Running head: BEHAVIORIST LEARNING THEORY 1

Behaviorist Learning Theory

Jennifer Dulek

Trevecca Nazarene University

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Behaviorist Learning Theory

Behaviorism as a learning theory focused on the development of observable behaviors in

learners, suggesting that internal processes of thinking and learning are not observable and

therefore do not indicate learning (McLeod, 2003). This leads to the assumption that learning

can only be measured by a change in behavior (McLeod, 2003), and suggests that it is important

to be specific about the intended goals and results of teaching in measurable terms before

instruction takes place (Allen, 2007, p. 1). Due to its focus on learners’ concrete skills and

behaviors, behaviorism can be used most effectively in developing specific competencies in

students where there are specific goals to be met (McLeod, 2003, p. 37). Therefore, it is

commonly used in elementary education, vocational and career schools, and human resource

development (Allen, 2007; Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007).

The behaviorist approach was developed in the early 1900s by psychologists and others

interested in human psychology. Two of these theorists are Edward Thorndike and B. F.

Skinner (Merriam et al., 2007). Thorndike’s major contribution is the discovery that trial-and-

error learning occurs through the connection of a stimulus with a response; this concept is now

known as connectionism (Merriam et al., 2007). With this, he formulated three laws of learning:

the Law of Effect, which suggests that when learners are rewarded, they are more likely to learn;

the Law of Exercise, which states that repetition leads to remembering; and the Law of

Readiness, which suggests that learning in enhanced when the learner is prepared and eager to

learn (Merriam et al., 2007). B. F. Skinner’s contributions include the idea of operant

conditioning, which stipulates that reinforcement of behavior leads to similar behavior; behavior

that ignored or not reinforced may eventually disappear. One can see these concepts in action in

the behaviorist approach to learning, which is centered on repetition and reinforcement to

develop desired habits (McLeod, 2003, p. 36).

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As previously stated, the behaviorist approach is best applied in situations or settings

where skills or competencies are taught. In corporate settings, this includes human resource

development, where workers receive on-the-job training to enhance workplace skills. In this

context, employees may receive incentives for completion of voluntary training, and trainers

may incorporate "’real time' opportunities for learners to practice and perform new behaviors,"

including coaching and immediate feedback to quickly reinforce desired performance and

correct undesirable behaviors (Allen, 2007, p. 3). In K-12 settings, the practice of testing

students frequently to determine if learning is taking place and "to gather feedback on the

learning process" (Allen, 2007, p. 3) is modeled after a behaviorist approach. These practices

allow the instructor to change the environment, increase practice opportunities, change

incentives, or any other number of adjustments that may influence students' learning.

In a blog post addressing teaching, Cindy Nebel (2017) describes how instructors may

utilize behaviorism to teach and reinforce good study skills. Nebel (2017) suggests that readers

ask students to study materials using their own strategies and other materials using new

suggested study strategies; the expectation is that students will score higher on the material they

studied using the suggested strategies, thereby reinforcing use of the teacher-suggested study

skills. She also suggests praise or even providing extra credit for using the new strategies.

These approaches are consistent with behaviorism, as the goal is for students to receive

immediate feedback and positive results that will cause them to repeat the desired behavior (in

this case, using the suggested study strategies. Her suggestion incorporates Thorndike’s

connectionism as it seeks to help students recognize that how they study affects the score they

receive. Nebel’s (2017) suggestion also relies on Skinner’s operant conditioning, with the idea

that learners will receive something positive (ideally a better grade, though she also has included

praise and extra credit as possible rewards) when they engage in the desired behavior.
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Nebel’s behaviorist suggestions give rise to consideration of motivation and how it is

viewed in behaviorism versus in andragogy in general. Opponents of behaviorism might argue

that by providing external reinforcement, learners’ internal motivation is not engaged using this

approach. In behaviorism, motivation is seen as arising from the environment and the extent to

which the learner desires the results or rewards that are provided, rather than from within the

learner him/herself. Using Nebel’s (2017) example, if a student is not interested in better grades,

he or she will not be motivated to use the new study strategies being reinforced. Additionally,

there may be concern that if the instructor gives extra credit for using the new strategies, the

student may use them, but when extra credit is no longer offered, the student may cease using

the new strategies.

In contrast, andragogy considers motivation as coming from within the learner, with the

instructor’s goal being to elicit or tap into the learners’ internal sources of motivation rather than

to provide external reinforcers. While behaviorism suggests that the instructor shape and

reinforce actions toward learning and the development of specific skills, adult learners may be

more motivated by their own growth or change in thinking than by external reinforcement.

Despite this, some may also be motivated toward good grades and attainment of desired skills,

which are founded in behaviorism.

Many concepts that had their origin in behaviorism have been integrated into today’s

educational practices including the use of specific, measurable learning objectives, the

assignment of grades, and the inclusion of timely feedback for learners. Used by instructional

designers and instructors alike, these practices rely on the ideas generated by Thorndike,

Skinner, and others in the early part of the 20th Century. As designers make decisions regarding

how to build and reinforce certain skills in learners behaviorist theories may be applicable,

though learners’ motivation must also be considered when using this approach.
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References

Allen, S. J. (2007). Adult learning theory & leadership development. Leadership Review, 7, 1-

4.

McLeod, G. (2003). Learning theory and instructional design. Learning Matters, 2(2003), 35-

43.

Merriam, S. B., Caffarella, R. S., & Baumgartner, L. M. (2007). Learning in adulthood: A

comprehensive guide. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Nebel, C. (2017, August 10). Behaviorism in the classroom. Retrieved from

http://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2017/8/10-1