Behaviorism And The Operant Conditioning Theory Essay

It is a fact that people learn differently. Some people learn by seeing, some by hearing, some by doing, and then others learn from a combination of these. For many decades psychologists, theorists, and scientists have all sought to prove to their peers, society and the world that not only do people learn differently but children and adult learning differ also. Learning theories are conceptualized frameworks which describe how individuals absorb, process and retain information. Behaviorists such as John B. Watson, B.F. Skinner, Edward L. Thorndike, Ivan Pavlov and Edwin R. Guthrie believed that all learners were passive in nature and only responded to external stimuli. Behaviorism, as explored by the before mentioned, is a biological basis of learning and focuses exclusively on observable behaviors. This includes Thorndike’s theory of connectionism, Pavlov’s classical conditioning and the well-known conditioning theory from Skinner—the operant conditioning model. However, many researchers did not like the one-size fits all explanation of behaviorism. Cognitivism grew in response to behaviorism in an effort to better understand the mental processes behind learning. This challenged behaviorism with the idea that learning is the process of connecting symbols in a meaningful way; thus all knowledge is stored cognitively as symbols. Still, cognitivism didn’t account for individuality and the input-output model was seen as very mechanic. The social cognitive theory was developedShow MoreRelatedThe Theory Of Behaviorism And Operant Conditioning895 Words   |  4 Pages B.F Skinner Renowned American psychologist B.F. Skinner, well known for his theory on behaviorism and operant conditioning. He was the most influential 20th - century psychologist. His works includes â€Å"The Behavior of Organisms† (1938) which was about the results in his experiment with operant conditioning, and a novel based on his theories â€Å"Walden† (1948). He was not only a psychologist he was a behaviorist, teacher, author, inventor, and a social philosopher as well. Born as Burrhus FredericRead MoreThe Theory Of Behaviorism Operant Conditioning993 Words   |  4 PagesAbstract Behaviorism takes on many forms, B.F. Skinner liked to call his form of behaviorism Operant Conditioning. He would rather study observable behavior rather than internal mental events. He felt that was the best way to see how one may react to a particular stimuli and how one would handle the situation. Skinner believed that if a behavior is reinforced the behavior will continue. This had a two sided effect. If the bad behavior was reinforced the bad behavior would continue. Such as the goodRead MoreWatson, Skinner and Tolman Essay1627 Words   |  7 Pagesamong them based on their theories and perspectives. Each theory and concept is like steps on a ladder that define prior events that lead to current day theory known as modern day psychology. Respectfully John B. Watson is the founder of behaviorism and B.F. Skinner is the founder of radical behaviorism, but Edward Tolman marches to a different drum and is known for developing cognitive theory. Herein we will compare and contr ast each theory and formulate how each theory is imperative in 2012.Read MoreUpchurch Shawna EDUC 205 Learning Theory Paper1384 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Shawna Upchurch EDUC 205 Learning Theories Paper August 14, 2014 Behaviorism Behaviorism is one of the most used theories in education. Due to it can fit in both a classroom setting and at home. Educators had sought out the reason why for many years. But due to each child learns a different way so should the educator. Behaviorism was study by many great Psychologists over the years. Just to name some that had done work and publish books on the subject are, John Watson, Ivan Pavlov, Clark HullRead MoreBehaviorism Theory Of Classical Conditioning1700 Words   |  7 Pages Behaviorism is a theory that behavior can be altered through conditioning. Behaviorism does not focus on thoughts or feelings of the subject, just their behavior. Ivan Pavlov was a major part of this movement of behaviorism with his theory of classical conditioning. The most important part of classical conditioning is that it is done through repetition. In his experiment he began with noticing that an unconditioned stimulus like dog food causes an unconditioned response like salivation. He t henRead MoreBehaviorism s Theory Of Psychology983 Words   |  4 PagesClassification Behaviorism claims that â€Å"consciousness† is neither defined nor unable concept; that it is merely another word for the â€Å"soul† of more ancient time (Watson, 1970). However, behaviorism holds the subject matter of human psychology it focus on the behavior or activities of the human being. Etymology The word behaviorism originates from the Middle French word behavior, meaning the observable activity in human and animal. This term was coined in 1913 by the United States psychologistRead MoreWhy Do We Do Your Regular Schedules?1368 Words   |  6 PagesTodd Donerson 5/9/2015 Intr. Philosophy Main project part 2 Behaviorism Why do we do the things we do in our regular schedules? Do we do it on impulse, is it something we daily choose to do, or are we simply conditioned to a point where it becomes natural? These are the questions behaviorists think about when studying other people. I believe this is the right theory because I believe that everything a person does, why they think they way they do, why they do the things they do is becauseRead MoreBehaviorism As A Psychological Theory Of Human Development942 Words   |  4 Pages Behaviorism at its finest Life circumstances or events can predict the way that most people behave or handle situation. It is also believed that ones behavior is effected based on the positive or negative reinforcements received all throughout a persons life. Behaviorism is a psychological theory of human development that posits that humans can be trained, or conditioned, to respond in specific ways to specific stimuli and that given the correct stimuli, personalities and behaviors of individualsRead MoreBehaviorism And Social Learning Theory1531 Words   |  7 Pages Behaviorism and social learning theory are examples of two mechanistic theories that focus on explaining children’s behavior. Social learning theory emphasizes observational learning and imitation. On the other hand, behaviorism is rooted in focusing on how the environment impacts development. The environment shapes the child’s development as the child strives to adapt to the environment. Both theories deal with explaining behavior and consist of similarities, but are composed of different elementsRead MoreBehaviorism The Developmental Grand Theory1525 Words   |  7 PagesBehaviorism the Developmental Grand Theory Hillary C. Wade Cisco College Author Note This paper was prepared for Psychology 2314 Lifespan Growth and Development, Fall Mini-Semester, Taught by Linda Grant. Abstract Out of all the theories of lifespan development, behaviorism has proven to be the most efficient explanation of how we grow and adapt with our environments. Also known as the learning theory, it was developed by John B. Watson, and with major contributions from B.F. Skinner and Ivan Pavlov