MODULE 7

BEHAVIORISM: PAVLOV, THORNDIKE, WATSON, SKINNER

OBJECTIVE

At the end of the unit, the students are able to:

1. explain the basic principles of behaviorism;
2. make a simple plan applying the primary laws of learning; and
3. determne how to use rewards in the learning process more effectively.

The theory of behaviorism focuses on the study of observable and measurable

behavior. It emphasizes that behavior is mostly learned through conditioning and
reinforcement (rewards and punishment). It does not give much attention to the mind
and the possibility of thought processes occurring in the mind. Contributions in the
development of the behaviorist theory largely came from Pavlov, Watson, Thorndike
and Skinner.

ACTIVATING YOUR PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

1. Think of a teacher that’s most unforgettable to you in elementary or high

school.
2. Are there things that when you encounter at present (see, hear, touch, smell)
make you “go back to the past” and recall this teacher? What are these
things?
3. What kinds of rewards and punishments did she/ he apply in your class? For
what student behaviors were the rewards and punishment for?
Student Behavior Reward/ Punishment

4. What makes this teacher unforgettable to you?

5. Why do your answers in no. 1 make you recall your teacher? Describe the
connection these things have on your past teacher.
6. Were the rewards and punishments given effective? Please elaborate.

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EXPANDING YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Behaviorism

IVAN PAVLOV. Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist is well known for his work
in classical conditioning or stimulus substitution. Pavlov’s most renowned experiment
involved meat, a dog and a bell. Initially, Pavlov was measuring dog’s salivation I order
to study digestion. This is when he stumbled upon classical conditioning.
Pavlov’s Experiment. Before conditioning, ringing the bell (neutral stimulus)
caused no response from the dog. Placing food (unconditioned stimulus) in front of
the dog initiated salivation (unconditioned response). During conditioning, the bell
was rung a few seconds before the dog was presented with food. After conditioning,
the ringing of the bell (conditioned stimulus) alone produced salivation (conditioned
response). This is classical conditioning. See illustration below:

Somehow, you were conditioned to associate particular objects with your

teacher. So at present, when you encounter objects, you are also reminded of your
teacher. This is an example of classical conditioning.

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Pavlov also had the following findings:
Stimulus Generalization. Once the dog has learned to salivate at the sound of
the bell, it will salivate at other similar foods.
Extinction. If you stop pairing the bell with food, salivation will eventually
cease in response to the bell.
Spontaneous Recovery. Extinguished responses can be “recovered” after an
elapsed time, but will soon extinguish again if the dog is not presented with food.
Discrimination. The dog could learn to discriminate between similar bells
(stimuli) and discern which bell would result in the presentation of food and which
would not.
Higher- Order Conditioning. Once the dog has been conditioned to associate
the bell with food, another unconditioned stimulus, such as a light may be flashed at
the same time that the bell is rung. Eventually, the dog will salivate at the flash of the
light without the sound of the bell.

EDWARD L. THORNDIKE. Edward Thorndike’s Connectionism Theory gave us

the original S-R framework of behavioral psychology. More than a hundred year ago
he wrote a text book entitled, Educational Psychology. He was the first one to use this
term. He explained that learning is the result of associations forming between stimuli
(S) and response (R). Such associations or “habits” become strengthened or
weakened by the nature and frequency of the S-R pairings. The model for S-R theory
was trial and error learning in which certain responses came to be repeated more than
others because of rewards. The main principle of connectionism (like all behavioral
theory) was that learning could be adequately explained without considering any
unobservable internal states.
Thorndike’s theory on connectionism states that learning has takes place
when a strong connection or bond between stimulus and response is formed. He
came up with three primary laws:
Law of Effect. The law of effect states that a connection between a stimulus
and response is strengthened when the consequence is positive (reward) and the
connection between the stimulus and the response is weakened when the
consequence is negative. Thorndike later on, revised this “law” when he found that
negative rewards (punishment) do not necessarily weaken bonds, and that some
seemingly pleasurable consequences do not necessarily motivate performance.
Law of Exercise. This tells us that the more an S-R (stimulus- response) bond
is practiced the stronger it will become. “Practice makes perfect” seem to be
associated with this. However, like the law of effect, the law of exercise also had to be
revised when Thorndike found that practice without feedback does not necessarily
enhance performance.
Law of Readiness. This states that the more readiness the learner has to
respond to the stimulus, the stronger will be the bond between them. When a person

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is ready to respond to a stimulus and is not made to respond, it becomes annoying to
the person. For example, if the teacher says, “Okay we will now watch the movie
(stimulus) you’ve been waiting for”. And suddenly the power goes off. The students
will feel frustrated because they were ready to respond the stimulus but was
prevented from doing so. Likewise, if the person is not at all ready to respond to a
stimuli and is asked to respond, that is also annoying. For instance, the teacher calls a
student to stand up and recite, and then the teacher asks the question and expects
the student to respond right away when he is still not ready. This will be annoying to
the student. That is why teachers should remember to say the question first, and wait
for a few seconds before calling on anyone to answer.
Principles Derived from Thorndike’s Connectionism:
1. Learning requires both practice and rewards (law of effect/ exercise).
2. A series of S-R connections can be chained together as if they belong to the
same action sequence (law of readiness).
3. Transfer of learning occurs because of previously encountered situations.
4. Intelligence is a function of the number of connections learned.

JOHN WATSON. John B. Watson was the first American psychologist to work
with Pavlov’s ideas. He too was initially involved in animal studies, and then later
became involved in human behavior research.
He considered that humans are born with a few reflexes and the emotional
reactions of love and rage. All other behavior is learned through stimulus- response
associations through conditioning. He believed in the power of conditioning so much
that he said that if he is given a dozen healthy infants he can make them into anything
you want them to be, basically through making stimulus- response connections
through conditioning.
Experiment on Albert. Watson applied classical conditioning in his experiment
concerning Albert, a young child and a white rat. In the beginning, Alfred was not
afraid of the rat; but Watson made a sudden loud noise each time Albert touched the
rat. Because Albert was frightened by the loud noise, he soon became conditioned to
fear and avoid the rat. Later, the child’s response was generalized to other small
animals. Now, he was also afraid of small animals. Watson then “extinguished” or
made the child “unlearn” fear by showing the rat without the loud noise.
Surely, Watson’s research methods would be questioned today; nevertheless,
his work did clearly show the role of conditioning in the development of emotional
responses to certain stimuli. This may help us understand the fears, phobias and
prejudices that people develop.
BURRHUS FREDERICK SKINNER. Like Pavlov, Watson and Thorndike, Skinner
believed in the stimulus- response pattern of the conditioned behavior. His theory
zeroed in only on changes in observable behavior, excluding any likelihood of any
processes taking place in the mind. Skinner’s 1948 book, Walden Two, is about a

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utopian society based on operant conditioning. He also wrote, Science and Human
Behavior, (1953) in which he pointed out how the principles of operant conditioning
function in social institutions such as government, law, religion, economics and
education.
Skinner’s work differs from that of the three behaviorists before him in that he
studied operant behavior (voluntary behaviors used in operating on the environment).
Thus, this theory came to be known as Operant Conditioning.
Operant Conditioning is based upon the notion that learning is a result of
change in overt behavior. Changes in behavior are the result of an individual’s
responses to events (stimuli) that occur in the environment. When a particular
Stimulus- Response (S-R) pattern is reinforced (rewarded), the individual is
conditioned to respond.
Reinforcement is the key element in Skinner’s S-R Theory. A reinforcer is
anything that strengthens the desired response. There is a positive reinforcer and a
negative reinforcer.
A positive reinforcer is any stimulus that is given or added to increase
response. An example of positive reinforcement is when a teacher promises extra
time in play area to the children who behave well during lesson. Another is a mother
who promises a new cellphone for her son who gets good grades. Still, other examples
include verbal praises, star stamps and stickers.
A negative reinforcer is any stimulus that results in the increased frequency of
a response when it is withdrawn or removed. A negative reinforcer is not a
punishment; in fact it is a reward. For instance, a teacher announces that a student
who gets an average grade of 1.5 for the two grading periods will no longer take the
final examination. The negative reinforcer is “removing” the final exam, which we
realize is a form of reward for working hard and getting an average of 1.5.
A negative reinforcer is different from a punishment because a punishment is
a consequence intended to result in reduced responses. An example would be a
student who always comes late is not allowed to join a group work that has already
begun (punishment) and, therefore, loses point for that activity. The punishment was
done to reduce the response of repeatedly coming to class late.
Skinner also looked into extinction or non- reinforcement: Responses that are
not reinforced are not likely to be repeated. For example, ignoring a student’s
misbehavior nay extinguish that behavior.
Shaping of Behavior. An animal on a cage may take a very long time to figure
out that pressing a lever will produce food. To accomplish such behavior, successive
approximations of the behavior are rewarded until the animal learns the association
between the lever and food reward. To begin shaping, the animal may be rewarded for
simply turning in the direction of the lever, then for moving toward the lever, for
brushing against the lever, and finally pressing the lever.
Behavioral Chaining comes about when a series of steps are needed to be

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learned. The animal would master each step in sequence until the entire sequence is
learned. This can be applied to a child being taught to tie a shoelace. The child can be
given a reinforcement (rewards) until the entire process of tying shoelace is learned.
Reinforcement Schedules. Once the desired behavioral response is
accomplished, reinforcement does not have to be 100%; in fact, it can be maintained
more successfully through what Skinner referred to as partial reinforcement
schedules. Partial reinforcement schedules include interval schedules and ratio
schedules.
Fixed Interval Schedules. The target response is reinforced after a fixed
amount of time has passed since the last reinforcement. Example, the bird in a cage is
given food (reinforcer) every 10 minutes, regardless how many times it presses the
bar.
Variable Interval Schedules. This is similar to fixed interval schedules but the
amount of time must pass between reinforcement varies. Example, the bird may
receive food (reinforcer) different intervaks, not every ten minutes.
Fixed Ratio Schedules. A fixed number of correct responses must occur before
reinforcement may recur. Example, the bird will be given food (reinforcer) every time
it presses the bar 5 times.
Variable Ratio Schedules. The number of correct repetitions of the correct
response for reinforcement varies. Example, the bird is given food (reinforcer) after it
presses the bar 3 times, then after 10 times, then after 4 times. So the bird will not be
able to predict how many times it needs to press the bar before it gets food again.
Variable interval and especially, variable ratio schedules produce steadier and
more persistent rates of response because the learners cannot predict when the
reinforcement will come although they know that they will eventually succeed. An
example of this is why people continue to buy lotto tickets even when an almost
negligible percentage of people actually win. While it is true that very rarely there is a
big winner, but once in a while somebody hits the jackpot (reinforcement).people
cannot predict when the jackpot can be gotten (variable interval) so they continue to
buy tickets (repetition of response).
Implications of Operant Conditioning. These implications are given for
programmed instruction.
1. Practice should take the form of question (stimulus)- answer (response)
frames which expose the student to the subject in gradual steps.
2. Require the learners makes a response for every frame and receives
immediate feedback.
3. Try to arrange difficulty of the questions so the response is always correct
and hence, a positve reinforcement.
4. Ensure that good performance in the lesson is paired with secondary
reinforcers such as verbal praise, prizes and good grades.
Principles Derived from Skinner’s Operant Conditioning:

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1. behavior that is positively reinforced will reoccur; intermittent
reinforcement is particularly effective.
2. Information should be presented in small amouts so that responses can be
reinforced (“shaping”).
3. Reinforcements will generalize across similar stimuli (“stimulus
generalization”) producing secondary conditioning.

Looking back at the activity at the beginning, try to look into the rewards and
punishments that your former teacher used in class. Connect them with Skinner’s
Operant Conditioning. Can you now see why your teacher used them?

SYNTHESIZING YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Activity # 1

1. Explain the basic principles of behaviorism.

2. Make a simple plan applying the principles of learning.
3. Explain how to use rewards in the learning process effectively.

Activity #2

1. Read more about classical and operant conditioning. Find out about their
similarities and differences. Prepare a concept map or graphic organizer to
highlight these similarities and differences.
2. Thorndike’s Connectionism.
a. Choose a topic you want to teach.
b. Think of ways you can apply the three primary laws while you teach the
topic.

Topic: Grade Level:

Primary Law How would I teach the Primary Law
Law of Readiness

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Law of Effect. Indicate specifically how
you will use positve/ negative
reinforcements (rewards)

Law of Exercise

Activity #3

From this module on Behaviorism: Pavlov, Thorndike Skinner, I realized that …

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