John W Gardner (1912 – 2002)
“We think of the mind as a storehouse to be
filled when we should be thinking of it as an
instrument to be used.”
What is the Behaviourist Theory?
Learning is nothing more than the
acquisition of new behaviour based on
environmental conditions – linking a new
behaviour to a stimulus by providing
reinforcement after the correct behaviour is
produced.
The Theorists
 Pavlov (1849 – 1936)
 Skinner (1904 – 1990)
 Watson (1878 – 1958)
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov
 Russian scientist
 Nobel prize winner in 1904
 Famous for “Pavlov’s dogs”
Pavlov’s Dogs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpoLxE
N54ho
Pavlov’s Theory
“Events that previously had no relation to a
given reflex could, through experience,
trigger a reflex.”
Fredholm, L. (2001). Pavlov’s Dog.
<http://nobelprize.org/educational/medicine/pavlov/readmore.html?print=1>
[accessed 29th March 2011]
Burrhus Frederic Skinner
 American Psychologist
 Author
 Famous for “Skinner box”
Skinner’s Box
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQtDTdDr8vs
&feature=related
Skinner’s Theory
“Changes in behaviour are the result of an
individual's response to events”
Kearsley, G. (2011), Explorations in Learning & Instruction: The Theory Into Practice
Database. <http://tip.psychology.org/skinner.html> [accessed 29th March 2011]
John Broadus Watson
 American Psychologist
 Coined the term "Behaviourism" in 1913
 Famous for Little Albert experiments
Little Albert
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt0ucx
OrPQE&feature=related
Watson’s Theory
“only observable events, and not mental
states, are the substance of psychology”
Epstein, R. (1987), John B Watson. <http://www.answers.com/topic/john-b-watson>
[accessed 29th March 2011]
Advantages of Behaviourism
 Easily controlled by teacher
 Some learners benefit from repetition
 Rewards and punishments are clear
 Ease of motivation
Disadvantages of Behaviourism
 Ignores thought processes and emotions
 Repetition may become boring
 Totally teacher orientated
 Little or no input from learners