Theory

"Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten." -B.F. Skinner

Behaviourism is primarily concerned with observable and measurable aspects of human behaviour. Behaviourist learning theories emphasize changes in behaviour that result from stimulus-response associations made by the learner. Behaviour is directed by stimuli. An individual selects one response instead of another because of prior conditioning and psychological drives existing at the moment of the action (Parkay & Hass, 2000).

Behaviourists are interested only in behaviours that can be directly observed. Therefore, actions, rather than thoughts or emotions are the object of study. Behaviourist theory cannot explain abnormal behaviour in terms of the human brain. It proports that all behaviour is based on learned habits.

Behaviourists hold that all behaviours can be learned, unlearned, and replaced by new behaviours. In other words, when a behaviour is deemed unacceptable, it can be replaced by a more acceptable one. A key element to this theory of learning is the rewarded response. The desired response must be rewarded in order for learning and behavioural modification to take place (Parkay & Hass, 2000).

Key Terms

Learning Theory - are conceptual frameworks describing how information is absorbed, processed, and retained during learning. Cognitive, emotional, and environmental influences, as well as prior experience, all play a part in how understanding, or a world view, is acquired or changed and knowledge and skills retained.

Behaviourism - an approach to psychology that focuses on an individual's behaviour.

Reward/Reinforcers - a thing given in recognition of one's service, effort, or achievement.

Punishment - the infliction or imposition of a penalty as retribution for an offense.

Extinction - when operant behaviour that has been previously reinforced no longer produces reinforcing consequences the behaviour gradually stops occurring.

Classical (Pavlovian) Conditioning - a learning process in which an innate response to a potent stimulus comes to be elicited in response to a previously neutral stimulus; this is achieved by repeated pairings of the neutral stimulus with the potent stimulus.

Operant (Instrumental) Conditioning - is a learning process in which an innate response to a potent stimulus comes to be elicited in response to a previously neutral stimulus; this is achieved by repeated pairings of the neutral stimulus with the potent stimulus.

Education

In education, advocates of behaviourism have adopted the system of rewards and punishments in their classrooms by rewarding desired behaviours and punishing inappropriate ones.

Rewards may vary, but must be of importance to the learner in some way. For example, if a teacher wishes to teach the behaviour of remaining seated during the class period, the successful student's reward might be checking the teacher's mailbox, running an errand, or being allowed to go to the library to do homework at the end of the class period.

As with all teaching methods, success depends on each student's stimulus and response, and on associations made by each learner.

The following video outlines some of the ways that behaviourism can be used as a learning theory in the classroom. It discusses possible behaviours, reinforcers, and punishers.