Theoretical foundation
Skinner
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Gagne

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Theoretical foundation-skinner

Skinner's Behaviorist Theories of Learning: Building on the S-R Connection

Skinner: Grandfather of behaviorism, the most influential psychologist of the 20th century.

Skinner believed "behavior is more controlled by the consequence of actions than by events preceding the actions." (Stimulus-Response)

He found that human behavior could be shaped by "contingencies of reinforcement" or situations in which reinforcement for a learner is made contingent on a desired response. He identified three kinds of situations that can shape behavior:

1. Positive reinforcement. A situation is set up so that an increase in a desired behavior will result from a stimulus. For example, to earn praise or good grades (positive reinforcement), a learner studies hard for a test more often (desired behavior).

2. Negative reinforcement. A situation is set up so that an increase in a desired behavior will result from avoiding or removing a stimulus. For example, a student dislikes going detention (negative reinforcement), so to avoid to detention again, the student is quiet in class more often.

3. Punishment. A situation is set up so that a decrease in a desired behavior will result from undesirable consequences, such as when a student is given a failing grade (punishment) when she cheats on a test (undesired behavior), so she is less likely to cheat in the future.