CHAPTER 7

Behavioral and Social

Cognitive Approaches

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Learning Goals

1. Define learning and describe five

approaches to studying it.
2. Compare classical conditioning and
operant conditioning.
3. Apply behavior analysis to education.
4. Summarize social cognitive approaches to
learning.

7.2
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Behavioral and Social Cognitive
Approaches

What Is Learning?

What Learning Is Approaches to

and Is Not Learning

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 Behavioral and Cognitive Approaches
to Learning
Learning is a relatively permanent change in behavior
that occurs through experience.
There are five major approaches to learning.

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 Behavioral and Cognitive Approaches
to Learning

Behaviorism: Behavior is explained by observable

experiences, not mental processes
 Mental Processes: The observable thoughts,
feelings, and motives that we experience
 Associative Learning: Learning that two
events are connected
Cognitive: Includes social cognitive, cognitive
information processing, cognitive constructivist, and
social constructivist

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Behavioral and Cognitive Approaches
to Learning

Behavioral
Approaches to
Learning

Classical Operant
Conditioning Conditioning

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Ivan Pavlov – Classical Conditioning

Classical conditioning is a
type of learning in which an
organism learns to connect
or associate stimuli. A
neutral stimulus becomes
associated with a
meaningful stimulus and
acquires the capacity to
elicit a similar response.

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Classical Conditioning

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 Classical Conditioning Principles
Generalization The tendency of a new stimulus
similar to the original
conditioned stimulus to produce
a similar response.

Discrimination The organism responds to

certain stimuli but not others.

Extinction The weakening of the

conditioned response (CR) in
the absence of the
unconditioned stimulus (UCS).

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Systematic Desensitization

Reduces anxiety by getting the

individual to associate deep
relaxation with successive
visualizations of
increasingly
anxiety-producing
situations.

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 Pavlov’s Classical Conditioning
Theory into Practice

Patty does poorly on a math test. This makes her feel

anxious. From that point on, she always becomes
anxious when taking a math test. As the school year
progresses, she begins experiencing anxiety when she
has tests in other subject areas as well.

Q.1: Identify the US in the example above.

Q.2: Identify the UR in the example above.
Q.3: Identify the CS in the example above.
Q.4: Identify the CR in the example above.

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Pavlov’s Classical Conditioning
Theory into Practice

Patty does poorly on a math test. This makes her feel

anxious. From that point on, she always becomes
anxious when taking a math test. As the school year
progresses, she begins experiencing anxiety when she
has tests in other subject areas as well.

Q: Why would Patty begin to experience anxiety in

response to tests in content areas other than
math?

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Classical Conditioning
…is a form of learning in which the consequences of
behavior produce changes in the probability that the
behavior will occur.

Thorndike’s Law of Effect

Positive Behavior
Behavior
outcome strengthened

Negative Behavior
Behavior
outcome weakened

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Skinner’s Operant Conditioning

Consequences are contingent

on the organism’s behavior.
 Reinforcement increases the
probability that a behavior will
occur.
 Punishment decreases the
probability that a behavior will
occur.

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Operant Conditioning Principles

Generalization Giving the same response

to similar stimuli.

Discrimination Differentiating among

stimuli or environmental
events.

Extinction Previously reinforced

response is no longer
reinforced and the
response decreases.

7.15
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 Skinner’s Operant Conditioning
Theory into Practice

Nick frequently gets out of his seat and entertains his

classmates with humorous remarks. Mr. Lincoln often
scolds Nick for his behavior. However, Nick’s classmates
laugh when Nick makes remarks. The scolding rarely has
any impact. Nick continues with his antics.

Q.1: What is Mr. Lincoln attempting to do when he scolds Nick?

Q.2: Why does Nick continue his antics in spite of being scolded?
Q.3: What are three strategies Mr. Lincoln could try to keep Nick
more on task?

7.16
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Behavioral and Social Cognitive
Approaches

Applied Behavior
Analysis in
Education

What Is Applied Evaluating Operant

Behavior Conditioning and
Analysis? Applied Behavior
Analysis

Increasing
Desirable Behaviors Decreasing
Undesirable Behaviors

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Applied Behavior Analysis

…is applying principles of

operant conditioning to change
human behavior.

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 Increasing Desirable Behaviors

Make reinforcers Select the BEST

reinforcement
contingent and timely.
schedule.

Choose effective
reinforcers. Consider
contracting.

Use prompts
and shaping.
Use negative
reinforcement
effectively.

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Reinforcement Schedules
Fixed-Ratio Reinforce after a set number of
responses
Variable-Ratio Reinforce after an average but
unpredictable number of
responses
Fixed-Interval Reinforce appropriate response
after a fixed amount of time
Variable-Interval Reinforce appropriate response
after a variable amount of time

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Reinforcement Schedules

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 Reinforcement
The Premack principle states that a high-probability
activity can serve as a reinforcer for a low-probability activity.
“Eat your dinner and you can go out to play.”

Guidelines for the Classroom:

• Initial learning is better with continuous
reinforcement.
• Students on fixed schedules show less
persistence, faster response extinction.
• Students show greatest persistence on
variable-interval schedule.
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 Reinforcement: Prompts and
Shaping
Prompts: Added stimuli that are given just before
the likelihood that the behavior will occur.
1. Use to initiate behavior.

2. Once desired behavior is consistent, remove

prompts.
Shaping: Involves teaching new behaviors by
reinforcing successive approximations of the desired
behavior.
1. First, reward any response.

2. Next, reward responses that resemble the desired

behavior.
3. Finally, reward only target behavior.

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Decreasing Undesirable
Behaviors

1. Use differential reinforcement by

reinforcing more appropriate behavior.
2. Withdraw positive reinforcement
(extinction) from a child’s inappropriate
behavior.
3. Remove desirable stimuli through “time-
out” and “response cost.”
4. Present aversive stimuli (punishment).

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Enter the Debate
Should teachers use tangible
reinforcers for good behavior?
YES NO

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Reflection & Observation
Reflection:
 In your educational experience,
what types of incentives did
teachers use?
 How effective was their use? Why
were they effective or ineffective?

Observation:
 What behaviors does this teacher
reinforce and what types of
reinforcers does he use?
 Why might this type of incentive
program not work for all children?

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 Behavioral and Social
Cognitive Approaches

Social Cognitive
Approaches
to Learning

Bandura’s Evaluating the

Social Cognitive Social Cognitive
Theory Approaches

Cognitive Behavior
Observational
Approaches and
Learning
Self-Regulation

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Bandura’s Social Cognitive
Theory
Social, cognitive, and behavioral factors
play important roles in learning.

Self-efficacy: The belief

that one can master a
situation and produce
positive outcomes.

Observational learning occurs when a

person observes and imitates someone
else’s behavior.
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Bandura’s Reciprocal
Determinism

B
Behavior

P/C E
Personal and Environment
cognitive
factors

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 Bandura’s Contemporary Model of
Observational Learning
Attention
Students are more likely to
be attentive to high-status
models (teachers).
Production
Poor motor ability inhibits
reproduction of the model’s
behavior. Help improve skills.
Retention
Student retention will be
improved when teachers give
logical and clear
demonstrations.
Motivation
When given a reinforcement,
modeling increases.
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Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory
Theory into Practice

Nick frequently gets out of his seat and entertains his

classmates with humorous remarks. Mr. Lincoln often
scolds Nick for his behavior. However, Nick’s
classmates laugh when Nick makes remarks. The
scolding rarely has any impact. Nick continues with
his antics. After several days of this, other boys in the
class begin to get out of their seats and make
humorous remarks as well.

Q.1: Why do the other boys begin to misbehave? Explain.

Q.2: What does this say about Nick?

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 Classroom Use of Observational
Learning

Decide what type of Demonstrate and teach

model you will be new behaviors

Use peers as
effective models

Use mentors as
models

Consider the
models
children observe
in the media

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A Model of Self-Regulatory
Learning

Self-Evaluation
and Monitoring

Monitoring Goal Setting

Outcomes and
and Refining Strategic
Strategies Planning

Putting a Plan into

Action and
Monitoring It

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Crack the Case
Consequences

1. What are the issues in this case?

Answer the following questions using
principles of behavioral theories:
2. Why did Adam continue to disrupt the
class despite the consequences?
3. What has Adam learned?
4. Why did the other students join Adam in
his disruptive behavior?
5. What should Mr. Potter do now?

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