Learning Behavioral

Perspective

B.F. Skinner
 Burhuss Frederick Skinner was reared
in a warm and stable home where
learning was esteemed, discipline was
apparent and rewards were given when
deserved.
 Skinner believed that abstract theories
were unnecessary and should be
abandoned in favor of an approach
based solely on how the environment
affects the individual behavior.
 Burhuss Frederick Skinner was reared
in a warm and stable home where
learning was esteemed, discipline was
apparent and rewards were given when
deserved.
 Skinner believed that abstract theories
were unnecessary and should be
abandoned in favor of an approach
based solely on how the environment
affects the individual behavior.
Two Kinds of Behavior:
1.) RESPONDENT BEHAVIOR – refers to a
specific response that is elicited by a
known stimulus, the latter always
preceding the former in time.
- respondent behavior is skinner’s version of
Pavlovian or Classical Conditioning (i.e
dog) . Also called it S CONDITIONING to
stress the significance of the stimulus that
comes before and elicits the response.
 Unconditioned Response – an unlearned
response that is automatically elicited by
an unconditional stimulus.
 Conditioned Response – a learned
response similar to an unconditioned
response which is elicited by a previously
presented stimulus.
 Conditioned Stimulus – a previously
neutral stimulus that acquires the capacity
to elicit responses through repeated
pairing with another stimulus capable of
eliciting such responses.
 Example:
1.) The child jumps/runs everytime he
sees the dentist.
UCS ? _________________
UCR ? _________________
CS ? _________________
CR ? _________________
 Another example:
2.) Jimbo Jamoner feels very sad
everytime he hears the song “My Love is
Here”.
UCS ? _________________
UCR ? _________________
CS ? _________________
CR ? _________________
2.) OPERANT BEHAVIOR
(Operant Conditioning)

 is determined by the events that follow the

response. That is a behavior is followed
by a consequence, and the nature of the
consequences modifies the organisms
tendency to repeat behavior in the future.
 He called it R CONDITIONING to
emphasize the affect of the response on
the future behavior.
 If the consequences of the responses are
favorable to the organism, then the
likelihood of the operant being emitted
again in the future is thereby increased.
Schedules of Reinforcement

- is a rule stating the

contingency/schedules under
which reinforcements will be
presented.
 Schedules of Reinforcement
1.) Fixed ratio – the organism is
reinforced following a
predetermined # of appropriate
responses.
2.) Fixed interval – the organism is
reinforced after a set or “fixed” time
interval has elapsed since the
previous reinforcement.
3.) Variable ratio – the organism
is reinforced on the basis of
some predetermined # of set
responses.
4.) Variable interval – the
organism is reinforced on this
schedule after a variable time
interval has elapsed.
Observational Learning
Albert Bandura
Observational Learning
Albert
Bandura
 Albert Bandura places primary
emphasis on the role of Observational
Learning in behavioral acquisition.

 The most distinctive feature of

Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory is
the belief that most human behavior is
learned through observation or by
example. We simply attend to what
others do and then repeat their actions.
Bandura states,
children learn
by
watching/observ
ation to be
aggressive,
altruistic,
cooperative or
even obnoxious.
4 Components or Process of
Observational Learning
1.) Attentional Processes: Perceiving the
model
4 Components or Process of
Observational Learning
2.) Retention Process: Remembering the
Model
3.) Motor Reproduction Processes
4.) Motivational Processes: From
Observation to action
2 Forms of Reinforcement

1.) Vicarious Reinforcement

- taken from the observed success
and failures of others, as well as from their
own direct experiences.
- Indeed, as a social being, we
repeatedly attend to the action of others
and the situation in which they are
rewarded, ignored or punished.
2.) Self-reinforcement
 This is evident whenever people set
reward or punish
 themselves for attaining, exceeding or
falling out to their own expectation.
How can these ideas be applied
to the work
you are doing ? or going to do?
 SYSTEMS THEORY

For understanding interactions among

individuals, groups, organizations, & the
wider world
What is a SYSTEM?

 A set of interrelated & interdependent

objects

 A unit of wholeness with distinct properties

& boundaries differentiating it from other
units
Examples of systems…

 A mechanical system
 Such as an air conditioning
system
 A human system
 Such as the physical body
 A social system
 Such as a family, a small
group, a clan, a tribe
 A governmental system
 Such as a city, a state, a
nation
 An astronomical system
 Such as our solar system
Differences among
traditional systems theories:

Structural Functionalism (Parsons)

 Proposed that each part of society is
related to the whole
 Examined the structure & function of
social systems
Ecological Perspective (Germain &
Gitterman)
Proposed that human adaptation is
based on transactions between people
& their environment
Emphasized adaptation of a population
or group & “goodness of fit”
 Overarching Ideas of all these
Systems Theories
 Interrelated & interdependent objects create a whole
system
 Each part affects all the other parts within the system
 Subsystems are parts of larger systems
 Boundaries maintain system identity & determine the
flow of information into or out of the system
 Change & stability are created by interactions among,
within, between systems
 Systems tend to maintain & sustain themselves through
self-preservation
“Focal System”

 The system that is the current focus of

attention is the focal system
 Subsystem is part of the focal system
 Suprasystem (e.g., the environment) is
external to the focal system
 Boundaries distinguish the focal system from
the environment
 Focal systems, subsystems, & suprasystems
are interrelated
Your family

 Using your family of origin as the focal

point, how would you describe the
system in which you live?
Do you remember how to draw an “eco-
map”?
 What happens when something
changes within that system?
How does the system adapt?
Eco Map

 The eco-map identifies the client’s

current social context.
The Eco-map is a paper and pencil
diagram of the ecological system of
the client/family, the major systems,
together with all their relationships,
that affect and are affected by the
client/family.
.
THE GENOGRAM

- a graphic representation of “family”

members and their relationships over at
least three generations. It looks very
much like a family tree or a genealogy
chart.
“Adaptation”
 Defined as the process by which a system copes
with external or new internal demands
 How it secures resources from the environment

 Systems & their environments inevitably

mutually adapt to each other

 Interdependence affects adaptation

 A change in one system leads to change in other
systems
 “Feedback”
 Defined as information from the environment
to the system about the system’s output or
how the system is functioning
 Based on reaction to feedback, systems are
both self-maintaining & self-transforming
 Feedback enables system to maintain a
steady state, a balance between system &
environment
“Closed” & “Open” Systems

 Systems with rigid

boundaries are closed
to input & closed to
feedback; they
“entropy”
CLOSED SYSTEM
with
rigid boundaries
 Become increasingly
stagnant & disorganized
• Systems with porous boundaries are
open to feedback
• This leads to “synergy”

• “Living organisms are essentially open

systems” (Bertalanffy)

• Transactions within or between

systems lead to increased creativity

OPEN SYSTEM
with
porous boundaries
How can these concepts
be applied to your social
work interventions?
What are the strengths of this
theory for understanding various
systems in your country?
Now, what are the problems
with these versions of
systems theory?
Is there always a “cause & effect”
that leads to change in the system?
Is it always possible to maintain a
“steady equilibrium” in the system?
Isn’t the world sometimes more chaotic?
Ecological Framework

Society

Community

Family

Individual
Ecological Framework
 Community

S
Y Family
S
T
E
M

T PERSON
H
E
O
R
Y Family

Community