Behaviorist perspective of learning is a theory that focuses on observable behaviors and the ways in which they are shaped and modified by the environment through conditioning. Behaviorism believes that learning is a process of acquiring new behaviors through reinforcement and punishment. According to this perspective, the learner is a passive recipient of external stimuli, and behavior is shaped through a process of stimulus-response associations.
There are two types of conditioning in behaviorism:
- Classical conditioning: This type of conditioning involves the pairing of a neutral stimulus with a naturally occurring stimulus to elicit a response. For example, in Pavlov's famous experiment, a dog learned to associate the sound of a bell with the presentation of food, and would eventually begin to salivate at the sound of the bell alone.
- Operant conditioning: This type of conditioning involves the use of reinforcement and punishment to shape behavior. Reinforcement increases the likelihood that a behavior will be repeated, while punishment decreases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated.
Behaviorism has been influential in the field of education, particularly in the development of instructional design and classroom management strategies. Some educators have used behaviorist techniques to reinforce positive behaviors and discourage negative behaviors. However, behaviorism has been criticized for its focus on observable behavior at the expense of internal mental processes and for its limited view of the learner as a passive recipient of external stimuli.