Learned Behaviors

The focus of our reading and discussion this week is on learned behaviors. People learn in many ways: they can learn by observing, by positive reinforcement, by negative reinforcement, and by punishment.  People are always learning, but educators can utilize learning behavior theories in order to ensure that students are learning desired behaviors and skills.

We read about three behavior theorists this week.  

Bandura’s Social Learning Theory explains how people learn from observing and replicating the behaviors of others.  In his experiment, he had one group of students observe adults being physical abusive to a doll.  A second group did not observe such behavior.  The group that observed the violent behavior exhibited more violent behavior than the group who did not observe violent behavior including the inventing even more violent behaviors than they had observed and even the use of guns.  

Pavlov’s Classical Conditioning is an experiment in how to achieve desired behaviors.  Pavlov was able to condition responses in behavior by using a neutral stimulus alongside unconditioned natural behaviors.  His famous example is making a dog salivate by ringing a bell, because he had conditioned the dog to do so by ringing a bell every time the dog was presented with food and naturally salivated.

Skinner’s Operant Conditioning also is an experiment in how to achieve desired behaviors.  Sknner showed that positive rewards reinforce behaviors and will create a higher frequency of the behavior.  He used what is called Skinner’s Box in order to train a rat to get food by pushing a lever.  The positive reward of the food increased the amount the times the rat would press the lever.

As educators we utilize operant conditioning more often than we realize.  As such, we should ensure that we are reinforcing the behaviors we want to see students exhibit.

I have often confused negative reinforcement with punishment in my classroom.  Negative reinforcement is allowing a student to escape something they do not want to do whereas punishment is providing a negative consequence.  Our class discussion revolved around sending students to the office and I believe it is important to remember that for some students that consequence is not a punisher, it is a negative reinforcement. If a child does not want to participate in the classroom setting, sending him/her to the office is a reward not a punishment.  

I found the example in the book regarding physical education students rather amusing.  The example showed that making students sit out of activities and make them watch instead was extremely effective at reducing undesirable behaviors.  When I was a child, I hated P.E. class.  I believe the sit and watch consequence would have been a negative reinforcement for me.  I would have done anything to get out of playing dodgeball or running.  The group of elementary school students in the example must have all really enjoyed P.E. 

After this week’s readings I realize that I may have not given enough time and energy to positive reinforcers before resorting to punishments and that I have often reinforced negative behaviors without realizing it.  I am guilty of giving the squeaky wheel the grease. The child constantly disrupts often gets my attention and I need to work on ignoring those behaviors.  Our school is beginning PBIS this year and I look forward to finding new behavior strategies for use in my classroom.

Bandura and Social Learning Theory. (2013). Retrieved 27 May 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjTxQy_U3ac&feature=youtu.be

Peppermint Patty In School YouTube. (2015). Retrieved 27 May 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTKJ4crsNlY&feature=youtu.be

Slavin, R. E. (2018). Educational psychology: Theory and practice (12th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.