EDUC 701 Cp. 3 Behaviorism
Father of Behaviorism - Answer-is John Watson; Considered theories and research that dealt with the
mind unscientific
Watson - Answer-Behavior was the proper material for psychologists to study (Watson, 1924).;
Introspection (Chapter 1) was unreliable; conscious experiences were not observable, and people having
such experiences could not be trusted to report them accurately (Murray, Kilgour, & Wasylkiw, 2000).
Watson believed - Answer-Pavlov's conditioning model was appropriate for building science of human
behavior; Impressed by Pavlov's precision in measuring human behaviors; Pavlov's model could account
for diverse forms of learning and personality characteristics
Watson - Answer-newborns are capable of displaying three emotions: love, fear, and rage (Watson,
1926a).
Through Pavlovian conditioning, these emotions could become attached to _____ to produce a complex
adult life. - Answer-stimuli
Watson proclaimed that he could take 12 healthy babies and raise them in a world he controlled and he
could form them into a variety of adults from doctors to merchant chiefs - Answer-
Watson's research held little relevance to academic learning - Answer-
Wrote with conviction - Answer-
,Influenced psychology from 1920's-1960's - Answer-
Work involving the environment strongly influenced Skinner - Answer-
Behaviorism - Answer-chapter covers behaviorism as expressed in behavior or conditioning theories of
learning; conditioning theories relevance lies not in in the fact that they deal with behavior (all theories
do that) but rather that they explain learning in terms of environmental events.
Behaviorism - Answer-Does not deny that mental phenomena don't exist BUT they are NOT necessary to
explain learning; Behaviorism important bc theories have been used to teach students adaptive
behaviors to function more effectively in learning settings
Behaviorism - Answer-NOT bribery; The hallmark of behavior theories is linking desired behaviors with
positive consequences, which is a goal of any theory that attempts to explain learning.
Operant Behavior Theory - Answer-B. F. Skinner, best known behavior theory
Connectionism - Answer-Edward L. Thorndike (1874-1949); prominent psychologist whose
connectionism theory of learning was dominant in the United States for a long time he was interested in
education and especially learning, transfer, individual differences, and intelligence
Thorndike - Answer-Applied experimental approach when measuring student outcomes; Thorndike
Award: highest award in psychology given by APA
Educational Psychology - Answer-(Thorndike, 1913a, 1913b, 1914). He postulated that the most
fundamental type of learning involves the forming of associations (connections) between sensory
experiences (perceptions of stimuli or events) and neural impulses (responses) that manifest themselves
behaviorally.
,Issues with Behaviorism Theory - Answer-learning often occurs by trial and error (selecting and
connecting).Research was on animals with controlled environment and a reward Animal used trial and
error and after being successful was able to attain the reward with fewer mistakes based on practice
Trial and Error learning: - Answer-Incremental; Occurs over time; Connections formed through
repetition; Awareness not necessary
Laws of Exercise and Effect - Answer-Thorndike's basic ideas
Law of Exercise - Answer-
Law of Use: response to stimulus strengthens connection - Answer-
Law of Disuse: connection is forgotten when stimulus not responded to - Answer-
Law of Effect - Answer-consequences of behavior: Responses resulting in satisfying (rewarding)
consequences are learned; responses producing annoying (punishing) consequences are not learned
Satisfyers and Annoyers - Answer-Satisfyers: responses resulting in satisfying consequences; Annoyers:
punishments
Law of Exercise - Answer-discarded due to lack of support in research
Laws of Exercise and Effect amended - Answer-bc if there is no reward the behavior is not imprinted
Annoyers/punishment effectiveness - Answer-not effective in behavior mod or learning bc it does not
remove the connection it just suppresses the desire to choose it
, Law of Readiness - Answer-states that when one is prepared (ready) to act, to do so is rewarding and not
to do so is punishing.; If student is ready to learn, moves toward learning the concept are rewarding; if
student does not possess the prerequisite knowledge, moves toward learning are a punishment
Associative Shifting - Answer-refers to a situation in which responses made to a particular stimulus
eventually are made to a different stimulus if, on repeated trials, there are small changes in the nature
of the stimulus.; Teaching multi-digit division AFTER single digit division is mastered
Identical Elements affects transfer - Answer-(generalization) or the extent that strengthening or
weakening of one connection produces a similar change in another connection (Hilgard, 1996;
Thorndike, 1913b; see Chapter 7).
Transfer occurs - Answer-when the elements are identical; Ex. Transfer of estimating area of rectangle
can't be made to area of circles, irregular shapes, triangles; Must be taught
Facilitating Transfer: - Answer-students gain more meaningful learning by using the knowledge; Dry and
wet measurements more meaningful when a recipe is used and food item created; Classroom practicum
more meaningful than book/classroom study
Thorndike and Education - Answer-Principles of Teaching. ; Teachers should help students form good
habits. ; As Thorndike (1912) noted: Form habits. Do not expect them to create themselves; Beware of
forming a habit that must be broken later. Do not form two or more habits when one will do as well.
Other things being equal, have a habit formed in the way in which it is to be used. (pp. 173-174)
Sequence of Curricula. - Answer-A skill should be introduced (Thorndike & Gates, 1929): At the time or
just before when it can be used in a meaningful way At the time when the learner is conscious of the
need for it as a means of satisfying some useful purpose When it is most suited in difficulty to the ability
of the learner When it will harmonize most fully with the level and type of emotions, tastes, instinctive
and volitional dispositions most active at the time When it is most fully facilitated by immediately
preceding learnings and when it will most fully facilitate learnings which are to follow shortly. (pp. 209-
210)
Thorndike and Gates - Answer-say learning should be cross-curricular not isolated to one subject
Father of Behaviorism - Answer-is John Watson; Considered theories and research that dealt with the
mind unscientific
Watson - Answer-Behavior was the proper material for psychologists to study (Watson, 1924).;
Introspection (Chapter 1) was unreliable; conscious experiences were not observable, and people having
such experiences could not be trusted to report them accurately (Murray, Kilgour, & Wasylkiw, 2000).
Watson believed - Answer-Pavlov's conditioning model was appropriate for building science of human
behavior; Impressed by Pavlov's precision in measuring human behaviors; Pavlov's model could account
for diverse forms of learning and personality characteristics
Watson - Answer-newborns are capable of displaying three emotions: love, fear, and rage (Watson,
1926a).
Through Pavlovian conditioning, these emotions could become attached to _____ to produce a complex
adult life. - Answer-stimuli
Watson proclaimed that he could take 12 healthy babies and raise them in a world he controlled and he
could form them into a variety of adults from doctors to merchant chiefs - Answer-
Watson's research held little relevance to academic learning - Answer-
Wrote with conviction - Answer-
,Influenced psychology from 1920's-1960's - Answer-
Work involving the environment strongly influenced Skinner - Answer-
Behaviorism - Answer-chapter covers behaviorism as expressed in behavior or conditioning theories of
learning; conditioning theories relevance lies not in in the fact that they deal with behavior (all theories
do that) but rather that they explain learning in terms of environmental events.
Behaviorism - Answer-Does not deny that mental phenomena don't exist BUT they are NOT necessary to
explain learning; Behaviorism important bc theories have been used to teach students adaptive
behaviors to function more effectively in learning settings
Behaviorism - Answer-NOT bribery; The hallmark of behavior theories is linking desired behaviors with
positive consequences, which is a goal of any theory that attempts to explain learning.
Operant Behavior Theory - Answer-B. F. Skinner, best known behavior theory
Connectionism - Answer-Edward L. Thorndike (1874-1949); prominent psychologist whose
connectionism theory of learning was dominant in the United States for a long time he was interested in
education and especially learning, transfer, individual differences, and intelligence
Thorndike - Answer-Applied experimental approach when measuring student outcomes; Thorndike
Award: highest award in psychology given by APA
Educational Psychology - Answer-(Thorndike, 1913a, 1913b, 1914). He postulated that the most
fundamental type of learning involves the forming of associations (connections) between sensory
experiences (perceptions of stimuli or events) and neural impulses (responses) that manifest themselves
behaviorally.
,Issues with Behaviorism Theory - Answer-learning often occurs by trial and error (selecting and
connecting).Research was on animals with controlled environment and a reward Animal used trial and
error and after being successful was able to attain the reward with fewer mistakes based on practice
Trial and Error learning: - Answer-Incremental; Occurs over time; Connections formed through
repetition; Awareness not necessary
Laws of Exercise and Effect - Answer-Thorndike's basic ideas
Law of Exercise - Answer-
Law of Use: response to stimulus strengthens connection - Answer-
Law of Disuse: connection is forgotten when stimulus not responded to - Answer-
Law of Effect - Answer-consequences of behavior: Responses resulting in satisfying (rewarding)
consequences are learned; responses producing annoying (punishing) consequences are not learned
Satisfyers and Annoyers - Answer-Satisfyers: responses resulting in satisfying consequences; Annoyers:
punishments
Law of Exercise - Answer-discarded due to lack of support in research
Laws of Exercise and Effect amended - Answer-bc if there is no reward the behavior is not imprinted
Annoyers/punishment effectiveness - Answer-not effective in behavior mod or learning bc it does not
remove the connection it just suppresses the desire to choose it
, Law of Readiness - Answer-states that when one is prepared (ready) to act, to do so is rewarding and not
to do so is punishing.; If student is ready to learn, moves toward learning the concept are rewarding; if
student does not possess the prerequisite knowledge, moves toward learning are a punishment
Associative Shifting - Answer-refers to a situation in which responses made to a particular stimulus
eventually are made to a different stimulus if, on repeated trials, there are small changes in the nature
of the stimulus.; Teaching multi-digit division AFTER single digit division is mastered
Identical Elements affects transfer - Answer-(generalization) or the extent that strengthening or
weakening of one connection produces a similar change in another connection (Hilgard, 1996;
Thorndike, 1913b; see Chapter 7).
Transfer occurs - Answer-when the elements are identical; Ex. Transfer of estimating area of rectangle
can't be made to area of circles, irregular shapes, triangles; Must be taught
Facilitating Transfer: - Answer-students gain more meaningful learning by using the knowledge; Dry and
wet measurements more meaningful when a recipe is used and food item created; Classroom practicum
more meaningful than book/classroom study
Thorndike and Education - Answer-Principles of Teaching. ; Teachers should help students form good
habits. ; As Thorndike (1912) noted: Form habits. Do not expect them to create themselves; Beware of
forming a habit that must be broken later. Do not form two or more habits when one will do as well.
Other things being equal, have a habit formed in the way in which it is to be used. (pp. 173-174)
Sequence of Curricula. - Answer-A skill should be introduced (Thorndike & Gates, 1929): At the time or
just before when it can be used in a meaningful way At the time when the learner is conscious of the
need for it as a means of satisfying some useful purpose When it is most suited in difficulty to the ability
of the learner When it will harmonize most fully with the level and type of emotions, tastes, instinctive
and volitional dispositions most active at the time When it is most fully facilitated by immediately
preceding learnings and when it will most fully facilitate learnings which are to follow shortly. (pp. 209-
210)
Thorndike and Gates - Answer-say learning should be cross-curricular not isolated to one subject
