Behaviorism Theories

Marjorie Sinay-Rodriguez, RSW

Instructor
SW103: Social Work and the Filipino Personality
03032020

Key concepts and Terms

Behaviorism is a learning theory that only focuses on objectively observable

behaviors and discounts any independent activities of the mind. Behavior
theorists define learning as nothing more than the acquisition of new behavior
based on environmental conditions.

Experiments by behaviorists identify conditioning as a universal learning process.

Classic conditioning occurs when a natural reflex responds to a stimulus. We are

biologically “wired” so that a certain stimulus will produce a specific response.
One of the more common examples of classical conditioning in the educational
environment is in situations where students exhibit irrational fears and anxieties
like fear of failure, fear of public speaking and general school phobia.

Behavioral or operant conditioning occurs when a response to a stimulus is

reinforced. Basically, operant conditioning is a simple feedback system: If a
reward or reinforcement follows the response to a stimulus, then the response
becomes more probable in the future. For example, leading behaviorist B.F.
Skinner used reinforcement techniques to teach pigeons to dance and bowl a
ball in a mini-alley

Operant reinforcement theory

Introduction.
Contrary to the Psychodynamic Approach to personality is the Behavioristic
View of Personality or the Social Learning Approach. It emphasizes the
importance of the environmental situation as determinants of behavior. For
social-learning theorist, behavior is the result of a continous interaction between
the personal and environmental variables. Environmental conditions shape
behaviors in turn shapes the environment.

Thus, the environment and the person influence each other reciprocally. To
determine or to predict a behavior, we need to know how the characteristics of
each individual affects or is affected by characteristics of the situation.

The school of thought is pioneered by J.B. Watson. He claimed that the most of
the aspects of personality including conflicts, fears, and habits are classically
conditioned. Classical conditioning uses on the difference in emotions and
reactions as caused by learning experiences.

Behaviorism is a school of thought in psychology based on the assumption that

a learning occurs through interactions with the environment. Two assumptions of
this theory are that environment shapes behaviour and that taking internal

Source: MSR SW Board Exam Review Notes; [Link]

mental states such as thoughts, feelings and emotions into consideration is
useless in explaining a behaviour.

Note: JB Watson stressed classical conditioning or respondent behaviour, Skinner is that

of the operant.

B.F. Skinner’s radical behaviorism

(Burhuss Frederic Skinner, Pensylvannia, 1969) Harvard
Achievements; iinnovated radical behaviourism; has own school of analysis and
behaviour;

One of the most forceful proponents of behavioral approach is B. F. Skinner. He

shared with Watson that behavior is primarily learned. Skinner’s key concept is
that behavior is determined and shared by its consequences. The most
important factor in shaping one’s behavior, according to Skinner, is
reinforcement. Most behaviors in people are maintained because it is
reinforced in some way.

The theory of Skinner is based upon the idea that learning is a function of
change in overt behaviour. Changes in behaviour are the result of an
individual’s response to events (stimuli) that occur in the environment. A
response produces a consequence such as defining a word, hitting a ball, or
solving a math problem. When a particular (Stimulus-Response) pattern is
reinforced (rewarded) the individual si condition to respond.

The distinct characteristic of operant conditioning relative to the previous forms

of behaviourism is that organism can emit responses instead only of eliciting
response due to stimulus(motivation/incentive)

REINFORCEMENT is a key element in Skinners S-R theory. A reinforce is anything

that strengthens a desired response. It could be in a verbal praise, a goo
dgrade, or a feeling of increase accomplishment or satisfaction. The theory
covers negative reinforcers—any stimulus that results in the increased frequency
of a response when it is withdrawn (different from adversive stimuli-punishment-
which result in reduced responses). A great deal of attention was given to
reinforcement and their effects on establishing or maintaining behaviour.

Operant Conditioning is the modification of the response strength by

manipulation of the consequences of the response.(the reinforcer is not
associated with an eliciting stimulus as it is when respondents are condition)
Instead it is associated iwth the response. When an operant response is
condition, it is essential that reinforces be presented (after) the occurrence of
the [Link] this way does the frequency of the response increase.

Operant reinforcement theory

Skinner emphasizes the orderliness of behavior and primary purpose is to control

it. Manipulating these conditions that influence the result in a behavior change
can control a behavior . Thus, if handled properly can be useful for all. Control
can be attained by lawfully relating independent variables or output of the

Source: MSR SW Board Exam Review Notes; [Link]

organism and then controlling subsequent behavior by the manipulation of
these some inputs (environment) in such a way as to obtain a particular output.

Operant Conditioning is the modification of the response strength by

manipulation of the consequences of the response.(the reinforcer is not
associated with an eliciting stimulus as it is when respondents are condition)
Instead it is associated iwth the response. When an operant response is
condition, it is essential that reinforces be presented (after) the occurrence of
the [Link] this way does the frequency of the response increase.
(e.g. how do we train the childrent o finish their school assignments first before
gong out to play?we can give reinforcements, such as words or praise for their
diligence, when they do finish the their homework before playing (desired
behaviour)

Rewards and Punishment have a major influence in man’s behavior. Such

shaping is called operant conditioning. Operant is used to refer to responses
that operates the environment and changes it. Individual differences in
behavior results in different kinds of learning a person experiences or encounters
in the course of growing up.

There are three ways behavior patterns are learned where reinforcement
controls it in someway.
a. Direct. The individual is rewarded or punished for behaving in a certain
manner.
b. Observational or Vicarious learning. People can learn by observing the
action of others, by noting the consequences of those actions.
c. Self-Administered. Evaluation of one’s own performance with self-praise or
self-reproach.

Negative or positive reinforcement (commonly called as “Punishment and

Reward” respectively) facilitates learning by focusing the individual’s attention in
the appropriate direction. Thus it is crucial to the performance of learned
behavior

According to social learning theories, a person’s action in a given situation

depends on the specific characteristic of the situation, the individual’s appraisal
of the situation and past reinforcement for behavior in similar situations or
observing others in similar situation. People behave constantly if situation they
encounter and the roles they expected to play remain stable.

Application: operant conditioning has been widely applied in clinical settings

(behaviour modification) as well as teaching (classroom management) and
instructional development (programmed instruction).

Classical conditioning (Pavlov)

Ivan Pavlov is a Russian Physiologist. Classical conditioning iis a leanring process

that occurs through associations between environmental stimulus and a
naturally occurring stimulus. In Pavlov ‘s experiment with odgs, the neutral signal
was the sound of the tone (bell) and the naturally occurring reflex was salivating
in response to food. By associating the neutral stimulus with the environmental

Source: MSR SW Board Exam Review Notes; [Link]

stimulus (the presentation of food), the sound of the tone alone could produce
the salivation response.

Classical conditioning is related as to operant conditioning but of different

focus. It’s major focus is emotions environmental factors evoke specific
emotions. All of these variables interact with the conditions of a particular
situation to determine what an individual will do in that situation.

Basic Principle of the Process”

The Unconditioned stimulus is one that unconditionally, naturally, automatically

triggers a response. (e.g. when you smell one of your favourite foods, you may
immediately feel hungry. The smell of food is the uncondition response)

The Unconditioned response is the unlearned process that occurs naturally in

response to the unconditioned stimulus. In our example, the feeling of hunger in
response to the smell of food is the unconditioned response.

The conditioned stimulus is previously neutral stimulus that, after becoming

associated with the unconditioned stimulus, eventually comes to trigger a
conditioned response. (e.g. when you smelled your favourite food, yyou also
heard the sound of a whistle. While the whistle is unrelated to the smell of food, if
the sound of the whistle was paired multiple times with the smell, the sound
would eventually trigger conditioned response. In this case, the sound of the
whistle is the conditioned stimulus.

The condition response is the learned response to the previpously neutral

stimulus. (the condition response would be feeling hungry when you heard the
sound of the whistle).

Application: used in treatment of phobias or anxiety problems. In teaching,

teachers apply classical conditioning by creating a psotive classroom
environment to help student sovercome fear. Pairing an anxiety provoking
situations, (perming in front of a group) with pleasant sorroundings help students
learn new associations.
Instead of feeling anxious and tense in these situations, the child will learn to
stay relaxed and calm. Another is when a child is harassed in school, child
begins to feel bad when he thinks of school.

CC can be used to increased the amount of behaviour and to decrease the

amount of behaviour.

View of personality

Personality is a constellation of behavior patterns that its development rests on

the development of the behavior patterns. It implies that it is important to know
how the development of a particular response can be manipulated with the
use of operant techniques with behavior through the varied schedules of
reinforcement.

1. Continuous reinforcement. Behavior is shaped with reinforcement until the

correct response occur.

Source: MSR SW Board Exam Review Notes; [Link]

 2. Fixed interval reinforcement reinforcement. Contingent on an
unchanging interval.
3. Variable interval reinforcement. While the reinforcement may be
available on the averaged time schedule, the actual interval will vary
randomly around this average to maintain on over-all response rate. The
reinforcement is delivered after a designated period of time regardless of
what the organism is doing in the intervening period.
4. Ration reinforcement. Time is unimportant, since the number of rewards
obtained depends on its own behavior.
5. Fixed ratio reinforcement. Reinforcement is delivered after a given fixed
number of correct responses.
6. Variable interval reinforcement. Rewards follow in more or less a random
manner.

This theory is relatively simple to understand because it relies only on observable

behavior and describes several universal laws of behavior. Its positive and
negative reinforcement techniques can be very effective– such as in treatments
for human disorders including autism, anxiety disorders and antisocial behavior.
Behaviorism is often used by teachers who reward or punish student behaviors.

Student Work Task/Assignment:

Read and Review the Behaviorism Theories as reported and discussed.

• Define the following in your own words:

- Behaviorism theory
- Classical and operant conditioning
- Positive and Reinforcement
- Stimulus response
-
• Describe ways on how classical and operational conditioning works or could be
applied in social work practice.

• Provide examples of how positive and negative reinforcement, and presentation

and removal punishment can be properly applied.

• Discuss relevance of Behaviorism theories in Social Work Practice.

Source: MSR SW Board Exam Review Notes; [Link]

Source: MSR SW Board Exam Review Notes; [Link]