Behaviorism Overview, Strengths, and Limitations

On week two, we delved into the fascinating world of Behaviorism. Despite its age, this theory has left a mark on the 20th century and continues to be relevant in various fields, particularly learning. Understanding behaviorism as a learning theory can open up a world of practical applications and insights.

 

Here are the following: 

• Classical conditioning

• Operant conditioning​ 

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One of its strengths are that it allows the learner to focus on one goal and emphasizes objective measurements. Some limitations of applying this learning theory alone include not considering higher thinking skills (like problem-solving/analysis) or external distractors (societal, emotional, or personal).

 

 

Scenario

One scenario would be that while teaching Science, the teacher gives and takes away points depending on students' behavior (participation) or individual student oral responses (correct or incorrect responses) while explicitly explaining their rationales in front of the class. If accurate, you get points; if not, your points are taken away.