Behaviourism – B. F. Skinner (1904-1990)
Where does language come from?
1. Hard wired – ‘innate’ approach
2. Reward and punishment – ‘behaviourist’ approach
3. Through interactions – ‘interactionalist’ approach
Behaviourism:
Concerned with observable actions and how they rose from environmental factors
Parlov’s dog – an experiment that was critical in discovering classical conditioning. Dogs
were conditioned to associate a metronome sound with food and start salivating, even
without any food present.
Stimulus-response – Edward Thorndike: all learning depends on the strength of the
relationship between the stimulus and the response.
Classical conditioning – a method of learning wherein two stimuli are paired together. Key
words: neutral stimulus e.g. metronome, unconditioned stimulus e.g. food, conditioned
stimulus e.g. metronome after exposure to food, conditioned response e.g. salivating
Operant conditioning – Skinner – a method of learning that occurs through rewards and
punishments for behaviour. Behaviour is influenced by its consequences.
Positive reinforcement – when behaviour results in positive outcome or a reward
Negative reinforcement – a response or behaviour is strengthened by stopping, removing,
or avoiding a negative outcome or aversive stimulus.
Stimulus Response Theory
In Pavlov’s famous experiment, the “stimulus” was food and the “response” was salivation.
He believed that all learning depended on the strength of the relationship between the
stimulus and the response.
Classical Conditioning
Learn through association
Operant Conditioning – backed by Skinner
Term ‘operant’ refers to an animal or person ‘operating’ on their environment to
affect change while learning a new behaviour.
Through time and repetition, learning happens when an association is created
between a certain behaviour and the consequence of that behaviour (good/bad)
The variables you can change are adding a stimulus or removing a stimulus
Goals you can achieve are increasing a behaviour or decreasing a behaviour
Where does language come from?
1. Hard wired – ‘innate’ approach
2. Reward and punishment – ‘behaviourist’ approach
3. Through interactions – ‘interactionalist’ approach
Behaviourism:
Concerned with observable actions and how they rose from environmental factors
Parlov’s dog – an experiment that was critical in discovering classical conditioning. Dogs
were conditioned to associate a metronome sound with food and start salivating, even
without any food present.
Stimulus-response – Edward Thorndike: all learning depends on the strength of the
relationship between the stimulus and the response.
Classical conditioning – a method of learning wherein two stimuli are paired together. Key
words: neutral stimulus e.g. metronome, unconditioned stimulus e.g. food, conditioned
stimulus e.g. metronome after exposure to food, conditioned response e.g. salivating
Operant conditioning – Skinner – a method of learning that occurs through rewards and
punishments for behaviour. Behaviour is influenced by its consequences.
Positive reinforcement – when behaviour results in positive outcome or a reward
Negative reinforcement – a response or behaviour is strengthened by stopping, removing,
or avoiding a negative outcome or aversive stimulus.
Stimulus Response Theory
In Pavlov’s famous experiment, the “stimulus” was food and the “response” was salivation.
He believed that all learning depended on the strength of the relationship between the
stimulus and the response.
Classical Conditioning
Learn through association
Operant Conditioning – backed by Skinner
Term ‘operant’ refers to an animal or person ‘operating’ on their environment to
affect change while learning a new behaviour.
Through time and repetition, learning happens when an association is created
between a certain behaviour and the consequence of that behaviour (good/bad)
The variables you can change are adding a stimulus or removing a stimulus
Goals you can achieve are increasing a behaviour or decreasing a behaviour
