Development And Diversity

Development and Diversity

Over the course of a lifetime people grow, adapt, and change which refers to human development. People grow, adapt, and change through physical development, socio-emotional development, personality development, language development, and cognitive development. This essay will explain the components of behavioral theory of learning and the approaches for education. The purpose of this essay is to define learning and then present behavioral learning theories, explanations for learning that emphasize observable behaviors. The focus of behavioral theories examine the ways in which pleasurable or painful consequences of behaviors can change the individual over time and how a individual can model the behaviors of others. To understand how people and animal learn techniques borrowed from the physical sciences, researchers began to conduct experiments. Two of the most influence researchers were Ivan Pavlov and Edward Thorndike. B.F. Skinner was a later researcher that studied the relationship between behavior and consequences. There are two majors' types of conditioning: Classical condition and Operant conditioning. (Ormrod, 2010)

In the late 1800s and early 1900s Pavlov and his colleagues studied the digestive process in dogs. In his experiment Pavlov observed that when food was placed close to or near hungry dog mouth, the dog would salivate. The food is the unconditioned stimulus that allows the stimulus to naturally encourage a particular response. Because the salivation occurred automatically without any training or experience then this response is an unconditioned response. Stimuli that do not naturally prompt a response are called neutral stimuli. His experiment show that when previously neutral stimulus paired with unconditioned stimulus the neutral stimulus became a conditioned stimulus this process refers to classical conditioning. Classical conditioning helps us to understand how an individual can learn from a variety of involuntary responses that are associated with physiological functions or emotions. One stimulus already elicits a response, and the second stimulus begins to elicit a similar response as a result of the pairing.

Classical Conditioning (Pavlov)

Researchers in the United States were inspired by Pavlov's such as E.L. Thorndike. Many of the early theorists like, Thorndike linked behavior to physical reflexes. Thorndike also linked most behaviors as a response to stimuli in the environment in his early work. In his research Thorndike went beyond Pavlov's studies by demonstrating that stimuli occurred after the behavior can influence the future behaviors. Thorndike developed his Law of Effect from these experiments. According to the law of effect, an act that is followed by a favorable effect is more likely to be repeated in similar situations. An act that is followed by an unfavorable effect is less likely to be repeated. (Ormrod)

Clearly some human behaviors are prompted by specific stimuli. Just as Pavlov's observed a stimulus that naturally evokes a particular response. Thorndike went future than Pavlov by showing that stimuli that occur after a behavior had an influence on future behaviors. Skinner work just like Thorndike focused on the relation between behavior and it consequences. However B.F. Skinner research is famous for operant condition and negative reinforcement. Skinner research was noticed for placing a subject in a controlled situation and observing the change in their behavior by changing the consequence of their behavior. This was referred to as operant behavior. Operant behaviour and operant conditioning, Skinner's most widely acclaimed work, is based on a system of both positive and negative reinforcement. (B.F. Skinner's Behavioral Theory)

The advantage to using these theories in the classroom it allows teacher to decide how to reinforce student behavior so that they do not repeat them. Teachers must make a decision to reinforce behaviors of students as they occur. Give praise or reward for good work from a student. If a student does not work to his or her capabilities do not praise or reward. The best advantage to using this theory in the classroom is it helps teachers recognize the student's abilities and show them how to reason about conditions and situations they have not experienced.

The drawbacks to using this theory within the classroom setting teachers must learn how to use signals, cues, or information to know how and when behavior is needed to be reinforced. In order for student to learn cues that must have feedback on the correct or incorrect way to response? Teacher must tell the students how they are expect to behave, exhibit the behavior and reinforce them. It is very important that teacher reinforce appropriate behavior as soon as possible. By delaying the reinforcement it will have less effect than the immediate reinforcement. It is so important that teachers understand that cognitive development precedes learning. It is essential that teacher remember in order for learning to take place specific cognitive structures needs to be developed.

It is of upmost important the teacher keep in mind how the significant effect of student's past and present environments will play into their behaviors patterns. Teacher's can use this basis principle to help with appropriate behavior in the classroom setting. When teachers use this approach in the classroom environment, they may be able to change the way students behave.

Lesson Plan

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