Behaviorism

Behaviorism is a school of thought, formed by John B. Watson in about 1920, that studies how the process of learning affects our behavior. Educators used behaviorist theory heavily in order to model the traditional classroom.

Behavioral psychology looks at the ways in which human behavior results from the stimuli both in the environment and within ourselves. Behavioral psychologists study the behaviors that people exhibit while controlling as many other variables as possible by supplying a stimulus and recording the response to that stimulus. Although the work is meticulous and sometimes grueling, it has helped researchers learn a great deal about human behavior, the effect our environment has on us, how we learn new behaviors, and what motivates us to change, or to remain the same.

Researchers like B.F. Skinner found that people's behavior is largely based on the consequences that their behavior brings. If there is a positive response to a certain behavior, that behavior will then be repeated, and therefore learned.

In the classroom, this research translates to a stimulus-response system. The teacher provides the student with information. When the student shows that he or she has absorbed the information correctly, he or she is rewarded. Conversely, students who display unpleasant behavior are rewarded with unpleasant consequences. The student who does not correctly absorb the information being presented is given a failing grade. According to behaviorist theory, the failing grade will provide the student with the necessary motivation to learn the information correctly.