Module 7: Behaviorism: Pavlov, Thorndike, Watson, Skinner
Take this challenge!
In this module, challenge yourself to attain the following learning
outcomes:
Explain the basic principle of behaviorism.
Make a simple plan applying the primary laws of learning.
Determine how to use rewards in the learning process more effectively.
Introduction
The theory of behaviorism focuses on the study of observable and
measurable behavior. It emphasizes that behavior is mostly learned through
conditioning and reinforcement (rewards and punishment). It does not give much
attention to the mind and the possibility of thought process occurring in the mind.
Contribution in the development of behaviorist theory largely came from Pavlov,
Watson, Thorndike and Skinner.
Advance organizer:
Behaviorism
Classical Conditioning Connectionism Operant Conditioning
(Pavlov/Watson) (Thorndike) (Skinner)
Primary Laws
Reinforcement
Law of Effect
Shaping of Behavior
Law of Exercise
Law of Readiness
Engage!
1. Think of a teacher that is not unforgettable to you in elementary or high
school.
My elementary teacher, Ma’am Estrella Miraran.
2. Are there things that when you encounter at present (see, hear, touch, smell)
make you “go back to the past” and recall this teacher? What are these
things?
Yes, chocolates.
One time, Ma’am Estrella gave us a summative quiz. The next day, she announced the
students who got the highest scores and rewarded them with chocolates. Those who
scored low, including me, didn’t receive any. That moment motivated me to study harder
so that I could earn a chocolate reward next time. Until now, whenever I see or eat
chocolate, it reminds me of her and that valuable lesson about perseverance and
improvement.
3. What kind of rewards and punishments did she/he apply in your class? For
what student behaviors were the rewards and punishments for?
Student behavior Reward/Punishment
1. High quiz or exam scores Given chocolates or stickers as rewards
2. Active participation in class Received praise and extra points
3. Not doing homework Asked to copy additional exercises
4. Talking or disturbing others during Verbal warning or asked to stand during
class recitation time
Explore!
1. What makes this teacher unforgettable for you?
Ma’am Estrella is unforgettable because she was strict but caring. She always encouraged
us to do our best and taught us the importance of discipline and effort. Even though her
methods seemed tough at times, they helped me develop a sense of responsibility and
determination.
2. Why does your answer in no. 1 make you recall this teacher? Describe the
connection these things have to your past teacher?
Whenever I see chocolates, I remember the reward system she used in class. It reminds
me of the time I promised myself to study harder and improve. That simple act of giving
chocolates became a lasting symbol of motivation and self-improvement for me.
3. Were the reward and punishments given effectively? Please elaborate.
Yes, they were effective because they encouraged students to do their best and learn
from their mistakes. The rewards motivated us to aim higher, while the punishments
helped us understand the importance of following rules and being responsible. Her
balanced way of handling both discipline and motivation made her teaching memorable
and impactful.
EXPLAIN
Behaviorism
Ivan Pavlov. Ivan Pavlov, a Russian psychologist, is well known for his work in
classical conditioning or stimulus substitution. Pavlov’s most renowned experiment
involved meat, a dog and a bell. Initially, Pavlov was measuring the dog’s salvation to
study digestion. This is when he stumbled about classical conditioning.
Pavlov’s Experiment. Before conditioning, ringing the bell (neutral stimulus)
caused no response from the dog. Placing food (unconditioned stimulus) in front of
the dog-initiated salvation (unconditioned response). During conditioning, the bell
was rung a few seconds before the dog presented with food. After conditioning, the
ringing of the bell (conditioned stimulus) alone produced salivation (conditioned
response). This is classical conditioning. See illustration below:
Stage 1 - before conditioning
Bell (neutral stimulus) No response
Stage 2- during conditioning
Bell (neutral stimulus)
Paired with
Meat (unconditioned Salivation (unconditioned response)
stimulus)
Stage 3- after conditioning
Bell (conditioned stimulus) Salivation (conditioned response)
Somehow you were conditioned to associate particular objects with your teacher. So, at
present, when you encounter objects, you are also reminded of your teacher. This is an
example of classical conditioning.
Parlov also had the following findings:
Stimulus Generalization. Once the dig has learned to salivate at the sound of the
bell, it will salivate at other similar sounds.
Extinction. If you stop pairing the bell with food, salivation will eventually cease in
response to the bell.
Spontaneous Recovery. Extinguished responses can be “recovered” after an elapsed
time but will soon extinguish again if the dog is not presented with food.
Discrimination. The dog could learn to discriminate between similar bells (stimuli)
and discern which bell would result in the presentation of food and which would not.
High-order conditioning. Once the dog has been conditioned to associate the bell
with food, another unconditioned stimulus, such as a light may be flashed at the
same time that the bell is rung. Eventually, the dog will salivate at the flash of the
light without the sound of the bell.
Edward L. Thorndike. Edward Thorndike’s Connectionism Theory gave us the original S-R
framework of behavioral psychology. More than a hundred years ago he wrote a textbook
entitled, Educational Psychology. He was the first one to use this term. He explained that
learning is the result of associations forming between stimuli (S) and response (R). such
associations or “habit” become strengthen or weakened by the nature and frequency of S-R
pairings. The model for S-R theory was trial and error learning in which certain responses
came to be repeated more than others because of the rewards. The main principle of
connectionism (like all behavioral theory) was that learning could be adequately explained
without considering any unobservable internal state.
Thorndike’s theory on connectionism states that learning has taken place when a strong
connection or bond between stimulus and response is formed. He came up with three
primarily laws:
1. Law of Effect – states that a connection between stimulus and response is strengthen
when consequences is positive (reward) and the connection between stimulus and
response is weakened when the consequences is negative. Thorndike later on revised
this “law” when he found out that negative rewards (punishment) do not necessarily
weaken bonds, and that some seemingly pleasurable consequences do not
necessarily motivate performance.
2. Law of Exercise – tells that the more an S-R (stimulus and response) bond is
practiced, the strong it will become. “Practice makes perfect” seem to be associated
with this. However, like the law of effect, the law of exercise also had to be revised
when Thorndike found that practice without feedback does not necessarily enhance
performance.
3. Law of Readiness – state that the more readiness the learner has to response to the
stimulus, the strong will be the bond between them. When a person is ready to
respond to a stimulus and is not made to response, it becomes annoying to the
person. For example, if a teacher says, “Okay we will not watch the movie (stimulus)
you’ve been waiting for.” And suddenly the power goes off. The students will feel
frustrated because they were ready to respond to the stimulus but were prevented
from doing so. Likewise, if a person is not ready to respond to a stimulus and was
asked to respond, that also becomes annoying. For example, the teacher calls on a
student to stand and recite, and then the teacher asks the question and expects the
student to respond right away when he/she is still not ready. This will be annoying for
the student. That is why teacher is reminded to ask the question first and wait for a
few seconds before calling anyone to answer.
Principles Derived for Thorndike’s Connectionism:
1. Learning requires both practice and reward (law of effect/law of exercise)
2. A series of S-R connections can be chained together if they belong to the same action
sequence (law of readiness)
3. transfer of learning occurs because of previously encountered situations.
4. Intelligence is a function of the number of connections learned.
John Watson. John B. Watson was the first American psychologist to work with Pavlov’s
ideas. He was initially involved in animal studies, then later became involved in human
behavior research.
He considered that humans are born with a few reflexes and emotional reactions of
love and rage. All other behaviors are learned through stimulus-response associations
through conditioning. He believes in the power of the conditioning so much that he said
that if he is given a dozen healthy infants, he can make them into anything you want
them to be, basically through making stimulus-response connections through
conditioning.
Experiment on Albert. Watson applied classical conditioning in his experiment
concerning Albert, a young child and a white rat. In the beginning, Albert was not afraid
of the rat; but Watson made a sudden loud noise each time Albert touched the rat.
Because Albert was frightened by the loud noise, he soon became conditioned to fear
and avoid the rat. Later, the child’s response was generalized to the small animals. Now,
he was also afraid of the small animals. Watson then “extinguished” or made the child
“unlearned’ fear by showing the rat without loud noise.
Surely, Watson’s research method would be questioned today; nevertheless, his work
did clearly show the role of conditioning in the development of emotional responses to
certain stimuli. This will make us understand the fears, phobias and prejudice that
people develop.
Burrhus Frederick Skinner. Like Pavlov, Watson, and Thorndike, Skinner believes in
stimulus-response patterned of conditioned behavior. His theory zeroed in only on
changes in observable behavior, excluding any likelihood in any process taking place in
the mind. Skinner’s 1948 book, Walden Two, is about a utopian society based on
operant conditioning. He also wrote Science and Human Behavior, (1953) in which he
pointed out how the principles of operant conditioning function in social institution sch
as the government, law, religion, economics, and education.
Skinner’s work differs from that of the three behaviorists before him in that he
studied operant behavior (voluntary behavior used in operating on the environment).
Thus, his theory came to be known as Operant Conditioning.
Operant conditioning is based upon the notion that learning is a result of change in
overt behavior. Changes of behavior are the result of the individual’s response of events
(stimuli) that occur in the environment. A response produces a consequence such as
defining the word, hitting a ball, or solving a math problem. When a particular Stimulus-
Response (S-R) pattern is reinforced (rewarded), the individual is conditioned to
response.
Reinforcement is the key element in Skinner’s S-R theory. A reinforcer is anything
that strengthens the desired response. There is a positive and a negative reinforcer.
A positive reinforcer is any stimulus that is given or added to increase a response.
For example, when a teacher promises extra time in a play area to children who behave
well during the lesson. Another is when is mother who promises a new cellphone for her
son who gets good grades.
A negative reinforcer is any stimulus that results in an increased frequency of a
response when it is withdrawn or removed. A negative reinforcer is not a punishment
but a reward. For example, a teacher announces that a student who gets an average of
1.5 for two grading periods will be exempted to final examinations. The negative
reinforcer is “removing” the final exam, which will realize as a form of reward for
working hard and getting an average grade of 1.5. It is different from punishment
because punishment is a consequence intended to result in reduced responses.
Skinner also looked into extinction or non-reinforcement: responses that are not
reinforced are not likely to be repeated.
Shaping of Behavior. An animal in a cage may take a very long time to figure out that
pressing a lever will produce food. To accomplish such behavior, successive
approximation of the behavior is rewarded until the animal learns the association
between the lever and the food reward. To begin shaping, the animal may be rewarded
for simply turning on the direction of the lever, then for moving forward the lever, for
brushing against the lever, and finally for pressing the lever.
Behavioral chaining comes about when a series of steps are needed to be learned.
The animal would master each step in sequence until all the sequences are learned. This
can be applied to a child being taught to tie a shoelace. The child can he given
reinforcement (rewards) until the entire process of tying the shoelace is learned.
Reinforcement Schedules. Once the desired behavioral response is accomplished,
reinforcement does not have to be 100%; in fact, it can he maintained more successfully
through what Skinner referred to as partial reinforcement schedules. Partial reinforcement
schedules include interval schedules and ratio schedules.
Fixed Interval Schedules. The target response is reinforced. after a fixed amount of time
has passed since the last reinforcement. Example, the bird in a cage is given food (reinforcer)
every 10 minutes, regardless of how many times it presses the har
Variable Interval Schedules. This is similar to fixed interval schedules but the amount of
time that must pass between reinforcement varies. Example, the bird may receive food
(reinforcer) different intervals, not every ten minutes.
Fixed Ratio Schedules. A fixed number of correct responses must occur before
reinforcement may recur. Example, the bird will be given food (reinforcer) everytime it
presses the bar 5 times.
Variable Ratio Schedules. The number of correct repetitions of the correct response for
reinforcement varies. Example, the bird is given food (reinforcer) after it presses the bar 3
times, then after 10 times, then after 4 times. So the bird will not be able to predict how
many times it needs to press the bar before it gets food again.
Variable intervals and especially variable ratio schedules produce steadier and more
persistent rates of response because the learners cannot predict when the reinforcement
will come although they know that they will eventually succeed. An example of this is why
people continue to buy lotto tickets even when an almost negligible percentage of people
win. While it is true that very rarely there is a big winner, but occasionally somebody hits the
jackpot (reinforcement). People cannot predict when the jackpot can be gotten (variable
interval) so they continue to buy tickets (repetition of responses).
Implications of Operant Conditioning. These implications are given for programmed
instruction.
1. Practice should take the form of question (stimulus) answer (response) frames which
expose the student to the subject in gradual steps.
2. Require that the learner makes a response for every frame and receives immediate
feedback.
3. Try to arrange the difficulty of the questions so the response is always correct and hence,
a positive reinforcement.
4. Ensure that good performance in the lesson is paired with secondary reinforcers such as
verbal praise, prizes and good grades.
Principles Derived from Skinner's Operant Conditioning:
1. Behavior that is positively reinforced will reoccur, intermittent reinforcement is
particularly effective
2. Information should be presented in small amounts so that responses can be reinforced
("shaping").
3. Reinforcements will generalize across similar stimuli ("stimulus generalization") producing
secondary conditioning.
Looking back at the activity at the beginning, try to look into the rewards and
punishments that your former teacher used in class. Connect them with Skinner's Operant
Conditioning. Can you now see why your teacher used them?
ENTEND WITH SYNAPSE STRENGTHENERS
1. Read more about classical and operant conditioning. Find out about their similarities
and differences. Prepare a concept map or graphic organizer to highlight these similarities
and differences.
EXTEND BY APPLYING
1. Observation
a. Choose a place where you can observe adult-child interactions such as in a mall, in church,
at the playground, etc. Spend one hour observing such adult-child interactions. Focus your
attention on the stimulus-response-consequence patterns you observe.
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b. Describe the consequences you observe. (It is better to write or scribble the details on the
spot or as soon as you finish your observation).
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c. Answer these questions:
1. What kinds of stimuli for children's and adult behavior did you observe?
2. What kinds of behaviors on the part of children elicit reinforcement and punishment
consequences from the adult?
c. Answer these questions:
1. What kinds of stimuli for children's and adult behavior did you observe?
2. What kinds of behaviors on the part of children elicit reinforcement and punishment
consequences from the adult?
3. What kinds of behaviors of adults are reinforced or punished by the children?
4. What kinds of reinforcements and punishments seem to be the most "successful"?
5. Given this experience, what are your thoughts about operant conditioning? Do you think
children reinforce and punish adults as adults reinforce and punish them? How might the
two be interdependent?
2. Thorndike's Connectionism
a. Choose a topic you want to teach.
b. Think of ways you can apply the three primary laws while you teach the topic.
Topic:__________________________________ Grade/year level:______________________
b. Application of Thorndike’s Three Laws
1. Law of Effect
Give positive feedback or rewards when students correctly identify or use a part of speech
(e.g., praise, stickers, or points).
This encourages them to repeat correct responses and strengthens learning connections.
Example: When a student correctly identifies “noun” in a sentence, say, “Great job! That’s
correct!”
2. Law of Exercise
Let students practice repeatedly through exercises like sentence construction or games (e.g.,
“Find the verb” challenge).
The more they practice, the stronger their understanding becomes.
Example: Daily short drills or interactive quizzes on parts of speech.
3. Law of Readiness
Ensure students are mentally prepared and motivated before starting the lesson.
Begin with an engaging activity or example to catch their interest.
Example: Show a funny sentence and ask students to spot what makes it interesting—this
prepares them to learn about the words’ roles.