Theories of Learning: Behaviorism (Thorndike, Skinner, Tolman, and Bandura)

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Clarification: Edward Thorndike introduced the Law of Effect, which posits that behaviors followed by positive consequences are likely to be repeated. Negative reinforcement, a concept Thorndike contributed to, involves removing or withholding an undesirable consequence to encourage desired behavior. In the context of a disruptive student in class, implementing a rule where the student loses privileges for disruptive behavior is an example of negative reinforcement. This strategy aims to decrease the likelihood of disruptive behavior by associating it with the removal of a desirable outcome.

This is a continuation of our discussion on the theories of learning that fall under behaviorism. We’re done with Pavlov’s Classical conditioning if we can still remember this is a learning process that occurs through associations between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus. For this video, we will be discussing the remaining 4 theories under behaviorism, which are Thorndike’s Connectionism, Skinner’s Operant Conditioning, Tolman’s Purposive Behaviorism, and Bandura’s Social Learning Theory.