Chapter Seven Behavioral Learning Theory: Operant Conditioning

Chapter Seven

Behavioral Learning Theory:

Operant Conditioning

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Chapters – (7-11)

Learning and Instruction


How do we learn?

How do we effectively assess learning?


Learning Theories

• What is learning?

– A relatively permanent influence on behavior, knowledge, and thinking skills which comes through experience.

(Santrock, 2004)


Historical OverviewWilliam James (1842-1910)

• • Professor at Harvard University

• In late 1890’s, he studied the relationship between psychology and teaching

Psychology…aims to acquire "a ..body of propositions about states of mind [thoughts, feelings, and knowledge]”

http://www.emory.edu/EDUCATION/mfp/follow.html


Pioneers of Educational Psychology

• Three Pioneers

– William James

– John Dewey

– E. L. Thorndike


John Dewey (1859-1952)

•

• Est. first ed Psyc Lab in USA

• “Child is an active learner”

• “Children learn by doing”

• “Focus of learning should be thinking”

Thinking is the method of intelligent learning, of learning that employs and rewards the mind.

(Democracy and Education, p. 171)

http://www.emory.edu/EDUCATION/mfp/follow.html


E. L. Thorndike (1874-1949)

• Student of William James

• Schools should hone children’s thinking skills

• Ed. Psy should have a scientific base and focus on measurement


Historical Background

• Educational Psychology developed before the start of 20 Century

• Growth spurred by pioneers from various parts of the world


Historical Overview

• Wilhelm Wundt established first psychological laboratory in 1879 in Germany – study human thought

• Hermann Ebbinghaus German Psychologist– in 1880’s studied memory and forgetting


Approaches to Learning

– Various approaches to learning• Behavioral – behavior should be explained by

observable experiences, not mental processes.– Classical conditioning; operant conditioning

• Cognitive – mental processes like thoughts, feeling, motives can be studied in a scientific manner to explain learning

– Social learning theory; information process theory; cognitive constructivist; social cognitive constructivist


Chronology of Dev. In Ed Psych.

• Thorndike’s view – first half of 20 C.

• Skinner’s view – middle of 20 Century– Behavior is the evidence of learning

• Cognitive revolution – 1980s cognition is evidence of learning

• Contextual View – last decades of 20 C and onward.


Behavioral Approaches

• Classical Conditioning

– Ivan Pavlov (Russian physiologist, 1900’s)• Experiments with dogs

– John B. Watson (American)

• Applied this theory to children (Albert)

Associative learning - no rewards or punishments


Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)


John B. Watson (1878 to 1958)

• Give me a dozen healthy infants…and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select--doctor, lawyer, merchant-chief, and yes, even beggarman and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors." (1930)


How Emotions Are LearnedJohn B. Watson

Little Albert – 11 month old babyPresented: White rat (CS) + Loud noise (US)Result: Albert showed fear of the rat and later generalized to beardCopyright ©2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies


Behavioral Approaches

• Operant Conditioning– E. L. Thorndike

• Studied cats

Law of Effect• Behaviors followed by positive outcomes are

strengthened and behaviors followed by negative outcomes are weakened


Operant conditioning

• Theorist– B. F. Skinner extended the work of Thorndike

with rats in Skinner boxes

• Basic assumption– Voluntary responses are strengthened

or weakened as a result of their consequences

NB: Associative learning in which there is a contingency between the response and the presentation of the reinforcer


Behavioral Approach-Key Principle

• Associative Learning

– A mental link is formed between two events and is evident from observable behavior.


Overview

• Operant conditioning

• Educational applications of operant conditioning principles


Type of + Stimulus

Action + Effect on Behavior

= Result

Desirable Present Strengthen Positive reinforcement

Aversive Remove Strengthen Negative reinforcement

Aversive Present Weaken Type I (presentation) punishment

Desirable Remove Weaken Type II (removal) punishment

Desirable Withhold Weaken Extinction

Conditions that define reinforcement, punishment, and extinction


In Class Assignment

Team Work Use role-playing in a teaching-learning situation, to explain

and demonstrate:• Positive Reinforcement• Negative Reinforcement• Punishment Type I and Type II• Generalization and Discrimination• Extinction and Spontaneous Recovery • Be careful to ensure that your skit and explanation help us

to understand the concept


Operant conditioning concepts

• Positive reinforcement– Strengthening (increasing) a behavior by

presenting a positive stimulus immediately after the behavior has occurred

• Negative reinforcement– Strengthening (increasing) a behavior by

removing a negative stimulus immediately after the behavior has occurred



• Presentation punishment (Type I)– Weakening (decreasing) a behavior by

presenting an aversive stimulus immediately after the behavior has occurred

• Removal punishment (Type II, time-out)– Weakening (decreasing) a behavior by

removing a positive stimulus immediately after the behavior has occurred



• Extinction– When a previously reinforced behavior

decreases in frequency and eventually ceases altogether because reinforcement is withheld

• Spontaneous recovery– When an extinguished behavior reappears

without having been reinforced



• Generalization– When an individual learns to make a particular

response to a particular stimulus and then makes the same or a similar response in a slightly different situation

• Discrimination– When an individual learns to notice the unique

aspects of seemingly similar situations and thus different ways of responding



• Shaping– Reducing complex behaviors into several more

simple behaviors– Reinforcing successive approximations to the

complex behavior


Schedules of reinforcement

• Fixed interval schedule– Reinforcement occurs after a specific amount

of time

• Variable interval schedule– Reinforcement occurs after a random amount

of time


Schedules of reinforcement

• Fixed ratio schedule– Reinforcement occurs after a specific number

of responses

• Variable ratio schedule– Reinforcement occurs after a random number

of responses


Major Types of CBI Programs(Grabe & Grabe, 2004)

Teach new information and skills and provide an opportunity to apply what was learned in a meaningful context that would otherwise be unavailable because of cost, physical danger, and time constraints

Probems-Solving Programs: Simulations and Games

Teach new information (e.g., facts, definitions, concepts) and skills

Tutorial

Practice knowledge and skills learned earlier to produce fast and accurate responses

Drill and Practice

PurposeType of Program

Documents

Chapter Seven Behavioral Learning Theory: Operant Conditioning