objectives for lesson
plans. Concomitantly, mental processes, being unobservable, are
not deemed suitable descriptions of learning objectives (Huitt, 1996, Writing Behavioral
Objectives).

Learning Objectives
After studying this module, you should be able to:
1. discuss the basic assumptions that underlie behavioral theories of learning;
2. identify the strengths and limitations of behaviorist approaches;
3. explain how behaviorist principles have influenced teaching and learning
practices, as well as personal experiences;
4. use behavioral theories to analyze teaching-learning events and predict learning
outcomes;
5. propose behaviorist approaches to improve pedagogy.

Topics
A. Behaviorist theories
1. Classical Conditioning (Pavlov; Watson)
2. Connectionism; Thorndike’s Laws
3. Operant or Instrumental Conditioning (Skinner)
B. Applications
C. Strengths / limitations and issues

Essential Questions
 What basic assumptions underlie behavioral theories of learning?
 How are principles from behavioral theories applied to teaching and learning
practices?
 How might behavioral theories be able to help us understand some students'
emotional responses to learning events?
 In what are ways might behavioral principles be used to manage behaviors or
promote learning?
 What are the strengths and limitations of and issues with behaviorist
approaches?

Marilou R. Juachon-Panlilio, PhD | University of the Philippines Open University 1

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Module 3. BEHAVIORAL THEORIES

BEHAVIORIST THEORIES

Learning Exercises
As you study the materials on behaviorist theories,
you are encouraged / expected to: Precept:
1. Generate a glossary of terms "All behaviors are mere responses
2. Construct a concept map representing to the environment and can always
behaviorist theories and the relevant be traced to some physical or
concepts or principles external cause."

Options for how to study this module.

You have two sets of learning resources; you are free to decide which resources are
most suitable for you as your main learning material and which to use as supplements.
The options offer opportunities to help clarify some ideas as encountered again in
another material—augmented with enlightening details or phrased, organized, or
presented in a medium that is more coherent and fitting to your learning style.

You are NOT expected to study ALL the resources from both A and B. The resources are
being made available to you as a convenience. Choose wisely. Enjoy learning.

A. MAIN LEARNING RESOURCE:

CHAPTER 8 LEARNING
In Introduction To Psychology: 1st Canadian Edition (Stangor & Walinga)

8. Learning
8.1 Learning by Association: Classical Conditioning
8.2 Changing Behaviour through Reinforcement and Punishment: Operant
Conditioning
Sections 8.3 to 8.5 are optional and may be skipped
8.3 Learning by Insight and Observation
8.4 Using the Principles of Learning to Understand Everyday Behaviour
8.5 Chapter Summary

B. COLLECTION OF LEARNING RESOURCES ON BEHAVIORIST THEORIES

This set comprises of a carefully-arranged collection of short articles and video materials.
Annotations on each resource guide you, particularly when you need to make a choice
about which resources to use (and review or skip), according to your learning needs.

Overview
The following articles allow us to obtain a general picture of behaviorism. We will
identify more specific points of emphasis as we study each theory. So relax and enjoy as
you go over some of these articles; do not overindulge.
 Conditioning (Psychology Encyclopedia: Learning and memory, 2019)
Very concise overview of the historical and theoretical development of
behaviorism, citing the contributions of the four major theorists

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Module 3. BEHAVIORAL THEORIES

 Innate vs learned behaviors (Khan Academy) [YouTube video, 9:24 min]

Differentiates instinctive behaviors and learned behaviors

 Optional supplements (interesting but may be skipped):

o History and Key Concepts of Behavioral Psychology (Cherry, 2019)
Brief history;
Overview of classical and operant conditioning & major principles
o Behaviorist approach (McLeod, S., 2017)
Explains key assumptions of behaviorist theories; types of behaviorism
Table of historical milestones
o Watson, Pavlov, Thorndike, Skinner and the Development of Behaviorism
(Schatzie, 2019)
Brief discussion of the key contributions by major behaviorist theorists

1. CLASSICAL CONDITIONING (Pavlov; Watson)

Classical conditioning (also known as Pavlovian or respondent conditioning)
refers to a learning process wherein a neutral stimulus (e.g. sound of bell) becomes a
conditioned stimulus after having been paired with an unconditioned stimulus (e.g.
food); subsequently, the conditioned stimulus is able to elicit a conditioned response
despite the absence of the original unconditioned stimulus (bell minus the food causes
salivation).
 Classical conditioning (McLeod, 2018)
Explains the stages of Pavlov’s classical conditioning
Discusses Watson’s Little Albert experiment (classical conditioning on humans)
+ The Little Albert Experiment [~6min YouTube video]

 Collection of resources on Pavlovian conditioning from Verywell Mind

1. Pavlov's Dogs and the Discovery of Classical Conditioning (Cherry, 2019).
How Ivan Pavlov Discovered Classical Conditioning

2. Classical Conditioning Overview (Cherry, 2019)

A step-by-step guide on how classical conditioning works, with examples
Expounds the five key principles of classical conditioning: acquisition,
extinction, spontaneous recovery, simultaneous generalization, simultaneous
discrimination

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3. Unconditioned Stimulus in Classical Conditioning (Cherry, 2019)

Elaboration of unconditioned stimulus (UCS) and the neutral stimulus;
Explains how different timing orders between the UCS and the neutral
stimulus is used for different types of conditioning: simultaneous, backward,
trace, delayed

4. Acquisition in Classical Conditioning (Cherry, 2019)

Discusses how new behaviors are acquired, what influence acquisition or
cause extinction

5. How Extinction is Defined in Psychology (Cherry, 2019)

Causes and examples of extinction; relevant factors

6. The Little Albert Experiment (Cherry, 2019)

Examines the infamous work of John Watson
Related article How the Stimulus Generalization Process is Conditioned
(Cherry, 2019)

 Optional - Video resources (Khan Academy/ YouTube)

o Neutral, conditioned, and unconditioned stimuli and responses (5:45min)
o Extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, discrimination (5:33 min)

 Optional - Reading supplements (can be helpful, but may be skipped)

o Classical Conditioning (Boundless Psychology)
Overview of classical conditioning principles per the studies of Pavlov and
Watson

o Instructional Design Models and Theories: [Ivan Pavlov’s] Classical

Conditioning (Pappas, C., 2013)
Clarifies concepts and principles via example (UCS, UCR, CS, CR)

2. CONNECTIONISM; THORNDIKE’S LAWS (Thorndike)

Thorndike extended Pavlov’s theory. He contended that behavioral responses to
environmental stimuli can be more than involuntary reflexive actions. Rather, he
argued for trial-and-error learning—establishing connections (thus, connectionism)
made via a gradual progression from making a mistakes to a repetition of successful
trials until unsuccessful ones are abandoned (Santrock, 2018; Slavin, 2018)
"[R]esponses that produce a satisfying effect in a particular situation become more
likely to occur again in that situation, and responses that produce a discomforting
effect become less likely to occur again in that situation” (Gray in McLeod, 2018).
 Edward Thorndike's Connectionism Theory (Pappas, 2013) [web; audio version
also available]
Overview of Thorndike’s connectionism theory, including:
o three laws of learning (effect, readiness, exercise)
o four key principles

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o supplementary laws

 Edward Thorndike: The law of effect (McLeod, S. 2018)

Describes Thorndike’s early works with animals and it influence on future
behaviorism research and theories
o Embedded in the article:
Cat-in-the-puzzle-box experiment [~2-min YouTube video]

 Optional supplementary resource (interesting but may be skipped)

The law of effect in psychology (Cherry, 2019)
Explains the influence Thorndike’s early works (cat-in-the-puzzle-box experiment)
and theory on the development of behaviorism, particularly Skinner’s operant
conditioning theory

3. OPERANT OR INSTRUMENTAL CONDITIONING (Skinner)

Operant or instrumental conditioning is a learning process that involves the
association of behavior and a consequence. Simply put, “learned behavior” is
controlled by the consequent reward or punishment.
 Choose one:
o The difference between classical and operant conditioning (Andover, P.,
2013) [~4 min video, TED-Ed]
o or Classical vs. Operant Conditioning (Cherry, 2019) [web article]

 Collection of resources on operant conditioning (Verywell Mind)

o What Is Operant Conditioning and How Does It Work? (Cherry, 2019)
How reinforcement and punishment modify behavior

o Instrumental Conditioning in Psychology (Cherry, 2019)

Explains the use of (positive or negative) reinforcement or (positive or
negative) punishment to either increase or decrease the chances that a
behavior will occur

o Positive and negative reinforcement in operant conditioning (Cherry, 2019)

positive and negative reinforcements are used to increase behaviors
Explains the primary & secondary categories of reinforcement
Positive vs negative reinforcement
Factors affecting strength of response
Schedules of reinforcement
 Positive reinforcement and operant conditioning (Cherry, 2019)
“involves the addition of a reinforcing stimulus following a behavior that
makes it more likely that the behavior will occur again in the future. When
a favorable outcome, event, or reward occurs after an action, that
particular response or behavior will be strengthened”

 How negative reinforcement works (Cherry, 2019)

“a response or behavior is strengthened by stopping, removing, or

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avoiding a negative outcome or aversive stimulus”

 How Reinforcement Schedules Work

“When and how often we reinforce a behavior can have a dramatic impact
on the strength and rate of the response.”

o The study of punishment in psychology (Cherry, 2020)

“While positive and negative reinforcements are used to increase behaviors,
[positive or negative] punishments [are] focused on reducing or eliminating
unwanted behaviors”

 Positive punishment and operant conditioning (Cherry, 2020)

“involves presenting an unfavorable outcome or event following an
undesirable behavior”

 How negative punishment works (Cherry, 2020)

“involves taking something good or desirable away to reduce the
occurrence of a particular behavior”

 Optional - supplementary resource (can be helpful, but may be skipped)

o Skinner – Operant Conditioning (McLeod, 2018)
Concisely explains Skinner’s operant conditioning theory,
Defines several concepts
+ YouTube videos: Reinforcement theory; Operant conditioning

o Khan Academy/ YouTube

 Positive-and-negative reinforcement and punishment (6:58 min)
 Shaping (7:19 min)
 Schedules of reinforcement (7:48 min)

End of B. Collection of learning resources on behaviorist theories

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APPLICATIONS
Most of us must be familiar with behaviorism in the classroom, at home, and elsewhere.
This time, let us use our understanding of behaviorist principles to examine the ways they
are or can be applied in education, and take the opportunity as well to build up our
repertoire of tools to manage behaviors and improve learning.

Thinking exercise. Identify the underlying concepts and principles.

 3-step guideline for Behavior Modification in the Classroom
1. Decide what behaviors you want from students;
reinforce these behaviors when they occur.
2. Tell students what behaviors you want;
when they exhibit the behaviors and you reinforce them, tell them why.
3. Reinforce behaviors as soon as possible after it occurs.

 How to Use Behaviorism in a Classroom (Dowd, M.| The Classroom)

How to foster behaviorism in the classroom
o Incorporate behaviorism in the course design
o Implement a classroom reward system
o Team up with other teachers for support
o Apply behaviorism to classroom teaching and discipline

 Examples of rewards & other “Reward being correct, but

motivational activities in the classroom ENCOURAGE when incorrect.
(C. Lawrence| The Classroom) ... [All] students respond better when
o Rewards on display rewarded for doing well regardless of age or
o Make a treasure box level. On the other hand, encouraging
students when wrong is far more beneficial to
o Create classroom currency the psyche of the student” (TesolClass.
o Special lunch plans Behaviorism).

 Chapter 6. Programmed Instruction (Molenda, 2008. In Foundations of Learning

and Instructional Design Technology by R. West)
Reviews the origins and later developments in Programmed Instruction and how it
is able to cater to individual learning differences

 Optional (common practices)

How Will I Apply Behaviorist Philosophy in the Classroom? (Cascio, C.)

STRENGTHS / LIMITATIONS AND ISSUES

 Motivating Students. Center for Teaching, Vanderbilt University.
Provides a brief overview of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, their advantages and
disadvantages, and a few other relevant discussions.

 Ethical Dilemmas in Rewards and Punishments in the Classroom (G. Mills, 2017)
Discusses the following potential issues
o Manipulation. Reward and punishment as a manipulative form of behavior
management
o Fairness. Are all students seen to receive equal treatment?
o Poor behavior. Do poorly behaved students receive mire attention?

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o Motivation. Reward and punishment may not support long-term commitment.

SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR YOUR E-JOURNAL

For your e-journal entries, you may use the following as guides, but feel free to express other
thoughts (and feelings) about learning as they have been stimulated by the topics in this chapter.
Keep in mind that learning is very personal and your eJournal should be reflective of those
personal learning events. However, be aware of making connections between your experiences
and the lessons; e.g., how do theories explain or predict various events or situations; how might
theory wisely guide future actions or decisions?
 What are predominant practices in your home with respect to reinforcing behaviors
and for modifying behaviors?
 Recall your past experiences where behaviorist approaches have been used to modify
your behaviors.
o Which experiences do you consider positive (helpful and pleasant)?
o In the attempt to modify your behavior, can you cite behaviorist approaches
that successfully modified your behavior/s but turned out to be unpleasant
experiences? Were there occasions wherein your behavior/s became more
undesirable rather than improved?
 How would you prefer behaviors to be regulated and/or modified at home or in
school?
 Use personal experiences/observations as reference. Describe how you can effectively
apply a behaviorist approach to specific learning situations. Explain the processes
and principles involved.

REFERENCES

Andover, P. (2013). The difference between classical and operant conditioning. [~4 min
video, TED-Ed]
Boundless Psychology. (n.d.). Classical Conditioning
Cascio, C. How Will I Apply Behaviorist Philosophy in the Classroom?
Cherry, K. (2018). An Overview of Behavioral Psychology. Verywell Mind
Cherry, K. (2018). How negative reinforcement works
Cherry, K. (2018). Instrumental Conditioning in Psychology
Cherry, K. (2018). Pavlov's Dogs and the Discovery of Classical Conditioning
Cherry, K. (2018). Positive punishment and operant conditioning
Cherry, K. (2018). Positive reinforcement and operant conditioning
Cherry, K. (2018). Punishment in Psychology
Cherry, K. (2018). The law of effect in psychology
Cherry, K. (May 23, 2018).. Overview of Extinction in Psychology
Cherry, K. (Dec 2, 2018). Acquisition in Classical Conditioning

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Module 3. BEHAVIORAL THEORIES

Cherry, K. (2019). Classical vs. Operant Conditioning

Cherry, K. (2019). Positive and negative reinforcement in operant conditioning
Cherry, K. (2019). What Is Classical Conditioning?
Cherry, K. (2019). What Is Operant Conditioning and How Does It Work?
Cherry, K. (Mar 14, 2019). The Little Albert Experiment
Cherry, (Feb 21, 2019). The Role of the Unconditioned Stimulus in Classical
Conditioning
Dowd, M. How to Use Behaviorism in a Classroom
Huitt, W. (1996). Writing Behavioral Objectives.
Huitt, W., & Hummel, J. (2006). An overview of the behavioral perspective [doc].
Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University.
Khan Academy. (Oct 10, 2013). Classical conditioning: Extinction, spontaneous
recovery, generalization, discrimination [YouTube video, 5:33 min]
Khan Academy. (Oct 10, 2013). Classical conditioning: Neutral, conditioned, and
unconditioned stimuli and responses (5:45min)

Khan Academy. (2013). Innate vs. learned behaviors. [YouTube video, 9:24 min]
Khan Academy. Positive-and-negative reinforcement and punishment [YouTube video,
6:58 min]
Khan Academy. Schedules of reinforcement [YouTube video, 7:48 min]
Khan Academy. Shaping [YouTube video, 7:19 min]
Lawrence,C. Examples of rewards & other motivational activities in the classroom
McLeod, S. A. (2017, Feb 05). Behaviorist approach. Retrieved from
https://www.simplypsychology.org/behaviorism.html
McLeod, S. A. (2018). Classical conditioning.
McLeod, S. A. (2018). Skinner – Operant Conditioning
McLeod, S. A. (2018, Jan 14) Edward Thorndike. Retrieved from Retrieved from
https://www.simplypsychology.org/edward-thorndike.html
Mills, G. Ethical Dilemmas in Rewards and Punishments in the Classroom
Molenda, M. (2008). “Programmed Instruction” In Foundations of Learning and
Instructional Design Technology. Pressbooks
https://lidtfoundations.pressbooks.com/chapter/programmed-instruction/
Pappas, C. (2013). Edward Thorndike's Connectionism Theory
Pappas, C. (2013). Instructional Design Models and Theories: [Ivan Pavlov’s] Classical
Conditioning
Psychology Encyclopedia: Learning and memory. (2019). Conditioning
Santrock, J.W. (2018). Educational Psychology (6th ed.). NY: McGraw-Hill

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Schatzie. (2018). The study of behavior development by Watson, Pavlov, Thorndike, and
Skinner.

Slavin, R. (2018).Educational Psychology: Theory and Practice (12th ed.). NY: Pearson
Stangor, C. (n.d.). Introduction to Psychology: 1st Canadian Edition. Pressbooks.
The Little Albert Experiment (2010). [~6min YouTube video]
TesolClass. Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation
Center for Teaching, Vanderbilt University. Motivating Students.

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