This chapter focuses on behaviorism. The main points include different methods to increase appropriate behavior decrease undesirable behavior in children. It discusses topics such classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning is a method of pairing a response with a stimulus that does not usually evoke a reaction. In classical conditioning, a natural response such as a physical response or an anxious feeling is paired with a conditioned stimulus by simultaneously presenting the unconditioned stimulus and the conditioned stimulus. After a while, the conditioned stimulus is paired with the conditioned response even when the unconditioned stimulus is not presented.
Operant conditioning also includes the pairing of a stimulus and a response, but instead of focusing on involuntary responses, it conditions voluntary behaviors. This type of conditioning usually includes reinforcement and punishment. Positive reinforcement refers to when a child is given something in order to increase a behavior. Positive punishment is when something is given in order to decrease the behavior. In the same ways, negative reinforcement is when something is taken away in order to increase a behavior and negative punishment is when something is taken away to decrease a behavior.
A question that arose while I was reading this chapter was regarding the method of satiation. I don't understand how allowing the student to repeat the inappropriate behavior over and over again really teaches the child that it is inappropriate. I understand that the reward from doing the action would wear off after time, but it seems to me that the student would not have actually learned that the behavior was bad. All the student has learned was that his teacher was accepting of the behavior. It also seems that other students would start to think that the behavior was acceptable for them to mimic as well.
Behaviorists would describe learning as a process where the teacher manipulates the environment in order to change a behavior. They would say that the learning has occurred when a change in behavior is present.
You have a nice description of the different kinds of conditioning and how they work. You might also want to include some additional reflection on the chapter, and the information that you've pulled out from it after reading. Overall, what big messages do you get from the chapter for teaching? (I have some other tips to think at this level in the next blog prompt)
ReplyDeleteIn your question about satiation, you discuss a lot about student perception and understanding or intention, and these are all things in the mind. Remember that behaviorism looks only at behavior and how to increase or decrease that particular behavior. The theory is only saying that if you allow the child to continue the behavior over a long period of time, typically that behavior will eventually decrease (and nothing else about their mind). Of course, sometimes the method may not be effective, depending on the behavior. I imagine that a behavior that is intrinsically motivating (the student enjoys the behavior itself and not a consequence of the behavior like attention) may not end--like stretching or singing to themselves?
Very nice and concise statement about learning at the end!