Behavioral theory | Behavior | MCAT | Khan Academy
Who can use the behavioral learning theory?
The behavioral learning theory can be applied by anyone to change the behavior of others. In both their personal and professional lives, many people engage in it without even realizing it. Education and psychology are typically the two fields that use the behavioral learning theory the most.
Behavioral learning theory in education
Behaviorism can be a powerful tool for persuading students to adopt positive behaviors and to avoid engaging in harmful ones. The steps that the behavioral learning theory typically takes in a classroom are as follows:
Behavioral learning theory in psychology
The fundamental tenet of behavioral psychology is that, regardless of an individual’s traits like genetic makeup, personality quirks, or personal beliefs, they can be trained to perform any task they are physically capable of. Psychologists can use this concept in behavioral and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Through conditioning, they aim to eliminate the behaviors that cause a patient’s depression, anxiety, substance abuse, relationship issues, and other problems. Additionally, they employ behavioral learning to promote fresh, healthy habits that will benefit their patients’ lives.
What is the behavioral learning theory?
According to the behavioral learning theory, people acquire all of their behaviors through interactions with their environment, a process known as conditioning. According to the theory, all human behavior is a reaction to environmental stimuli. A learner is born with no behavioral influences, claims the behavioral learning theory. Through the reinforcement of particular behaviors by others, others can influence their behavior. A stimulus is used in positive reinforcement to encourage a behavior. Withholding a stimulus to stop a behavior from happening or removing an uncomfortable stimulus to reward the desired behavior are examples of negative reinforcement.
The two types of behavioral learning are:
Classical conditioning
Through an association between two stimuli, someone learns a new behavior through classical conditioning. To produce a new learned response, the stimuli are connected together. A natural response is automatically elicited by one stimulus, while the other stimulus has no effect. The neutral stimulus automatically initiates the conditioned response by creating an association between the two in the subject’s mind.
Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov performed the original classical conditioning experiment. By combining the natural response a dog has to the smell of food with a neutral stimulus—the sound of a bell—he was able to train dogs to associate that sound with the desire for food. The trained dogs immediately displayed signs of hunger after hearing the bell.
Operant conditioning
Operant conditioning is a learning method in which outcomes determine behavior. Based on the idea that people are more likely to engage in a behavior if they anticipate receiving a reward, A person is less likely to engage in a behavior if they are aware that it could result in punishment. Introducing positive reinforcement means adding a stimulus. Introducing negative reinforcement means removing a stimulus.
Positive and negative reinforcement, as well as positive and negative punishment, can be used to introduce operant conditioning:
Benefits of the behavioral learning theory
When dealing with coworkers, clients, or students, using the behavioral learning theory has the following advantages:
Behaviorist teaching strategies
You can use the following methods as a teacher to implement the behavioral learning theory:
FAQ
What is behavioral learning theory?
The central tenet of behaviorism is that all actions are acquired through interactions with the environment. According to this learning theory, innate or inherited traits have very little bearing on behavior and that instead, behaviors are learned from their environment.
What are the 4 behavioral theories?
In behavioral psychology, there are three main categories of learning: classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning.
Which are the two types of behaviour learning theories?
The Health Belief Model, the Theory of Self Efficacy, the Theory of Reasoned Action, and the Multiattribute Utility Model are four models that present a logical and reasonable approach to behavioral change.
