Terms
Behaviorism: Theoretical perspective in which learning and behavior are described and explained in terms of stimulus-response relationships.
Conditioning: Term commonly used for learning.
Response: Specific behavior that an individual exhibits.
Stimulus: Specific object or event that influences an individual’s behavior.
Contiguity: Occurrence of two or more events at approximately the same time.
Classical conditioning: Form of learning in which a new involuntary response is acquired as a result of two stimuli being presented at the same time.
Unconditioned stimulus: Stimulus that elicits a particular response without prior learning.
Unconditioned response: Response that is elicited by a particular (unconditioned) stimulus without prior learning.
Neutral Stimulus: Stimulus that does not elicit any particular response.
Conditioned stimulus: Stimulus that begins to elicit a particular response through classical conditioning.
Conditioned response: Response that begins to be elicited by a particular (conditioned) stimulus through classical conditioning.
Generalization: Phenomenon in which a person learns a response to a particular stimulus and then makes the same response to a similar stimulus; in classical conditioning, involves making a conditioned response to a stimulus similar to a conditioned stimulus.
Extinction: Gradual disappearance of an acquired response; in classical conditioning, results from repeated presentation of a conditioned stimulus in the absence of the unconditioned stimulus.
Operant conditioning: Form of learning in which a response increases in frequency as a result of being followed by reinforcement.
Contingency: Situation in which one event happens only after another event has already occurred; one event is contingent on the other’s occurrence.
Reinforcer: Consequence of a response that leads to increased frequency of the response.
Reinforcement: Act of following a response with a reinforcer.
Primary reinforcer: Consequence that satisfies a biologically built-in need.
Secondary reinforcer: Consequence that becomes reinforcing over time through its association with another reinforcer.
Positive reinforcement: Consequence that brings about the increase of a behavior through the presentation (rather than the removal) of a stimulus.
Premack principle: Phenomenon in which learners do less-preferred activities in order to engage in more-preferred activities.
Extrinsic reinforcer: Reinforcer that comes from the outside environment, rather than from within the learner.
Intrinsic reinforcer: Reinfocer provided by the learner or inherent in the task being preformed.
Negative reinforcement: Consequence that brings about the increase of a behavior through the removal (rather than the presentation of) a stimulus.
Delay of gratification: Ability to forego small, immediate reinforcers to obtain larger ones later on.
Terminal behavior: form and frequency of a desired response that a teacher hopes to foster through operant conditioning.
Token economy: Technique in which desired behaviors are reinforced by tokens that learners can use to “purchase” a variety of other reinforcers.
Contingency contract: formal agreement between teacher and student that identifies behaviors the student will exhibit and the reinforcers that will follow.
Group contingency: Situation in which everyone in a group must make a particular response before reinforcement occurs.
Continuous reinforcement: Reinforcement of a response every time it occurs.
Extinction: In operant conditioning, gradual disappearance of an acquired response as a result of repeated lack of reinforcement.
Intermittent reinforcement: Reinforcement of a response only occasionally, with some occurrences of the response unreinforced.
Baseline: Frequency of a response before it is systematically reinforced.
Shaping: Process of reinforcing successively closer and closer approximations to a desired terminal behavior.
Antecedent stimulus: Stimulus that increases the likelihood that a certain other response will follow.
Cueing: Use of signals to indicate that a certain behavior is desired or that a certain behavior should stop.
Setting event: Complex environment condition in which a particular behavior is most likely to occur.
Generalization: In operant conditioning, phenomenon in which a person makes a voluntary response to a stimulus that is similar to one previously associated with a response-reinforcement contingency.
Discrimination: Phenomenon in which a student learns that a response is reinforced in the presence of one stimulus but not in the presence of another, similar stimulus.
Behavioral momentum: Increased tendency for a learner to make a particular response immediately after making similar responses.
Incompatible behaviors: Two or more behaviors that cannot be performed simultaneously.
Punishment: Consequence that decreases the frequency of the response it follows.
Presentation punishment: Punishment involving presentation of a new stimulus, presumably one a learner finds unpleasant.
Removal punishment: Punishment involving removal or an existing stimulus, presumably one a learner doesn’t want to lose.
Response cost: Loss either of a previously earned reinforcer or of an opportunity to obtain reinforcement.
Logical consequence: Consequence that follows naturally or logically from a student’s misbehavior.
Time-out: Form of punishment in which a student is placed in a dull, boring situation with no opportunity for reinforcement or social interaction.
In-school suspension: Form of punishment in which a student is placed in a quiet, boring room within the school building, typically to do schoolwork under close adult supervision.
Psychological punishment: Consequence that seriously threatens self-esteem.
Applied behavior analysis (
Functional analysis: Examination of inappropriate behavior and its antecedents and consequences to determine functions that the behavior might serve for the learner.
Positive behavior support: Variation of traditional applied behavior analysis that involves identifying the purposes of undesirable behaviors and providing alternative behaviors that more appropriately accomplish those purposes.
Summary: We understand a lot about behavior and learning by looking at classical conditioning and the principles associated with it. By understanding how students are conditioned, we might better understand their behavior which will help us understand their individual learning and in our teaching. We can also understand what stimuli might be producing specific behaviors and if they are negative behaviors, we can change that stimulus to hopefully change the negative behavior. The same goes for positive behavior in that if you know certain stimulus produce positive behaviors, you can continually use that stimulus. It is important to know that while behaviorism gives us a lot of information on human learning and behavior, it is not all inclusive, so it is important to use this perspective with other perspectives to gain a fuller understanding of human learning and behavior.
So What?
Behaviorism is important to know as a teacher because it is important to understand how behaviors are reinforced both positively and negatively. We as teachers need to get to know our students enough to know what is positively and negatively reinforcing to them because what might be a positive reinforcement to one student, might be a negative reinforcement to another and visa verse. It is important to understand how to positively reinforce our students so that we can increase positive behavior in the classroom and outside the classroom. As teachers we have a lot of influence in the children's lives that we teach, and it is important to know how to find ways to give positive reinforcement so students know when they are doing things that they should be doing but also be able to feel like someone notices when they are doing well.
Now What?
While behaviorism is important and I think that everyone uses it in one way or another throughout their lives, especially when they play a leadership role, I think it is important to not go crazy with this theory and it's practices. I think that just trying to condition responses based purely on positive or negative consequences kind of robs students of the ability to think and decide for themselves what is appropriate and what they like to do or what works for them. There are obviously specific things that are appropriate or not in the school setting but it is important to not rely solely on this theory to shape children's behavior because they wont learn to think for themselves and their actions will always be externally based, either trying to be rewarded or trying to avoid punishment.
Amen.
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