Behaviourism is a theory that explains learning as the formation of associations between stimuli and responses through reinforcement. It focuses on observable behaviours and excludes internal mental processes. Behaviourists believe that learning is shaped by environmental conditioning and reinforcement, and that all learning involves changes in overt behaviour. According to behaviourism, learning occurs in incremental steps through imitation, repetition, reinforcement or punishment, and habit formation. The two main types of learning are classical conditioning, which addresses involuntary responses, and operant conditioning, which addresses voluntary responses. Reinforcement and punishment are used to increase or decrease behaviours. Behaviourism had a strong influence on language teaching methods in the mid-20th century.
Behaviourism is a theory that explains learning as the formation of associations between stimuli and responses through reinforcement. It focuses on observable behaviours and excludes internal mental processes. Behaviourists believe that learning is shaped by environmental conditioning and reinforcement, and that all learning involves changes in overt behaviour. According to behaviourism, learning occurs in incremental steps through imitation, repetition, reinforcement or punishment, and habit formation. The two main types of learning are classical conditioning, which addresses involuntary responses, and operant conditioning, which addresses voluntary responses. Reinforcement and punishment are used to increase or decrease behaviours. Behaviourism had a strong influence on language teaching methods in the mid-20th century.
Behaviourism is a theory that explains learning as the formation of associations between stimuli and responses through reinforcement. It focuses on observable behaviours and excludes internal mental processes. Behaviourists believe that learning is shaped by environmental conditioning and reinforcement, and that all learning involves changes in overt behaviour. According to behaviourism, learning occurs in incremental steps through imitation, repetition, reinforcement or punishment, and habit formation. The two main types of learning are classical conditioning, which addresses involuntary responses, and operant conditioning, which addresses voluntary responses. Reinforcement and punishment are used to increase or decrease behaviours. Behaviourism had a strong influence on language teaching methods in the mid-20th century.
Behaviourism is a theory that explains learning as the formation of associations between stimuli and responses through reinforcement. It focuses on observable behaviours and excludes internal mental processes. Behaviourists believe that learning is shaped by environmental conditioning and reinforcement, and that all learning involves changes in overt behaviour. According to behaviourism, learning occurs in incremental steps through imitation, repetition, reinforcement or punishment, and habit formation. The two main types of learning are classical conditioning, which addresses involuntary responses, and operant conditioning, which addresses voluntary responses. Reinforcement and punishment are used to increase or decrease behaviours. Behaviourism had a strong influence on language teaching methods in the mid-20th century.
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What is Behaviourism ?
Behaviourism is a theory that
intends to explain how to learn a specific behavior. It focuses on the explanation of behavior. Classical/Pavlovian conditioning Depends upon an association between stimulus and response
• Basic reflex responses are unconditionally
elicited by certain types of stimuli [e.g. salivation on presentation of food] Universals of Behaviourism Behavior can be shaped through reinforcement. Practice promotes desired behavior. All species of animals learn in similar (equal ways with the same guiding principles) To understand learning processes, focus on stimulus and responses Internal process should be excluded from the study of learning. Learning is evidenced by a behavior change Assumptions of Behaviourism Organisms are blank slates at birth (“tabula rasa”)
Learning is a result of environmental events Learning steps according to Behaviourism Imitation Repetition Reinforcement/Punishment Habit formation Two main types of Learning Classical conditioning: addresses learning of involuntary responses. For example when the sound of a bell alone stimulates saliva flow in dogs.
Operant conditioning: addresses
learning of voluntary responses. 7 Reinforcement Reinforcement is used to help increase the probability that a specific behavior will occur in the future.
Two types : positive and negative
Positive Reinforcement Positive reinforcement works by presenting a motivating/reinforcing stimulus to the person after the desired behavior is exhibited, making the behavior more likely to happen in the future.
The following are some examples of positive
reinforcement:
A mother gives her son praise (positive stimulus) for
doing homework (behavior). A father gives his daughter candy (positive stimulus) for cleaning up her bedroom (behavior). Negative reinforcement Negative reinforcement occurs when a certain stimulus (usually an aversive stimulus) is removed after a particular behavior is exhibited.
Bob does the dishes (behavior) in order to avoid his
mother´s anger (negative stimulus).
Natalie can get up from the dinner table (negative
stimulus) when she eats 2 bites of her broccoli (behavior). Punishment Punishment is a process by which a consequence immediately follows a behavior which decreases the future frequency of that behavior. a) Positive Punishment: presenting a negative consequence after an undesired behavior is exhibited, making the behavior less likely to happen in the future. A child picks his nose during class (behavior) and the teacher reprimands him (negative stimulus) in front of his classmates.
A child grabs a toy from another child (behavior) and
is sent to time out (negative stimulus) Punishment Negative Punishment : Negative punishment happens when a certain desired stimulus is removed after a particular undesired behavior is exhibited, resulting in the behavior happening less often in the future.
For a child that really enjoys a specific class, such as
gym or music classes at school, negative punishment can happen if he/she is removed from that class (desired stimulus) and sent to the principal’s office because he/she was misbehaving (behavior) You didn´t do your homework. Your mother does not allow you to use your cell phone or computer. Differences between PP and NP Behaviourism and Language Teaching It had a powerful influence on second and foreign language teaching between the 1940s and the 1970s.
Influenced the development of the audiolingual
method.
Instruction is to elicit the desired response from the
learner who is presented with a target stimulus.
Student as passive receiver of information memorized
dialogues and sentence patterns by heart. Characteristics of a class based on Behaviourism Based on rewards and punishments.
Responsibility for student learning rests squarely with
the teacher.
Lecture-based, highly structured.
Primacy of speech: considers speech as primary partly
because it is the first medium that the child masters.
Skills are taught in a specific order: Listening and
speaking then reading/writing. Steps to learn a language according to Behaviourism Learners are taught the language in small, sequential steps (structures and then sentence patterns).
A small part of the language is presented as a stimulus, to which
the learner responds by repeating or by substituting.
This is followed by reinforcement by the teacher. By repeating
the learner develops habits.
Learning a language is seen as acquiring a set of appropriate
mechanical habits and errors are frowned upon because they lead to the development of “bad” habits.
The role of the teacher is to develop in learners good language
habits. Your turn! Provide 2 examples for : Positive and Negative Reinforcement ; Positive and Negative Punishment.
With a partner, list two examples of operant
conditioning that you have used or that you see regularly in your classroom or school.
