Beeson, 1

Brittany Beeson

Professor Mark Hawkes

EPSY 302

April 6, 2017

Applying Behaviorism in the Classroom

Managing a classroom with numerous students can be a challenge, especially when

students may misbehave in different ways and for various reasons. How can educators

help students effectively learn while simultaneously controlling disruptive behavior?

Behaviorism is one methodology that educators can apply to the classroom environment to

improve learning conditions. When an educator considers a behaviorists approach, it is

important for them to know what behaviorism is, how different consequences affect

specific students, how to apply those consequences to get a desired outcome, and the

significance of consistency.

First educators must understand behaviorism. What is behaviorism? Behaviorism

is the theoretical perspective in which learning and behavior are described and explained

in terms of stimulus-response relationships, and motivation is often the result of deficit-

based drives (Ormrod G-1). Operant conditioning is a large component of behaviorism.

Operant conditioning is a form of learning in which a response increases in frequency as a

result of it being followed by reinforcement (Ormrod 59). Mark Smith described operant

conditioning in simpler terms in his article The behaviorist orientation to learning as

reinforcing what you want people to do again; ignoring or punish what you want people to

stop doing. In other words, in order for educators to achieve a desired behavior from their

students and maintain a peaceful environment in the classroom, they must consider what
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appropriate incentives students would desire and what appropriate reprimands they

would want to avoid in specific situations. For instance, Mr. Smith has a student, Becky,

who frequently talks out of turn and interrupts other students who are speaking in class.

After careful consideration, Mr. Smith decides to praise Becky when she raises her hand

before speaking, and he decides to have her stay in for recess for five minutes every time

she speaks out of turn. Becky enjoys the positive attention and acknowledgement from Mr.

Smith, which reinforces the behavior to raise her hand and wait for her turn to speak to the

class. Becky also enjoys playing soccer at recess with her classmates. Therefore, she learns

that if she interrupts classmates or speaks during class discussions without raising her

hand, she will not be able to play soccer for the entire allotted recess time.

When considering Beckys incentives to behaving appropriately in Mr. Smiths

classroom, it is important to understand the different types of reinforcements. One type of

reinforcement is positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement can be described as

whenever a particular stimulus is presented after a behavior and the behavior increases as

a result (Ormrod 59). When Becky raises her hand to speak and waits her turn, Mr. Smith

praises and acknowledges her appropriate behavior. The frequency of Becky raising her

hand during class discussion increases. Therefore, Mr. Smith praising Becky is a positive

reinforcement. Another type of reinforcement is negative reinforcement. Negative

reinforcement increases a behavior through removal of a stimulus (Ormrod 60). One

example of negative reinforcement is that Tom knows that for every time he talks without

raising his hand in class, he will have to stay in for recess for five minutes. In the

wintertime, Tom does not like going outside for recess because he dislikes being cold. Tom

will purposely talk in class without raising his hand so he does not have to go outside for
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recess. Another type of reinforcer is an extrinsic reinforcer. Extrinsic reinforcers are

those provided by the external environment (Ormrod 60). Types of extrinsic reinforcers

are concrete, social, and activity. A concrete reinforcer is an actual object. Social

reinforcers are a gesture or sign that one person gives another, usually to communicate

positive regard. Activity reinforcers provide an opportunity for students to engage in a

favorite activity (Ormrod 60). Mr. Smith praising and acknowledging Becky is an example

of a social reinforcer. An example of a concrete reinforcer would be if Mr. Smith gave

Becky a sticker for every occasion she goes a whole day without being disruptive. An

example of an activity reinforcer would be if Mr. Smith allowed Becky to play a computer

game for one hour at the end of the week if she goes the whole week without being

disruptive. Another type of reinforcer is an intrinsic reinforcer. Intrinsic reinforcers are

those supplied by learners themselves or inherent in tasks being performed (Ormrod 60).

An example of an intrinsic reinforcer would be that Becky enjoys reading, so immediately

when she gets home from school she completes the homework assignment to read two

chapters in Charlottes Web.

Another type of consequence used in behaviorism is punishment. Punishment is a

consequence that decreases the frequency of the response it follows (Ormrod 62). There

are two types of punishments: presentation punishment and removal punishment.

Presentation punishment is described as presenting new stimulus, presumably one a

learner finds unpleasant (Ormrod 62). Removal punishment is described as removing an

existing stimulus, presumably one a learner finds desirable and doesnt want to lose

(Ormrod 62). Mr. Smith applied removal punishment when Becky disrupted class by taking

away a portion of her recess time, which she enjoyed and did not want to lose. Mr. Smith
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could have applied presentation punishment by scolding her in front of the class, which

may have embarrassed her, or by requiring her to complete an essay on why it is important

to respect others and not interrupt them, which may have stopped or decreased the

frequency of her inappropriate behavior. When applying punishments, or reinforcers for

that matter, it is vital to know students on a personal level and to know what their likes and

dislikes are. What may work for one student may not be effective with another.

When applying behaviorism in the classroom environment, consistency is of

extreme importance. In her article How to Use Behaviorism in a Classroom, Dr. Mary

Dowd advises. To control disruptive behavior that can affect teaching and learning, praise

positive behavior, ignore mildly irritating behavior and consistently enforce consequences

for breaking rules. In the instance of Mr. Smith and Becky, she was punished for breaking

the rules by having to stay in for recess for five minutes. It is necessary for Mr. Smith to be

consistent with this punishment because, as the article Skinner Operant Conditioning

by Saul McLeod states, punished behavior is not forgotten, its suppressed- behavior

returns when punishment is no longer present. It does not necessarily guide toward

desired behavior reinforcement tells you what to do, punishment only tells you what not

to do. Mr. Smith took a safe approach by applying both positive reinforcement and

removal punishment so that Becky not only knows what not to do, but also what she should

do.

In conclusion, it is important for educators to be aware that behaviorism is an

option to assist in classroom management. Educators need to know what behaviorism is,

what tactics it entails, and how to apply reinforcements and punishments to specific
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student situations. If applied correctly, utilizing behaviorism in school settings can create

an effective, safe, and positive learning environment for students and their teachers.
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Works Cited

Dowd, Mary. How to Use Behaviorism in a Classroom. Synonym.

www.classroom.synonym.com/use-behaviorism-classroom-8156621.html/.

Accessed 31 March 2017.

McLeod, Saul. Skinner Operant Conditioning. SimplyPsychology,

www.simplypsychology.org/operant-conditioning .html. Accessed 31 March 2017.

Ormrod, Jeanne. Essentials of Educational Psychology: Big Ideas to Guide Effective

Teaching. 3rd ed., Pearson Education, 2012.

Smith, Mark. The behaviorist orientation to learning. the encyclopedia of informal

education. www.infed.org/mobi/the-behaviourist-orientation-to-learning/.

Accessed 31 March 2017.