TRINIDAD MUNICIPAL COLLEGE

POBLACION, TRINIDAD, BOHOL

Nugal, Dara Faye G. BSED 2 – BLOCK 3

EDUC 3 - Technology for Teaching and Learning 1 May 6, 2023

MODULE # 3

1. Explain the 3 basic principles of behaviorism by Skinner.

Behaviorism is a branch of psychology that focuses on observing and understanding behavior through empirical
research. One of the most influential behaviorists was B.F. Skinner developed a set of three basic principles that
governed behavioral interactions with the environment.

The first principle is positive reinforcement, which involves adding a desired stimulus to increase the
probability of a behavior occurring again.

The second principle is negative reinforcement, which involves removing an undesired stimulus to increase
the probability of a behavior occurring again.

The third principle is punishment, which involves administering a consequence that decreases the
probability of a behavior occurring again.
Overall, these three basic principles of behaviorism form the foundation for understanding how individuals interact
with their environment and learn new behaviors.

2. Explain the major principle of behaviorist theory by Thorndike. Enumerate 3

examples based on the principle.

Edward Lee Thorndike was a well-known psychologist who made substantial contributions to the
development of behaviorism. The law of effect is one of Thorndike's key principles of behaviorist theory, which
argues that behaviors that result in positive outcomes are more likely to be repeated. Therefore, if a behavior is
followed by a satisfactory outcome, such as a reward or praise, the likelihood of that conduct being repeated in
comparable settings increases.
 One of the major principles of Thorndike's behaviorist theory was his law of effect which states that the
consequences or outcomes of an individual’s actions determine the likelihood of that behavior being repeated in the
future. This principle is rooted in the idea that humans and animals will naturally repeat behaviors that result in
positive outcomes or rewards while avoiding behaviors with negative consequences or punishments. This law of
effect was supported by Thorndike's work with puzzle boxes and cats, where he observed that the cats would
eventually learn how to escape the puzzle box by trial and error, with their successful escape being reinforced by the
reward of receiving food.

3. Explain the following: A. ) Classical Conditioning by Pavlov and Watson , B.)

Connectionism by Thorndike, C.) Operant Conditioning by Skinner

A. Classical Conditioning by Pavlov and Watson

Classical conditioning is a type of learning that was first studied by Ivan Pavlov through his experiment on
dogs. He discovered that dogs could learn to associate neutral stimuli, such as the sound of a bell, with an
unconditioned stimulus, such as food. Over time, the dogs began to salivate at the sound of the bell alone, even in
the absence of food. This concept was further developed by John Watson, who applied it to humans and
demonstrated that classical conditioning could be used to produce emotional responses in people.

B. Connectionism by Thorndike

Edward Thorndike proposed the learning theory of connectionism in the early twentieth century. According
to this theory, learning occurs by developing connections between events known as stimuli and responses, where a
stimulus is any change from the external environment that motivates the organism to react or act, and a response is
any behavior triggered by the stimulus. Thorndike felt that these associations, or connections, could be strengthened
via practice and repetition, which he referred to as the Law of Use.

C. Operant Conditioning by Skinner

It refers to the process of behavior modification through consequences that occur after a behavior is
exhibited. Skinner argued that by altering the stimulus in an environment, a new system of rewards and punishments
could be created to generate a change of behavior. Through operant conditioning, learning occurs by reinforcing
desired behaviors and reducing or eliminating undesired behaviors through punishment or negative consequences.

4. Describe the 3 laws of Thorndike’s Theory. Write 2 examples each each law.

A. Law of effect

The Law of Effect is a fundamental concept in Edward Thorndike's theory of learning, which states that
behaviors that lead to favorable consequences tend to be repeated, while behaviors that lead to unfavorable
consequences tend to be avoided or eliminated. This idea can be traced back to Thorndike's studies on animal
intelligence, with the use of puzzle boxes.

B. Law of exercise

In Thorndike's theory of learning, the Law of Exercise refers to the idea that practice strengthens the
connection between a stimulus and a response while disuse weakens the connection. This principle suggests that
the more a certain behavior or action is repeated under certain conditions, the stronger the link between the stimulus
and response becomes.


C. Law of readiness

The law of readiness is one of the principles proposed by Edward Lee Thorndike in his theory
of instrumental learning or trial-and-error learning.