By Shannyn A.

1. Behaviorism
Shannyn A

2. John
Watson
-“Little Albert
Experiment”:
Conditioned a small
child to fear a white rat
by pairing the sight of
the rat with a loud noise
- Published Behaviorism
in 1925
-- Set the stage for the
behaviorist movement

3. Ivan Pavlov
-Used conditioning to teach a
dog to salivate when he rang
a bell
-Classic Conditioning –
introducing stimuli first and
then reinforcing the reflex
B.F. Skinner
-Conducted experiments with
pigeons where they were
rewarded for certain behaviors.
-- Operant Conditioning – begins
with behavior and then is
reinforced with a response so that
there is a connection between the
behavior and the reward.

4. Behaviorism
A learning theory that focuses on
teaching/learning through stimuli and
positive/negative rewards.
Two forms of conditioning: Classic and Operant,
both of which involve response to particular
stimuli.
Behaviorists view behavior as the product of
conditioning
Behaviorism can be seen as manipulative
because it seeks to predict and control human
behavior.

5. Classroom Implications
Teachers and Behaviorism
- With technology: Using programs that reward
students for good behavior
- Without technology: Using a token system to
reward good behavior, i.e., “pulling your card”
and giving students rewards when they have not
misbehaved during the week
Students and Behaviorism
-With technology: Relates the correct response
to positive stimulus when the program
responds
-Without technology: Correlates a reward with
behaving well – therefore, the student will want
to behave well to get the award

6. Behaviorism
and My
Classroom
-While I understand the
concept of conditioning as a
way of learning, I do not think
that it would be a theory I
would apply in my classroom.
-I believe that students should
take knowledge and interpret
it in their own way. With
behaviorism, knowledge is
responded to in one way, and
not given enough room, in my
opinion, to analyze.

7. References
Information:
Blog.wsd.net
www.learning-theories.com
www.msu.edu
Images:
Skeptically.org
Nobelprize.org
Holisticeducator.com
Blog.wsd.net