1. By Mike Hansen

2.  What is Behaviorism?
 Important People.
 Used in a Classroom?
 My Classroom.

3.  Also known as Behavioral Psychology.
 It is a learning theory.
 The idea that all behaviors are acquired
through conditioning.

4.  Learning takes place through a system of
positive and negative rewards.
 Independent thinking is NOT an important
aspect of behaviorism.

5.  Ivan Pavlov
◦ Won the Nobel Prize in Physiology in 1904
◦ Most famous work was done with dogs
 Trained dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell.
◦ He used Classic Conditioning
 The natural reflex that occurs in response to a
stimulus.

6.  B.F. Skinner
◦ Most notable work was done with Pigeons.
◦ He used Operant Conditioning
 Learning controlled by positively reinforcing desired
behaviors and negatively reinforcing undesired
behaviors.

7.  When does a teacher use this theory?
 Behaviorism is used in almost all classrooms.
 Specifically Operant Conditioning.
◦ When class work is done well, students are
rewarded positively with the grad of an “A”.
◦ When class work is done poorly, students are
rewarded negatively with the grade of an “F”

8.  What students do with this theory?
 Like Pavlovs work with dogs, students are
also trained to do something at the sound of
a bell.
◦ Get up and go to the next class!
 This is Classic Conditioning.

9.  Does behaviorism a part of my teaching?
 YES!
 Rewarding students with a high grade for
excellent work.

10.  Behaviorism can be a great part of teaching.
 Rewarding students for good work is also
rewarding for a teacher!