Behavioral Learning Theory

Ivan Pavlov
Used conditioning to gain a
predictable response from a stimulus
Famous for behavioral experiment
with dogs

(1849-1936) Physiologist
John B. Watson
Key researcher of behaviorism
Famous for infant research and Little
Albert experiment

(1878-1958): Psychologist
Pavlov Dog Conditioning
Pavlov presented food to dogs dogs mouths water
Pavlov rang bell the dogs mouths did not water

Pavlov presented food to dogs and rang bell dogs mouths water
Pavlov rang bell without food present dogs mouths water
Conditioned
Response
Watsons Little Albert
Before
Conditioning

Baby Albert is
allowed to play
with a pet rat.
Albert enjoys
petting the rat and
does not fear it.

Albert was scared
of loud noises.


During
Conditioning

When Albert tried
to pet or come
near the rat,
Watson would
make a loud noise.
This scared Albert.

This scaring when
coming close
situation was
repeated many
times.
Once
conditioned

When Albert was
presented with the
rat again, he
became scared,
cried, and tried to
move away from
the rat.

He had become
conditioned into
realizing that the
white rat was
related to the loud
noise.
Main Points
Classical conditioning deals with reflexes,
or responses that are evoked from a specific stimulus

People can be trained to perform a certain task or
response by providing some sort of trigger, which
may be a sound, picture, phrase, etc.

When you see this:
What do you think of?


Youve be conditioned to think of McDonalds after
seeing this picture! (Are you salivating?)


Classroom Implications
If the teacher is consistent and repetitive with these stimuli, eventually the students
will come to learn to behave properly through classical conditioning.
If the teacher Then the students
Before conditioning Counts down from twenty

Tells the class to clean up
Will not clean up.

Will clean up.
During conditioning Tells the class to clean up
and counts down from
twenty
Will clean up.
After conditioning Counts down from twenty Will clean up.
The students behavior has been conditioned!
Classroom Implications
If the teacher is consistent and repetitive with these stimuli, eventually the students
will come to learn to behave properly through classical conditioning.
If the teacher Then the students
Before conditioning Instructs the class to quiet down

Claps 3 times.
Will get quiet.

Will not get quiet.
During conditioning Claps 3 times and instructs the
class to quiet down.
Will get quiet.
After conditioning Claps 3 times. Will get quiet.
The students behavior has been conditioned!
Classroom Implications
Technology can be used too to help students be classically conditioned!
Music and computers are used here.
If the teacher Then the students
Before conditioning Plays the alphabet song

Instructs the students to go to
their assigned computers
Will not get setup up at
computers.

Will get setup at computers.
During conditioning Plays the alphabet song and
instructs students to go to their
assigned computers.
Will get setup at computers.
After conditioning Claps 3 times. Will get setup at computers.
The students behavior has been conditioned!
Classroom Implications
Technology can be used too to help students be classically conditioned!
Calculators can help students learn through this behavioral method.
If the teacher Then the students
Before conditioning Wants students to learn
multiplication tables

Use calculator to find answers
Will not know answers.


Will be able to find answers.
During conditioning Wants class to repeat using
calculators to learn
multiplication tables
Will be able to find answers
and slowly learn answers.
After conditioning Wants students to learn
multiplication tables
Will no longer need
calculators and will
know answer.
The students behavior has been conditioned!
Personal Applications
In the classroom, I hope to use classical conditioning to teach
my students expected behaviors for routine activities
without having to daily tell them what Im wanting.

Clapping 3 times to get class quiet
Counting down from twenty to get class to clean up
Have certain songs played representing where students
should be (ie: reading song playing means go to reading
corner)
Flashing the lights twice to get the class to return to their
seats.


Credits & Citations
Biographical pictures from biography.com
All other images from Microsoft Office Collections

Cherry, Kendra. "Pavlov's Dogs: How Ivan Pavlov Discovered Classical
Conditioning." 13 Nov. 2012.
<http://psychology.about.com/od/classicalconditioning/a/pavlovs-dogs.htm>.
Cherry, Kendra. John B. Watsons Biography (1878-1958)." 13 Nov. 2012.
<http://psychology.about.com/od/profilesofmajorthinkers/p/watson.htm>
Learning Theories Knowledgebase (2012, November). Classical Conditioning
(Pavlov) at Learning-Theories.com. Retrieved November 15th, 2012 from
http://www.learning-theories.com/classical-conditioning-pavlov.html
Shelly, Gary, Glenda Gunter, and Randolph Gunter. Teachers Discovering
Computers: Integrating Technology in a Connected World, Seventh Edition. Page
258. Boston: Cengage Learning, 2012.