1. Behaviorism
Review of Behaviorism and its
applications to student behavior

2. A. Classical Behaviorism
1. Behaviorists believe that we should examine
only what can be directly observed and
measured (Santrock, 2004).
2. Traditional behaviorist view: child is passive
being whom adults can model by carefully
controlling stimulus-response associations:
development is continuous
process, consisting of gradual increase with
age in number and strength of associations

3. A. Classical Behaviorism
1. Watson: concluded that environment is
supreme force in development
2. Skinner (1904-1990): rejected Hull‟s idea;
child's desirable behavior can be increased
by following it with a wide variety of
reinforcers; can be decreased through
punishment.

4. A. Classical Behaviorism
3. Two versions of the behavioral
approach that are prominent today re
the view of B.F. Skinner and social
learning theory.
4. Skinner (1904-1990): behaviorism
emphasizes the scientific study of
observable responses and their
environmental determinants (Santrock, 2004).

5. A. Classical Behaviorism
As a result of Skinner‟s work, operant
conditioning became a broadly applied
learning principle in child psychology.
* Brainstorm examples of classical
behaviorism in your classroom and
school today.

6. Four Techniques in Behaviorism
 Negative reinforcement
 Positive reinforcement
 Response cost (reinforcement removal)
 Punishment

7. Positive Reinforcement
 Positive Reinforcement--the term
reinforcement always indicates a
process that strengthens a behavior;
the word positive has two cues
associated with it. First, a positive or
pleasant stimulus is used in the
process, and second, the reinforcer is
added (i.e., "positive" as in + sign for
addition).

8. Positive Reinforcement
 R + (+S) + h R
 In positive reinforcement, a positive
reinforcer is added after a response and
increases the frequency of the
response.

9. Negative Reinforcement
 Negative Reinforcement-- the term
reinforcement always indicates a process that
strengthens a behavior; the word negative
has two cues associated with it. First, a
negative or aversive stimulus is used in the
process, and second, the reinforcer is
subtracted (i.e., "negative" as in a "-" sign for
subtraction).
 R – (-S) + h R

10. Negative Reinforcement
 In negative reinforcement, after the
response the negative reinforcer is
removed which increases the frequency
of the response. (Note: There are two
types of negative reinforcement: escape
and avoidance. In general, the learner
must first learn to escape before he or
she learns to avoid.)

11. Response Cost
 Response Cost--if positive reinforcement
strengthens a response by adding a positive
stimulus, then response cost has to weaken a
behavior by subtracting a positive stimulus.
After the response the positive reinforcer is
removed which weakens the frequency of the
response.
 R – (+S) = i R

12. Punishment
 Punishment--if negative reinforcement
strengthens a behavior by subtracting a
negative stimulus, than punishment has to
weaken a behavior by adding a negative
stimulus. After a response a negative or
aversive stimulus is added which weakens the
frequency of the response
 R + (- S) = i R

13. B. Social Learning Theory
 Built on the principles of conditioning
and reinforcement offering expanded
views of how children and adults
acquire new responses.
 1950‟s: social learning theory became a
major force in child development
research

14. B. Social Learning Theory
 Bandura demonstrated that modeling,
otherwise known as imitation or
observational learning is basis for wide
variety of children‟s behaviors; children
acquire many favorable and unfavorable
responses by watching and listening to
people around them.

15. B. Social Learning Theory
 Most recent revision of Bandura‟s
theory places so much emphasis on
how children think about themselves
and other people that he calls it social-
cognitive theory, rather than social
learning theory.

16. C. Contributions of
behaviorism
 “applied behavior analysis” refers to
procedures that combine conditioning
and modeling to eliminate undesirable
behaviors that increase socially
acceptable responses.
 (aggression, language difficulties and
extreme fears)

17. D. Criticisms of behaviorism
 Behaviorism and social learning theory
have been criticized for underestimating
children‟s role in their own
development.

18. E. Applications of behaviorism
1. Language
2. Foundations of morality
3. Aggression
4. Role of punishment
5. Gender development

19. E. Applications of Behaviorism
 1. Language
 Acquired through operant conditioning
 Imitation explains how children rapidly
acquire complex utterances

20. E. Applications of Behaviorism
2. Foundations of Morality
 Operant conditioning is regarded as important
way in which children pick up new responses
 OC is not enough
 Social learning: children largely learn to act
morally through modeling
 Once moral response is acquired, reinforcement
in form of praise increases its frequency

21. E. Applications of Behaviorism
3. Aggression
 Studies of aggression and its relationship
to viewing violence

22. E. Applications of Behaviorism
4. Role of punishment: promotes only
momentary compliance, not lasting
changed in child‟s behavior
If used, can increase effectiveness by:
1. Consistency
2. Warm adult-child relationship
3. explanations

23. E. Applications of Behaviorism
5. Gender development
1. Both social learning theory (modeling and
reinforcement) and cognitive-
development theory (children as active
thinkers) offer approaches to explaining
children‟ gender typing
2. Emergence of gender schema theory

24. Behaviorism
 Grading student work and behavior
 What products do you grade?
 What work habits do you look for?
 What is problem solving behavior?

25. Social learning theory
 In 1997 work, Bandura outlines
important aspects of developing self-
efficacy in children & adolescents.
 Self-efficacy: the expectation that one can
master a situation and produce positive
outcomes

26. Acquiring Self - Efficacy
 Bandura (1982, 1997) suggested four
principal sources by which people gain
information to influence their self-
efficacy beliefs.

27. Enactive Mastery
 “a learner‟s own previous success at a
task.”
 Driscoll, M. P. (2007) Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd
ed). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. p. 318

28. Vicarious Experiences
 “the learner‟s observation of a role
model attaining success at a task.”
 Driscoll, M. P. (2007) Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd
ed). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. p. 318

29. Verbal persuasion
 “others persuading a learner that he or
she is capable of succeeding at a
particular task.”
 Driscoll, M. P. (2007) Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd
ed). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. p. 318

30. Physiological States
 “their „gut feeling‟ convinces them of
probably success for failure”
 Driscoll, M. P. (2007) Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd
ed). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. p. 318

31. Infants
 Infants need a stimulating environment
that encourages them to sense that
their actions produce outcomes.

32. Self efficacy in young children
 Young children are developing self-
efficacy
 Young children‟s requirements for
extensive monitoring by competent
adults

33. Parental role in self-efficacy
 Over-protective parents constrain
children‟s master capabilities.
 Secure parents are more likely to
encourage children‟s exploratory efforts
and give them an opportunity to
experience a feeling of mastery.

34. The school‟s role in developing
self-efficacy
 A basic goal of education is to equip
children with the self-control that
enables children to educate themselves;
 as children master cognitive skills they
develop a growing sense of intellectual
self-efficacy

35. Self-efficacy in adolescence
 As children move into adolescence, they
have to assume increasing responsibility
for their behavior.
 The way in which adolescents develop
and exercise their self-efficacy can be
critical in setting the courses that their
life paths take.

36. Self-efficacy, in summary
 When children have high self-
efficacy, they are more likely to do well
in school and be more competent in a
number of areas of life than when they
have low self-efficacy
(Bandura, 1997, 1998)

37. References
 Berk, L. (1999). Infants, and children: Infancy
through middle childhood. Boston: Allyn & Bacon
 Kail, R. (1998). Children and their development.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
 Santrock, J. (2000). Children (6th ed.). McGraw Hill.