NEO BEHAVIORISM

TOLMAN AND
BANDURA
NEO BEHAVIORISM
 an approach to psychology influenced by logical positivism that
emphasized the development of comprehensive theories and
frameworks of behavior.
 The prediction and control of human behavior in which
introspection and/or independent thinking play no essential part of
its teaching methods.
 It is a behavior that cannot be fully understood simply in terms of
observable stimuli and reactions. Neo behaviorism introduce
mediating variables into the behaviorist stimulus-response scheme.
 TOLMAN’S
PURPOSIVE BEHAVIORISM
Tolman’s Purposive Behaviorism
 Also referred to as Sign Learning Theory.
 Often seen as the link between behaviorism and cognitive theory.
 Tolman believed that learning is a cognitive process.
 Learning involves forming beliefs and obtaining knowledge about the
environment and revealing that knowledge through purposeful and goal
oriented behavior.
 Tolman’s system was called purposive behaviorism because it studies
behavior as it is organized around purposes.
Tolman’s Key Concepts of
Purposive Behaviorism

▶ Learning is always purposive and goal-oriented.

▶ Cognitive maps

▶ Latent Learning
▶ The concept of intervening variable

▶ Reinforcement is not essential for learning.

Learning is always purposive and goal-
oriented.

 Tolman believes that an organism acted or responded for some

adaptive purpose and that individuals do more than just
responding to stimuli but act on beliefs, attitudes, changing
conditions and strive towards goals.
 He saw behavior as holistic, purposive and cognitive.
Cognitive maps
 Learning the location of reward.
 Once an individual has learned where a given kind of reward
is located, that location can often be reached by means other
than those originally used.
 Famous experiment on rats concluded that when an organism
found the location it will select the shortest or easiest path to
achieve goal.
Latent Learning

▶ The kind of learning that remains or stays with the

individual until needed.
▶ It is not outwardly manifested at once and can exist without
reinforcement.

▶ Example: the rats apparently “learned the maze” by forming

cognitive maps of the maze but manifested this knowledge
only when needed.
The concept of intervening variable

▶ Intervening variables are variables that are not

readily seen but serve as determinants of behavior.

▶ Tolman believed that learning is mediated or is
influenced by expectations, perceptions,
representations, needs and other internal or
environmental variables.
Reinforcement not essential for learning
▶ Tolman concluded that reinforcement is not essential for learning,
although it provides an incentive for performance.

▶ Variables that are not readily seen but serves as determinants of

behavior.

▶ Learning is mediated or influenced by expectations, perceptions,

representations, needs and other internal or environmental variables.
▶ Example: the rats were able to acquire knowledge even without
reinforcement.
 BANDURA’S
SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY
Social Learning Theory

 Also called observational learning.

 Focuses on the learning that occurs within a social context.
 It considers that people learn from one another, including
such concept as observational learning, imitation and
modeling.
General principles of social learning
theory

 People can learn by observing.

 Learning can occur without a change in behavior.
 Cognitions plays a role in learning
 Social learning theory can be considered a bridge or a
transition between behaviorist learning theories and
cognitive learning theories.
How the environment reinforces and
punishes modeling
 The observer is reinforced by the model.
 The observer is reinforced by a third person. The observer
might be modeling the actions of someone else.
 The imitated behavior itself leads to reinforcing
consequences. Many behaviors that we learn from others
produce satisfying or reinforcing result.
 Consequences of the model's behavior affect the observer's
behavior vicariously.
Positive & Negative Reinforcement
Reinforcement
 stimuli that can strengthen or weaken specific behaviours
 Positive reinforcement occurs when a token or reward is
given to strengthen a desired behaviour.
 Negative reinforcement also strengthens a behaviour, but it
does so by removing something that is unwanted
Punishment
 is another form of reinforcement, and it can be both
positive and negative, as well. As opposed to
reinforcement, punishment is intended to decrease the
likelihood of an undesirable behaviour.
 Positive punishment occurs when we introduce
something to stop an unwanted behaviour.
 Negative punishment is when we take something away
after an undesirable behaviour occurs.
Contemporary Social Learning Perspective of
Reinforcement and Punishment

 Proposes that reinforcement and punishment have indirect

effects on learning; they are not the sole or main cause.
 Reinforcement and punishment influence the extent to
which individuals exhibit behaviors that have been
learned.
 Expectation of reinforcement influences cognitive
processes that promote learning.
Cognitive factors in Social Learning

 Learning without Performance

 Cognitive Processing during Learning
 Expectations

 Reciprocal causation
 Modeling
 Cognitive factors in Social Learning

Learning without Performance

 Learning can occur without a behavioral change.

 There is a distinction between “Learning through
observation” and “the actual imitation of what
has been learned.”
 Cognitive factors in Social Learning

Cognitive Processing during Learning

 Attention is a critical factor in learning.

 Learning depends upon the subject focusing on
the behavior being demonstrated.
 Cognitive factors in Social Learning

Expectations

 As a result of being reinforced, people form

expectations about the consequences that future
behaviors are likely to bring.
 They expect certain behaviors to be either
rewarded or punished.
 Cognitive factors in Social Learning

Reciprocal causation
 Usually, Person + Environment = Behavior
Behavior can also influence both the environment
and the person.
Person Environment

Behavior

These three can have an influence on each other.

 Cognitive factors in Social Learning

Modeling
 People can learn by observing the behaviors of others and their
consequences.
 There are different types of models.
 Live Model - an actual person
 Verbal Model - a desired behavior is described in detail, with
instructions on how to perform it.
 Symbolic Model - real/fictional character portrayed in some other
medium, tv, radio, etc.
 Behaviors can be learned, as least partly, through modeling. Reading,
Aggression, Moral Behavior, Bravery
4 Conditions necessary for Effective
Modeling
The learner…

should focus and pay attention on the

Attention
model

Retention must be able to remember

Motor Reproduction must replicate the behavior

Motivation must want to demonstrate the behavior.

Effects of Modeling on Behavior
Modeling…

 teaches a new behavior.

 influences the frequency of previously learned behaviors.
 may encourage previously forbidden behaviors.
 increase the frequency of similar behaviors.
 Students learn a great deal by just observing
 Describing the consequences of behavior can effectively increase
appropriate behaviors and decrease inappropriate ones.
 Modeling is an alternative to shaping.
 Teachers and parents must model appropriate behaviors.
 Teachers should expose students to a variety of other models.