What I See
Behaviorism is a theory of learning that only focuses on independently observable behaviors and disregards mental activities. This theory suggests that learning occurs when a stimulus triggers a response or behavior. There are several theories that make up the entire concept of behaviorism. Operant conditioning would be an example of one of these theories. Operant conditioning is when it is learned that by making a response it leads to a reinforcing effect, and at the same time, it is learned not making a response will lead to a punishing effect. There are two kinds of reinforcement, positive and negative. Positive reinforcement is adding something. An example would be, if a child gets an A on a test, the parent would give them a dollar. Negative reinforcement on the other hand, is when something is taken away. For example, if a child comes home on time, they do not have to do the dishes. Both positive and negative reinforcement are used to the child’s benefit. The child will appreciate these alternatives. The other part of operant conditioning is punishment. Some tend to confuse this with negative reinforcement, but punishment is something that will just make the child unhappy; such as not allowing him or her to watch television or sending the child to their room. Another there is known as classical behaviorism. This theory of classical conditioning utilizes procedures that “reward performance behavior that encourages repetition of those behaviors” (Funderstanding). An example of classical conditioning would be if you have a dog, and you show him a piece of meat, he will start salivating. The unconditioned stimulus would be the piece of meant, and the unconditioned response would be the dog salivating. Next, a bell is rung, and of course there is no response from the dog. The bell would be the conditioned stimulus.