Behaviorist Theory and Education

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses behaviorist theory in relation to education. The paper provides a history of behaviorist theory, and further discusses its direct link to the educational process. The paper further examines the uses of behaviorist theory in education, and discusses those who are opposed to this theory in relation to learning in the classroom. The paper draws conclusions based on the research and provides an opinion of the use of behaviorist theory today.

From the Paper:

"Behaviorist theory began with Ivan Pavlov, who believed that behavior could be conditioned. Through his experiments with dogs Pavlov discovered that he could ring a bell, bring the dogs food, and when the dogs were conditioned to hearing the bell they would begin to salivate in anticipation of the food, even if it did not exist. John Watson incorporated ideas from Pavlov's research into his own theories. Watson contended that man could only be studied without subjective inference through his behavior. Yet, the most significant name associated with behaviorism is B.F. Skinner. Skinner tested Watson's ideas and determined that in reality "we behave the way we do because this kind of behavior has had certain consequences in the past" (DeMar, n.d.). Skinner called this type of behavior "operant conditioning"."

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