The uploaded slide is part of course fulfillment for GGGE 6313 : Psycholinguistics and Language Teaching. By Ting Suk Hua (GP05733) Chong Xin Txin (GP05638) Johnny Ling Leh Wui (GP05659) Grace Wong Lyn Syn (GP05653) Submit to: Dr. Maslawati Mohamad

1. By,
Ting Suk Hua (GP05733)- sukhua@Hotmail.com
Chong Xin Txin (GP05638) - cxintxin@gmail.com
Johnny Ling Leh Wui (GP05659) – johnnylinglehwui88@gmail.com
Grace Wong Lyn Syn (GP05653) - gracewong311@gmail.com
Submit to: Dr. Maslawati Mohamad (maslawati@ukm.edu.my)

2. Guthrie LearningTheory
• Theory consisted of only a single law:
“When organism does something in one occasion, it will tend to do exactly
the same thing if the occasion repeats itself”.
CONCEPT
Contiguity of
Learning
Habit Formation
Habit Breaking
One Trial Theory

4. Contiguity of Learning
A set of stimuli that leads to
a response, will always
produce the same response
when it is encountered
again (Klein, 2015).
According to Guthrie, all learning was a
consequence of association between a
particular stimulus and response.
Furthermore, Guthrie argued that
stimuli and responses affect
specific sensory-motor patterns;
what is learned are movements,
not behaviors.

5. External stimulus “Ring”
Head and body
turning response
Head and body
turning response
causes movement
produced stimuli
Moving out of
chair response
Moving out of
chair response
causes movement
produced stimuli
Walking to the
phone response
Walking to the
phone response
causes movement
produced stimuli
Picking up the
phone response
Final response
Contiguity of Learning

6. External stimulus “Ring”
Head and body
turning response
Head and body
turning response
causes movement
produced stimuli
Moving out of
chair response
causes movement
produced stimuli
Walking to the
phone response
Walking to the
phone response
causes movement
produced stimuli
Picking up the
phone response
Final response
So, these stimuli-responses
produce small movement and
when combined together, it
creates an action.
Behaviour is more to a series
of learnt movements that are
put together.
Contiguity of Learning
Moving out of
chair response

7. Implication in language teaching
Result – they will
remember how to
write the letter
correctly.
Writing the word “apple”
must be associated with
seeing the picture
Teaching students
to write a letter
should be done
step by step.
Learning must
include
association
EXAMPLE 1
EXAMPLE 2

8. One Trial Learning
by
Edwin Guthrie in
Collaboration with
Stevenson Smith

9. According to One Trial Learning….
Response + Stimulus= Learning
Learning takes place in a single pairing of a
response and stimulus.
Not strengthened over time by repeated
exposure to a stimulus.

10. Edwin Guthrie did not believe in
conditioned learning. Positive reinforcement
and negative reinforcement do not work.
He believed in learning from cues that
come first and sort of "tell" about a
behaviour.
Source: One-Trial Learning. n.d. In Alleydog.com's Online Glossary.

11. However, one trial learning will only occur if…
stimuli and responses occur
soon enough one after another
The Contiguity Law

12. Implication of One Trial Learning in Teaching
Teacher gives
explanation on the
format
Essay
Writing
(Informal
Letter)
Learning
Complete
Students take
note of the
format.
After this, whenever students come across with the
instruction “write an informal letter”, students will
automatically construct an informal letter with correct
format.

13. Overview of
One Trial Learning

14. One Trial Learning
all learning is done within a single exposure to a
situation. (Oslon, 2015)
Assumption: people react to a given situation the same way so long as it
was still effective.
Stimulation Response
Learning
Complete
One Pairing
Teacher gives
explanation on the
format
Students take
note of the
format.
Essay Writing
(Informal Letter)
Learning
Complete

16. What is a habit?
What if the stimuli is stronger?

18. Principle
1
Principle 2
Principle 1:
Stronger stimuli – stronger
response – stronger habit
(Goodwin, 2015)
Principle 2:
Exposure to many variations in stimulus patterns
– produce a generalized response (Goodwin,
2015)

19. Principle 1:
Stronger stimuli – stronger response – stronger habit (Goodwin, 2015)
Suitable teaching strategy (Stimuli) + Suitable teaching materials (Stimuli)
Satisfactory state of mind among students (Response)
Students receive/remember/use the learning content well (Habit)
Implications in Language Teaching

20. 1L is the last class of Form 1 in SMK A. All the 15 students failed in
English during UPSR. In order for them to learn simple vocabulary,
two teachers use different strategies and materials.
Teacher A
•-Grammar Translation Method
•-chalk and talk
•- rote memorization based on words
•- photocopied materials (black and
white)
Teacher B
- Communicative learning approach
- Lots of dialogues and speech
activities
- E-flash card games
- Colourful posters and images
projected via LCD screen

21. • Because of …
• More suitable teaching strategy
• Since 1L students presumably dislike English as much, as they failed English
in UPSR, rote memorization based on words only will make them dislike
English more.
• Communicative learning approaches will take away the burden on scoring
for exams.
• Students will be equipped with the ability to communicate in basic
sentences.
• More suitable teaching materials
• Lower proficiency students often respond more positively towards colourful
images.

22. Principle 2:
Exposure to many variations in stimulus patterns – produce a generalized
response (Goodwin, 2015)
Variations in teaching strategies/teaching materials are
necessary.
• Example: Teaching of Idioms
• Variation in teaching strategy: Cooperative Learning (Jigsaw) /
Games (Technology)
• Variation in teaching materials: pictures / model sentences
Implications in Language Teaching

23. Learning content: Idioms (Once in a blue moon and Over the moon)
Student proficiency: High
This is what Teacher A and B say in class…
Teacher A
“Class, today we are going to
learn two idioms. You are
going to receive two pictures.
Each picture has 4 options of
idioms. Only one is the correct
idiom that refers to the
picture. Guess! Tell me the
rationale of your guess too.”
Teacher B
“Okay class, open your book
to page 47. Read Section A.
Read the meaning. Okay, now
fill in the blanks with the
correct answer.”

24. Learning content: Idioms (Once in a blue moon and Over the moon)
Student proficiency: High
This is what Teacher A and B do in class…
Teacher A
Lesson 1: Guess the Picture
Lesson 2: Idioms Games
Lesson 3: Idioms Charades
Teacher B
Lesson 1: Fill-in-the-blank exercises
Lesson 2: Fill-in-the-blank exercises
Lesson 3: Fill-in-the-blank exercises

25. • Because of …
• More variations in teaching strategy
• Variety is the spice of life!
• Students will happily utter the intended learning content
(idioms) more through exciting activities.
• More variations in teaching materials
• Students tend to get bored when the same materials are used over
and over again.

26. HABIT
BREAKING

27. Habit Breaking
Principle 1:
Habits are not broken, they are replaced (as a result of interference = stronger stimuli).
(Kaufhold, 2002) & (Leonard, 2002)
Threshold Method Fatigue Method
Incompatible Response
Method
Involves presenting the
stimulus that ordinarily
brings about the undesirable
response in a faint manner
so that it stops short of
eliciting a response.
The stimulus is presented
repeatedly in order to elicit
the undesirable response so
often that the individual can
eventually no longer
respond.
A response is reinforced that
is incompatible with the
undesired behaviour.

28. Implication in Language Teaching
Students will break their habit if a stronger stimulus is given.
Example:
Teaching Grammar
Students keep on
writing ‘also can’
which is incorrect
Teacher asks
students to write
‘can also’ 500
times which is a
stronger stimulus
Students’ old habit
of writing ‘also can’
breaks

29. Habit Breaking
Principle 2:
Threshold - Students have a
boiling point, if over the threshold
-> Students will opt out and
forget (Kaufhold, 2002)

30. Habit Breaking
Implication in Language Teaching
In a language class, a teacher should not keep teaching the same thing
repeatedly for a long period of time.
Example:
Teaching Grammar
Teacher has been
teaching grammar
for 1 month using
the same teaching
strategy and
materials
Students reach
threshold level,
which is now a
stronger stimulus
Students end up
giving up and NOT
paying attention
Habit breaks

31. Habit Breaking
Conclusion
Original
stimulus
Stronger stimulus
(Interference)
Habit breaks

32. REFERENCES
Goodwin, C. J. 2015. A History of Modern Psychology. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.
Kaufhold, J. A. 2002. The Psychology of Learning and the Art of Teaching. Lincoln:
iUniverse.
Klein, S. B. 2015. Learning: Principles and Applications. 7th Ed. United States of
America: SAGE Publication Asia-Pacific Pte. Ltd.
Leonard, D. C. 2002. Learning Theories:A-Z. Westport: Greenwood Publishing
Group.
Olson, M.H. 2015. Edwin Ray Guthrie. An Introduction to Theories of Learning. 9th
Ed. Oxfordshire: Psychology Press.