Presentation Of Behaviorism And Social Learning Essay

Learning about how and why people and animals alike behave in a specific way has always been a topic of interest that spans even in the Olden Times, hence, Behaviorism came about.   It is a theory which takes learning as the result of the actions of the environment on the learner. ( Denis & Phillips, 2003, p.7 ).   Associated with this theory is the view of tabula rasa, where the mind has nothing and that all information our mind has is a result of the experiences we go through.   Under Behaviorism are the following types of learning: Classical Conditioning, which depicts the connection between stimulus and response. (Davis, 2002, p.166)   Imagine a new born baby who cried because it was slapped by the doctor on the buttocks. The slap on the buttocks was the stimulus, and crying was the response to that stimulus. Operant Conditioning deals more with the positive and negative outcomes of a response, simply put, positive and negative reinforcements.  Ã‚   For example: a child studies hard because every time that child gets high grades, a gift is given to that child.   The giving of the gift reinforces the child’s behavior to earn high grades for the long-term.   Another type of learning that falls under Behaviorism is the Social Learning Theory, which involves the observation of admirable things, which are thus, modeled or mirrored.   (Kafai, 2004, p.129). This learning theory can be summed up through these words: â€Å"Learning by Observation.† A child following the footsteps of an elder sibling who has been recognized due to excellent grades can be a good example of the Social Learning Theory in application.   The Self-Efficacy Theory, a theory that falls under the Social Learning Theory also plays an important role in psychology. It states that the person’s perception of what he or she can do or is capable of, makes that person choose actions that will pave the way for him/her reaching set goals.   Personality Development/Self-Confidence Books/Courses embody self-efficacy, as it is common knowledge that if you believe in yourself, more often than not, you succeed in a task. Behaviorism, I believe, can be used for self-understanding and self-improvement. References Davies, Martin. (2002). The Blackwell Companion to Social Work. Britain: Blackwell Publishing. Denis, Charles., & Phillips, Jonas F. Soltis. (2003). Perspectives on Learning.   New York: Teachers College Press. Kafai, Yasmin B. (2004). Embracing Diversity in the Learning Sciences. Yorkshire: Routledge.