Tutor: Maureen McLachlan Behaviourism Tutor: Maureen McLachlan

Behaviourism Learning theorists or behaviourists focus on what is learnt through experience and the consequences of behaviour so this approach is often called Behaviourism Behaviour is understood to change following patterns of reward and punishment

Behaviourism Ivan Pavlov – Classical Conditioning This suggests that all behaviour, ‘good’ or ‘bad’ is learnt in the same way The two main processes of learning are classical and operant conditioning Three of the most famous exponents of this perspective: Ivan Pavlov – Classical Conditioning John Watson- Classical Conditioning Burrhus Frederic Skinner – Operant Conditioning http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhqumfpxuzI

Watson Give me a dozen healthy infants, well formed, and in my own specified world to bring them up, and I will guarantee to take anyone at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select-doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief and yes, even beggar man and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants tendencies, abilities, vocation and race of ancestors. (Watson1930)

Classical Conditioning Is a form of learning where an association is made between two stimuli. For example, if you stroke a young baby on the cheek, he/she will automatically turn to suck However you can use this ability to change behaviour by artificially making an association between stimuli. For example use of bells in school to make children go to lunch.

Pavlov What do you remember about Pavlov?

Operant Conditioning Is a form of learning based on the use of reinforcement With the right reinforcement the behaviour increases or decreases Positive reinforcement is the encouragement of behaviours by means of rewards I.e. adding something they want eg praise Negative reinforcement is the encouragement of behaviours by the removal of something unpleasant i.e. taking away something they don’t want. Punishment is different, it is the adding of something unpleasant. In contrast with Classical Conditioning, Operant Conditioning involves a deliberate action as response

Task Can you suggest an example of: Positive reinforcement Negative reinforcement Punishment Please use children in your examples Which do you think would be the most effective? Why do we try not to use punishment?

B. F. Skinner’s experiments Skinner trained laboratory birds and animals to perform complex actions, including getting pigeons to play a kind of table tennis He applied the ideas to human learning processes to propose the efficiency of programmed learning by teaching machines, by which children or adults could learn at their own pace, rewarded for correct responses

The two basic propositions of Behaviourist Learning Theory: 1. Behaviour is strengthened by reinforcement 2. Behaviour that is reinforced on a partial or inconsistent schedule is stronger, more resistant to stopping altogether, than behaviour that has been reinforced all the time

Albert Bandura http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHHdovK HDNU Through the 1960s, Albert Bandura, developed his theory of Social Learning Bandura noted that a powerful predictor of children’s behaviour was what they could directly observe of other children’s or adult’s behaviour Bandura added the significance of personal feelings of reinforcement and the link between thinking and observational learning The ideas make more sense applied to the lives of children, as opposed to pigeons, even those who can play table tennis! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHHdovK HDNU

Albert Bandura Bandura added two more key propositions about the process of learning Children learn new behaviours mainly through the process of modelling (role models) Children do not only learn actual behaviours, they also learn ideas, expectations and develop internal standards. This can be described as latent learning

Features of a model that may influence us to imitate behaviour Modelling behaviour Similarity to ourselves status Gender Features of a model that may influence us to imitate behaviour prestige Fame Competence

Bandura suggested that for learning to take place, these needed to exist Availability Attention Retention Motivation Take one of these away and the behaviour doesn’t happen WHY?

Thinking and Observational Learning Bandura further extended his version of learning theory to cover how children are not passive observers, or unthinking imitators, and began to refer his approach to Social Cognitive Theory. This can remind us that many theories of direct relevance to work with children are a blend of different approaches.

For example Role theory Self fulfilling prophecy What are the expectations of roles that we take on? Think of 5 different roles that a child may take on, what sort of behaviour would you expect to see with each role? Self fulfilling prophecy The way we think about ourselves influences the way others respond to us and vice versa My behaviour My thoughts and beliefs Other people’s response to me