Ch.

9 Behaviorism
Alyssa, Sarah, Sharon, Estefani, Blair, and Eh

Basic Assumptions of Behaviorism:

The basic assumption of behaviorism is that peoples behaviors or the result of their

experiences with stimuli in their environment, both in their past and present experience.

Behavior is not inborn in any way, and all creatures are born as blank slates on which

experience writes.

Since learning involves a behavior change, teachers can use changes in the classroom

environment to bring about changes in students behavior.

If students have learned something, there will be a behavior change. If scores improve,

there is more independent reading, or students do less off-task activities that means

learning has taken place. Behaviorism studies observable changes in behavior.

Students who act up keep doing that because that stimulus gets a certain reaction from the

other students. The assumption is that the student wants a response (attention), and feels

hes getting it only with that stimulus of negative behavior. The teacher has to change the

stimulus and give attention based on good behavior.

Learning is more likely to happen when the stimulus and the reaction are close together.

This is true of both animals and people, according to behaviorists.

Strengths and Potential Limitations of Behavioral Approaches.

1. Attempts to change behaviors and ignore cognitive factors that potentially interfere with

learning.
2. Reinforcement for accomplishing academic may encourage students to do things quickly

rather than well.

3. Extrinsic reinforcement of an activity that students already find intrinsically reinforcing

may undermine their enjoyment of the activity.

4. Communicate genuine appreciation for what students have done. Try not to be

controlling or manipulative.

Punishment:

Certain types of punishment such as name calling or hitting can be psychologically and

physically harmful to a child.These forms of punishment can be humiliating, and cruel, yet

some people think they are necessary for a child to be well disciplined. The topic is very

controversial, and these punishments will usually take place in a child's home. Even though

these types of punishments usually happen at home, such punishment can still exist in a

classroom as well. That is why, it is important for educators to note that there are effective

ways to punish a child in a classroom setting without causing trauma, and making a

difference in the child's behavior. Following guidelines for effective and humane

punishment is important, and educators should be fully aware.

Presentation Punishment:
This involves presenting a new stimulus to the student, most of the time something that is

unpleasant or the learner does not want. Examples are scolding and scowls. This is done in

order to decrease an unwanted response.

Removal Punishment:

This type of punishment involves decreasing an unwanted response by removing a stimulus

that the student finds desirable.

Guideline for Effective and Humane Punishment:

Choose a consequence that is truly punishing without being overly severe:

The punishment should have an unpleasant consequence strong enough for a student to

stop engaging in unwanted behavior, but should not exceed to severe punishment that can

lead to resentment, hostility, aggression, and escape behavior. Educators must remember

the purpose of punishment is meant to communicate that the limits of acceptable behavior

have been exceeded, not to exact revenge or retaliation.

Inform students ahead of time the certain behaviors will be punished, and how those

behaviors will be punished:

when students are informed of of the consequences that certain actions will have, they are

less likely to engage in those forbidden behaviors, and they are also less likely to be

surprised or resentful if punishment is administered. (Boyanton, 2010; Moles, 1990)

Follow through with specified consequences:

One mistake an educator can make is always threatening to punish a child's behavior, and

not ever following through with handing out the consequence. Ideally, one warning is
desirable, and repeated warnings are not. This only lets the child that his behavior is okay,

and will continue to engage in it.

Administer punishment in private, especially when other students are not aware of the

transgression:

Punishing a student in front of the whole classroom can be humiliating, and embarrassing,

so we want to make sure we handle the situation one one one. Handling the situation in

private, also eliminate the possibility that the punishment will draw classmates attention- a

potential reinforcer for the exact behavior we are trying to eliminate.

Emphasize the behavior, not the student--that is unacceptable, and explain why it is

unacceptable :

We must be clear and explain why a certain behavior can't be tolerated in the classroom-

perhaps because it comes in between with learning, threatens other students' safety or self

esteem or damages school property. Punishment should be accompanied by induction. It is

important to note that punishment is far more effective when accompanied by one ore

more reasons that the punished behavior is unacceptable.

Administer punishment within the context of a warm, supportive behavior interpersonal

relationship:

Punishment is far more effective when the person administrating it has previously

established a good working relationship with the student.

EXAMPLE: "I care for you and want you to succeed, and your current behavior is

interfering with your success"

Simultaneously teach and reinforce desirable alternative behavior:

punishment of poor behavior is way more effective then reinforcing appropriate behaviors,

but if a teacher reinforces desirable responses as well as punishing undesirable ones, the

teacher will send a positive, and optimistic message that behavior can indeed improve.

Overall a well rounded classroom should have an atmosphere where the we create

positivity and highlight the good things students can do.

Monitor the punishment's effectiveness:

Educators have to remember that punishment is defined by its effect on behavior. True

punishment decreases the response it follows, typically quite rapidly. If a given

consequence doesn't decrease the response it's intended to punish, the consequence may not

be strong enough to the individual being "punished.

Click this link to learn more about punishment: punishment

Reinforcement:

There are two different types of reinforcement; positive and negative. Reinforcement is not

to be confused with punishment, because the main goal is to increase a behavior instead of

stopping it.

Primary Reinforcer:

One that addresses a basic biological need such as food, water, warmth, etc.

Secondary Reinforcer:

One that does not address any biological needs.

Positive Reinforcement:
This type of reinforcement refers to someone adding something to a situation to increase a

behavior or response.

Examples of this would be giving students a treat (primary reinforcer) for positive

behavior, praising them saying "great job," giving them a trophy (secondary reinforcer),

or giving an opportunity to engage in a favorite pastime.

Extrinsic Reinforcers:

These are reinforcers that are provided by an outside environment (normally a person).

Intrinsic Reinforcers:

These are reinforcers that are provided by the learner themselves or inherent in tasks

being performed.

Negative Reinforcement:

This type of reinforcement refers to removing a stimulus in order to increase a response or

behavior.

Examples of this would be taking away or cutting time off of a teenagers curfew once they

prove they can be trusted, taking a student out of the classroom, or letting the student leave

class.
Related image
https://www.slideshare.net/pejansen/discussion-week-2

For more information on positive and negative reinforcement click on this

link: Reinforcement

Shaping:

Conditioning paradigm used in experimental analysis of behavior.

Introduced by B.F. Skinner with pigeons.

Process of reinforcing successfully closer and closer approximations to reach a desired

behavior.

Shaping involves these steps:

1. Reinforce any response that in some way resembles terminal behavior.

2. Reinforce a response that more closely approximates the terminal behavior (while no

longer reinforcing the previously reinforced response.)

3. Reinforce a response that resembles the terminal behavior even more closely.

4. Continue reinforcing closer and closer approximations to the terminal behavior.

5. Reinforce only the terminal behavior.

Shaping is often used to help students acquire complex physical and pyschomotor skills.

For example, teachers often shape student's penmanship skills in elementary school.

Click on this link to watch a power point video on shaping:

shaping

Cueing:

Cues are similar to reminders for students that certain behaviors are expected.

Sometimes cueing involves a non-verbal signal, and other times it involves a verbal

reminder.

For example, a teacher could clap twice as a reminder for the students to keep their voices

down, or simply tell them to be quieter.

Cueing is used to stop bad behavior and encourage good behavior.

Extinction:

Created by Ivan Pavlov when he noticed that conditioned responses do not always last

forever.

Has to do with classical conditioning.

Eventually, the conditioned response does not have the same effect on the subject of the

classical conditioning.

When a conditioned stimulus occurs repeatedly in the absence of the unconditioned

stimulus, the conditioned response may eventually decrease or become completely

eradicated.

Extinction occurs when the conditioned response has disappeared.

Learn more about extinction by clicking on this link: extinction

Ormrod, J. E. (2014). Educational Psychology Developing Learners, eighth edition . New

York City: Pearson Education, Inc.

Classical Conditioning:

Classical conditioning is defined as a form of learning in which a new, involuntary response

is acquired as a result of two stimuli being presented close together in time. (Ormrod,

2005). Classical conditioning is also defined as a condition in which the conditioned

stimulus (such as the sound of a bell) is paired with and precedes the unconditioned

stimulus (such as the sight of food) until the conditioned stimulus alone is sufficient to elicit

the response (such as salivation in a dog). www.merriam-webster.com.

Pavlovian or Classical conditioning is a reflexive or automatic type of learning in which a

stimulus acquires the capacity to evoke a response that was originally evoked by another. It

was developed by the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov. Pavlov experimented with dogs

causing them to salivate whenever they heard a bell.

There are two common phenomena in classical conditioning, they are generalization and

extinction. Generalization is a phenomenon in which a person learns a response to a

particular stimulus and then makes the same response to a similar stimulus; classical
conditioning, involves making a conditioned response to a stimulus similar to a conditioned

stimulus. The other phenomena is extinction, defined as a gradual disappearance of an

acquired response; in classical conditioning, results from repeated presentation of a

conditioned stimulus in the absence of the unconditioned stimuli.

As a teacher we can reduce conditioned responses that will interfere with our scholars

learning and in their classroom performance. The ways that we can minimize this from

occurring is by introducing the stimulus slowly and a little at a time when our scholars are

feeling happy and relaxed. An example of this is, if I notice that Kathy becomes anxious

and agitated when it is time to do mathematics, then I can start out giving her math

problems that she can easily solve by herself. Then I can gradually, give her problems that

are harder to solve.

One of the ways a teacher can decrease her anxiety is to allow her how to solve much of the

problem on her own and inform her that if she gets stumped or does not understand, they

can help her. As students realize that they can accomplish something that initially appeared

too hard to figure out or solve and then they eventually will be able to perform the task

with assistance or encouragement. Whenever we help the student to realize that they are

able to figure out seemingly difficult problems on their own we are helping them to

increase their self-confidence and competence.

Image result for pictures of elementary children being classically conditioned
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwBQIhg6CvE

Youtube (2008, February 22). Classical Conditioning [cc] [Video file]. Retrieved

from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP5lCleK-PM&t=8s

Youtube (2013, October 24). Learning: Negative Reinforcement vs. Punishment [Video file].

Retrieved fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imkbuKomPXI

David L, "Classical Conditioning (Pavlov)," in Learning Theories, July 24,

2014, https://www.learning-theories.com/classical-conditioning-pavlov.html.

Ormrod, J. E. (2010). Educational psychology: developing learners myeducationlab pass

code: Prentice Hall.

Behavioral Learning Theory (2017) The General Assumptions of Behaviorist Theories.

Retrieved October 18, 2017 from

http://erincunia.com/portfolio/MSportfolio/ide621/ide621f03production/behavior.htm

Reinforcement Theory [Online Image]. Retrieved October 10, 2017

fromhttps://www.tutorialspoint.com/employee_motivation/employee_motivation_reinforce

ment_theory.htm

Youtube (2014, December 4). Psychology: Reinforcement and Punishment [Video file].

Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLoMs-OzimU

Ormrod, J. E. (2014). Educational Psychology Developing Learners, eighth edition . New

York City: Pearson Education, Inc.