1. Tutor: Maureen McLachlan
Behaviourism
Tutor: Maureen McLachlan

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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)

5. 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.

6. Pavlov
What do you remember about Pavlov?

7. 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

8. 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?

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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!
HDNU

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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?

15. 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.

16. 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