The theory
of behaviorism is based on the behavior (response) of the learner to the environment (stimulus). Behaviorists
believe that all knowledge is derived from the external world
(environment). There are two forms of
conditioning associated with behaviorism, classical and operant
conditioning. Operant conditioning
utilizes positive and negative reinforcement at the time of an occurrence to establish
the behavior. Behavior may be modified
through reinforcement and shaping.
Classical conditioning is the response (physiological or emotional) that
occurs through an association between the neutral stimulus and unconditional
stimulus, and through repetition the neutral stimulus is conditioned.
I like the flowchart, Karen; they say a picture is worth a thousand words.....Maybe I should use more pictures. This behaviorism section has proven to be a much bigger challenge than I first thought; brevity is not one of my strong suits.
ReplyDeleteOne question/comment I would have, I always saw behavior modification as the application of scheduled contingencies of reinforcement. Through a succession of approximations, the subject's behavior is shaped toward a final desired model of behavior. In your flowchart, is "behavior modification" intended to be a separate step in and of itself, or is it the parent item of the subsequent categories for continuous/intermittent reinforcements?
Chris,
ReplyDeleteNo, my intent was not for behavior modification to be a separate step. It was to show how continuous or intermittent (+/-) reinforcement is used in behavior modification. My ability to show that on the chart was limited by my computer skills. Thanks for bringing this point up for clarification.