Outline: Classical Conditioning

Outline: Classical Conditioning

A. Human beings learn to relate one stimulus with another stimulus. Human beings learn that the first stimulus is a signal to the second.

B. Ivan Pavlov discovered the theory beginning of the twentieth century, and this contributed a lot to psychology. It contributed to the psychology of learning, as psychologists understood learning.

C. Conditioning theory helps in learning as people learn new behaviors and ideas through stimuli.  The stimuli influence learning in human beings and enables them to acquire ideas and change behaviors.


D. People learn through prior experiences. The prior experience is matched with certain stimuli that facilitate learning.

E. Learning involves permanent change in behavior.  Association of stimuli leads to learning and permanent change in behavior.  A stimuli occurring before will produce an involuntary response and cause permanent change in behavior.

F. The theory can be applied in schools where teachers understand students learn from prior experience, and this causes permanent change.


2.Operant conditioning

A. Learning happens through punishment and rewards for behavior. A connection is established between behavior and its consequence.

B. Prior experience with punishment and reward in a situation facilitates learning. People learn good or bad behaviors through reward and punishment.

C. Learning entails permanent change in behavior. Consequences lead to permanent change in behavior through rewards and punishment.


3.Neobehaviorism

A. It integrates stimuli and responses to the environment. Tolman claimed that the stimuli and responses should be integrated to the environment to understand behaviors and he called them stimulating agencies and behavior acts.

B. Edward Tolman contributed to the psychology of learning by helping psychologists understand behaviors by integrating stimuli and responses with the environment instead of focusing on stimuli and responses alone.

C. The environment and innate predisposition and processes within a person affect learning. Learners do not respond passively to reinforcements and feedback from the environment. Emotions and feelings affect learning.


D. People learn from their prior experience with the environment and stimuli. The stimuli and environment affect their learning differently.

E. The theory results to permanent change in behavior through learning. The environmental, stimuli and responses influence learning and bring permanent change in behavior.

F. The theory can be applied in schools to explain how the environment factors, innate predisposition and processes of a student affect learning. It helps explain how emotions and feeling affect student learning, attitude towards learning etc.


Annotated Bibliography

TES education ltd. (2008). Behaviorist approaches. The Times Educational Supplement, vol 4816

The article discusses the development of classical conditioning and operant conditioning theories.  The two theories are applied in teaching and learning.  In classical conditioning, a bell is used to condition the students the same way Pavlov used to condition dogs. The students get up to after the bell rings. In addition, teachers use rewards and punishment to enforce positive behavior and prevent negative behavior.  The source helps understand the differences and similarities between classical conditioning and operant conditioning and hence revenant to the topic (TES education ltd, 2008).


Bhutto, M.I. (2011). Effects of social reinforces on student learning outcomes at secondary school level. International journal of academic research in business and social sciences, vol1, issue no 2.

The researcher examined the use of reinforces in learning. He determined the se of verbal and non-verbal reinforces on student learning. The operant conditioning theory has improved learning and teaching in schools by helping teachers use reinforces to teach students.  Positive verbal and non-verbal reinforces improved student learning behavior. For instance, teacher and student clapping reinforced positive learning behaviors. The source is vital in understanding the application of operant conditioning in teaching and learning in schools.


Hergenhahn, B.R. (2008). An introduction to the history of psychology. Cengage Learning

The source discusses Neobehaviorism including the origin of the theory and history. Neobehaviorism was developed by Edward Tolman and is a combination of behaviorism and logical positivism.  The source is relevant to the research topic as it enables one compare Neobehaviorism with classical and operant conditioning theory by providing details about Neobehaviorism (Hergenhahn, 2008).


Monetti, D.M., & Tuckman, B.W. (2011). Education psychology. Cengage Learning

The authors examine classical conditioning theory. They have explained the development of classical conditioning theory by Pavlov. Pavlov showed that association between stimulus helps in learning. Classical conditioning is used in education to improve student’s behavior while learning and teaching. The source is relevant to the research topic as it is useful in comparing operant conditioning, classical conditioning and Neobehaviorism (Monetti & Tuckman, 2011).


Sheehy, K., Passenger, T., Littleton, K., & et al. (2010). The psychology of education. Taylor and Francis

The authors investigate operant conditioning and its principles. The operant conditioning theory encourages the use of rewards and punishment to promote learning and behavioral change. Operant condition is applicable in schools as it enables teachers to use rewards and punishment to improve student behavior and learning (Sheehy, Passenger, Littleton et al, 2010).





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