Behavioral Learning Theory

Learning behavior is an attitude that arises from students in responding and responding to
every teaching and learning activity that occurs, showing their attitude whether they are
enthusiastic and responsible for the learning opportunities given to them. Learning behavior
has two qualitative judgments, namely good and bad, depending on the individual who
experiences it, to respond well or even indifferently. Learning behavior also talks about how
the students learn themselves, so it can be concluded that learning behavior is a method or
action that contains an attitude towards the implementation of learning techniques carried out
by individuals or anyone in a particular learning situation and time.

Behavioral learning theory is an effort to shape the desired behavior by providing an

environment, so that there is a relationship between the environment and the behavior of
learners. Therefore, behavior learning theory is also called behavioristic learning theory.

According to behavioristic theory, learning is a change in behavior as a result of the

interaction between stimulus (stimulus) and response (response). In other words, learning is a
form of change experienced by students in terms of their ability to behave in new ways as a
result of the interaction between stimulus and response. A person is considered to have
learned something if he can show changes in his behavior.

According to this theory, the most important thing is input (input) in the form of a stimulus
and output (output) in the form of a response. According to this theory, what happens
between the stimulus and response is considered unimportant because it cannot be observed
and cannot be measured. All that can be observed is the stimulus and response. Therefore,
whatever the teacher gives (stimulus) and what the student produces (response), everything
must be observed and measured. This theory prioritizes measurement, because measurement
is an important thing to see the change in behavior. Another factor that is also considered
important is the reinforcement factor. Reinforcement is anything that can amplify the
emergence of a response. When reinforcement is added, the response will be even stronger.
Likewise, if the strengthening is reduced, the response will be strengthened. So,
reinforcement is a form of stimulus that is important to be given (added) or removed
(reduced) to allow a response.

Another factor that is also considered important by the behavioristic school is the
reinforcement factor. Reinforcement is anything that can amplify the emergence of a
response. If positive reinforcement is added, the response will be even stronger. Likewise, if
the reinforcement is reduced (negative reinforcement) the response will still be strengthened.
For example, when students are given assignments by the teacher, when the assignments are
added, they will be more active in learning. So the addition of this task is positive
reinforcement in learning. When the tasks are reduced and this reduction actually increases
the learning activity, the task reduction is negative reinforcement in learning. So
strengthening is a form of stimulus that is important to give ( added) or omitted (reduced) to
allow for a response.

Behavioristic figures include:

1. Thorndike

According to Thorndike, learning is a process of interaction between stimulus and response.

And changes in behavior are the result of learning activities that are concrete, that is, can be
observed or are not concrete, that is, they cannot be observed. This theory is also known as
the flow of connectionism (connectinism).

Furthermore, Thorndike (in Orton, 1991; Resnick, 1981) argues that the association between
stimulus and response follows the following laws:

a. The law of readiness, the more prepared an organism is to get a change in behavior, the
implementation of these behaviors will lead to individual satisfaction so that associations tend
to be strengthened.

b. The law of exercise, namely if the association between stimulus and response occurs
frequently, the association will be formed stronger. The interpretation of this law is that the
more often a knowledge that has been formed as a result of an association between the
stimulus and response being trained (used), the stronger the association will be.

c. The law of effect, which is that if the association formed between stimulus and response is
followed by a satisfaction, the association will increase.

2. Watson

According to Watson, learning is a process of interaction between stimulus and response, but
the intended stimulus and response must be in the form of observable and measurable
behavior. In other words, even though he acknowledges mental changes in a person during
the learning process, he considers these things as factors that need not be taken into account.
He still admits that mental changes in the shape of the student's mind are important, but they
cannot explain whether a person has learned or not because they cannot be observed.

3. Clark Hull

Clark Hull also uses the relationship variable between stimulus and response to explain the
notion of learning. However, he was deeply influenced by Charles Darwin's theory of
evolution. For him, like the theory of evolution, all behavioral functions are primarily useful
for maintaining human survival. Therefore, this theory says that biological needs and the
fulfillment of biological needs are important and occupy a central position in all parts of
humans, so that stimuli in learning are almost always associated with biological needs,
although the responses that will arise may take various forms.

4. Edwin Guthrie

Likewise Edwin, he also used stimulus and response variables. But he argues that stimulus
does not have to be related to biological need or fulfillment as Clark Hull did. He also argued
that in order for the response to emerge to be stronger and even more persistent, various kinds
of stimuli were needed in relation to that response.

5. Skinner

The concepts put forward by Skinner about learning are able to outperform other concepts put
forward by previous figures. He is able to explain the concept of learning in a simple way,
but can show his concept of learning more comprehensively. According to him, the
relationship between stimulus and response that occurs through interactions in the
environment, which will then lead to changes in behavior, is not as simple as that described
by the previous figures.

Behaviorism is one of the schools of psychology that views individuals only in terms of
physical phenomena, and ignores mental aspects. In other words, behaviorism does not
recognize the existence of intelligence, talents, interests and feelings of individuals in
learning. Learning events merely train reflexes in such a way that they become habits
mastered by individuals.
Some of Skinner's learning principles:

a. Learning outcomes must be immediately notified to students, if it is wrong it is corrected if

it is correct given reinforcement

b. The learning process must follow the rhythm of the learners

c. The subject matter is used in a module system

d. In the learning process their own activities are more important

e. In the learning process no punishment is used. For this the environment needs to be
changed to avoid punishment

f. The behavior that educators want, are rewarded with prizes and are rewarded with the use
of variable reinforcer ratio schedules

g. In learning, shaping is used

Behavioristic theory also tends to direct students to think linearly, convergent, not creative
and unproductive. The view of this theory is that learning is a process of shaping or shaping,
which is bringing students towards or achieving certain targets, so that students are not free to
create and imagine. Even though there are many influencing factors in life that affect the
learning process. So the notion of learning is not as simple as described by behavioristic
theory.

Principles of Behavioral Learning Theory

Some of the principles that underlie behavioral theories include: consequences, immediate
(immediacy) consequences, shaping.

1. Consequences

The most important principle of behavioral learning theories is that behavior changes
according to direct consequences. Pleasing consequences "reinforce" behavior, while
unpleasant consequences "weaken" behavior. If a hungry rat receives a grain of food when it
presses on a board, the rat will press the board more times. But if the mouse receives an
electric shock, the mouse will press the board less and less, or stop altogether.
 Pleasing consequences are generally called reinforsers, while unpleasant
consequences are called punishers.

a. Reinforser-reinforser

Reinforser-reinforser can be divided into two groups: primary and secondary. Primary
reinforsers satisfy basic human needs, such as food, water, safety, intimacy, and sex.
Secondary reinforsers are reinforsers that get their value after being associated with a primary
reinforser or other established reinforser. New money has value for a child when he knows
that the money can be used to buy food, for example. The numbers in the new report card
have value for students, if their parents pay attention and assessment, and the parents' praise
has value because praise is associated with love, intimacy, and other reinforsers. Money and
report card numbers are examples of reinforsers. secondary, because both do not have their
own value, but only have value after being associated with primary reinforsers or other
reinforsers that are more stable.

There are three basic categories of secondary reinforsers, namely social reinforsers
(such as praise, smiles, or attention), activity reinforsers (such as giving toys, games, or fun
activities), and symbolic reinforsers (such as money, numbers, stars, or points. which can be
exchanged for other reinforser-reinforser).

Often times, what is used in school are things that are given to students. These
reinforsers are called positive reinforsers, and are in the form of praise, numbers, and stars.
However, there are times when to strengthen behavior is to make the consequences of the
behavior escape from the situation which is not fun, for example, a teacher can free students
from homework, if they do good in class. If homework is considered by students as an
unpleasant task, then free from homework is a reinforser. Reinforser-reinforser in the form of
an escape from an unpleasant situation is called a negative reinforser.

An important principle of behavior is that less desirable activities can be increased by

incorporating them into activities that are more preferred or desired. For example, a teacher
said to a student "If you have finished working on this problem, you can leave." or "Clean up
your desk first, I'll read you a story later." These two examples are examples of a principle
known as the Premack Principle (Premack, 1965).

b. Punishment (punisher)
 Consequences that do not reinforce behavior are called punishments. Behavioral
theorists have different opinions about this punishment. Some argue that punishment is only
temporary, that punishment creates resistance or aggression. There are also theorists who
disagree with punishment. They generally agree that penalties should be used, if
reinforsement has been tried and failed, and that penalties are given in the lowest possible
form, and that penalties should always be used as part of a careful planning, not out of
frustration.

2. Immediacy of the consequences

One of the principles in behavioral learning theory is that the consequences that
immediately follow the behavior will affect the behavior more than the consequences that
come later.

The principle of urgency of these consequences is important in the classroom.

Especially for elementary school students, praise given as soon as the child has done a good
job, can be a stronger reinforser than the number given later.

3. Shaping

Apart from the urgency of reinforsement, what will be given reinforsement also
needs to be considered in teaching. When the teacher guides students towards achieving goals
by providing reinforsement on the steps that lead to success, the teacher uses a technique
called shaping.

Implementation of Learning Behavior

According to Syah (2005, p. 118) in understanding the meaning of learning and the basic
essence of changing attitudes due to learning, experts agree that learning behavior is
manifested in nine forms, namely: habits, skills, observation, associative thinking and
memory, rational and critical thinking, attitudes, inhibition, appreciation, and affective
behavior.

The nine learning behaviors can be described as follows:

1. Habits, every student who has experienced the learning process, his habits will change. The
habit arises because of the process of shrinking the response using repeated stimuli. Habit
also includes reducing unnecessary behavior. It is because of this process of depreciation that
a new, relatively permanent and automatic pattern of behavior emerges.
2. Skills are activities related to nerves and muscles that usually appear in physical activities
such as writing, typing, sports, and so on. Although it is motor in nature, this skill requires
careful coordination of movements and high awareness. Thus students who perform motor
movements with low coordination and awareness can be said to be less or unskilled.

3. Observation, namely the process of receiving, interpreting and giving meaning to stimuli
that enter through the senses such as the eyes and ears. Thanks to the learning experience,
students will be able to achieve correct, objective observations before reaching
understanding. Wrong observation will result in wrong understanding. The realization of this
learning behavior requires independence and social support as independent variables.

4. Associative thinking and memory, can simply be interpreted thinking by associating

something with others. Associative thinking is the process of forming a relationship between
stimuli and responses. The ability of students to make associative relationships correctly is
greatly influenced by the understanding and understanding of learning outcomes.

5. Rational and critical thinking is a manifestation of learning behavior, especially those

related to problem solving. In general, students who think rationally will use the principles
and basics of understanding in answering the "how" and "why" questions.

6. Attitude a relatively sedentary tendency to react in a good or bad way to certain people or
things.

7. Inhibition is the ability of students to reduce or stop unnecessary actions and then choose
or take other actions that are better when they react with their environment.

8. Appreciation of appreciation or assessment of everything both abstract and concrete that

has high value.

9. Affective behavior is behavior that involves a variety of feelings such as fear, anger,
sadness, joy, joy, anxiety, etc. These feelings cannot be separated from the influence of
learning experiences, therefore they are included in the manifestation of learning behavior.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Behavioristic Learning Theory

a. Strengths of Behavioristic Theory

1). The Behavioristic Model is very suitable for acquiring practice and habituation which
contains elements such as speed, spontaneity, flexibility, reflex, endurance and so on, for
example: foreign language conversation, typing, dancing, using computers, swimming,
sports, and so on.

2). Behavioristic theory is also suitable to be applied to train children who still need adult role
dominance, like to repeat and have to get used to it, like to imitate and enjoy direct forms of
appreciation such as being given candy or praise.

b. Weaknesses of Behavioristic Theory

1) Teacher centered learning is mechanistic and only results-oriented which can be observed
and measured. So that the foresight and sensitivity of teachers to learning situations and
conditions is very important to implement behavioristic conditions

2) The wrong application of this method will result in an unpleasant learning process for
students, namely the teacher as a central, authoritarian attitude, communication takes place in
one direction, the teacher trains and determines what should be done by students. Students are
seen as passive.

3) Students only listen to the explanation from the teacher and memorize what they hear and
are seen as effective learning.

4) The use of punishment which is very avoided by behavioristic figures is considered the
most effective method to discipline students