Behavioral Theories

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Educational Psychology
Define and contrast the three types of behavioral
learning theories (contiguity, classical
conditioning, and operant conditioning), giving
examples of how each can be used in the
classroom.
Developed by W. Huitt J. Hummel (1999)
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Behavioral Learning Theory
According to the behaviorists, learning can be
defined as the relatively permanent change in
behavior brought about as a result of experience
or practice.
Behaviorists recognize that learning is an
internal event. However, it is not recognized as
learning until it is displayed by overt behavior.
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Behavioral Learning Theory

• The term "learning theory" is often associated
  with the behavioral view.

• The focus of the behavioral approach is on how
  the environment impacts overt behavior.

• Remember that biological maturation or genetics
  is an alternative explanation for relatively
  permanent change.

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Behavioral Learning Theory
The behavioral learning theory is represented as
an S-R paradigm. The organism is treated as a
black box. We only know what is going on inside
the box by the organisms overt behavior.
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Behavioral Learning Theory
The feedback loop that connects overt behavior to
stimuli that activate the senses has been studied
extensively from this perspective.
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Behavioral Learning Theory
Notice that the behaviorists are only interested
in that aspect of feedback that connects directly
to overt behavior.
Behaviorists are not interested in the conscious
decision of the individual to disrupt, modify, or
go against the conditioning process.
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Behavioral Learning Theory
There are three types of behavioral learning
theories

• Contiguity theory

• Classical or respondent conditioning theory

• Operant or instrumental conditioning theory

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Contiguity Theory
Contiguity theory is based on the work of E. R.
Guthrie.
It proposes that any stimulus and response
connected in time and/or space will tend to be
associated.
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Contiguity Theory
Examples

• A baseball player wearing a certain pair of
  socks on the day he hits three home runs
  associates wearing the socks and hitting home
  runs.

• A student making a good grade on a test after
  trying a new study technique makes an association
  between the stimulus of studying and the response
  of getting a good grade.

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Contiguity Theory
Guthries contiguity theory is one foundation for
the more cognitively-oriented learning theory of
neural networks.
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Classical Conditioning Theory
Classical conditioning was the first type of
learning to be discovered and studied within the
behaviorist tradition (hence the name classical).
The major theorist in the development of
classical conditioning is Ivan Pavlov, a Russian
scientist trained in biology and medicine (as was
his German contemporary, Sigmund Freud).
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Classical Conditioning Theory
Pavlov was studying the digestive system of dogs
and became intrigued with his observation that
dogs deprived of food began to salivate when one
of his assistants walked into the room.
He began to investigate this phenomena and
established the laws of classical conditioning.
Skinner renamed this type of learning "respondent
conditioning since in this type of learning, one
is responding to an environmental antecedent.
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Classical Conditioning Theory

• General model Stimulus (S) elicits gtResponse (R)

• Classical conditioning starts with a reflex (R)
  an innate, involuntary behavior.

• This involuntary behavior is elicited or caused
  by an antecedent environmental event.

• For example, if air is blown into your eye, you
  blink. You have no voluntary or conscious control
  over whether the blink occurs or not.

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Classical Conditioning Theory
The specific model for classical conditioning is

• A stimulus will naturally (without learning)
  elicit or bring about a reflexive response

• Unconditioned Stimulus (US) elicits gt
  Unconditioned Response (UR)

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Classical Conditioning Theory
The specific model for classical conditioning is

• Neutral Stimulus (NS) --- does not elicit the
  response of interest

• This stimulus (sometimes called an orienting
  stimulus as it elicits an orienting response) is
  a neutral stimulus since it does not elicit the
  Unconditioned (or reflexive) Response.

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Classical Conditioning Theory
The Neutral/Orientiing Stimulus (NS) is
repeatedly paired with the Unconditioned/Natural
Stimulus (US).
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Classical Conditioning Theory

• The Neutral Stimulus (NS) is transformed into a
  Conditioned Stimulus (CS).

• That is, when the CS is presented by itself, it
  elicits or causes the CR (which is the same
  involuntary response as the UR.

• The name changes because it is elicited by a
  different stimulus.

• This is written CS elicits gt CR.

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Classical Conditioning Theory

• In the area of classroom learning, classical
  conditioning is seen primarily in the
  conditioning of emotional behavior.

• Things that make us happy, sad, angry, etc.
  become associated with neutral stimuli that gain
  our attention.

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Classical Conditioning Theory

• For example, the school, classroom, teacher, or
  subject matter are initially neutral stimuli that
  gain attention.

• Activities at school or in the classroom
  automatically elicit emotional responses and
  these activities are associated with the neutral
  or orienting stimulus

• After repeated presentations, the previously
  neutral stimulus will elicit the emotional
  response

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Classical Conditioning Theory
Example

• Child is harassed at school

• Child feels bad when harassed

• Child associates being harassed and school

• Child begins to feel bad when she thinks of
  school

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Classical Conditioning Theory
In order to extinguish the associated of feeling
bad and thinking of school, the connection
between school and being harassed must be broken.
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Operant Conditioning Theory

• Operant conditioning is the study of the impact
  of consequences on behavior.

• With operant conditioning we are dealing with
  voluntary behaviors.

• The details of operant conditioning are
  presented separately.