Behaviourism Research:
A look at current case studies and uses
As seen before, behaviourism stems back to the late 1800's. Today it can be seen in many different aspects of our lives, from schools, to at home, when training animals, on sports fields and finally, to treat mental illnesses.
Behaviourist learning theory, has become more controversial as educators adapt to the needs of the 21st century learner. The following, explores ways in which behaviourism is being applied today.
In
Nature
The classic example of the behaviourism theory, is that of Pavlov's famous experiment with his dogs. He conditioned them to salivate everytime a bell was rung. The concept being, that people will respond with specific behaviours when encouraged to do so.
Today, we see behaviourism applied in animal training. Famous dog behaviourist, Gwen Bailey, uses behaviourist theory to train dogs to behave appropriately.
In
Schools
Schools are an excellent example of behaviourism in action. Teachers use positive reinforcement to encourage students to demonstrate specific behaviours.
Formal and informal praise, as well as visible expectations, such as the colour wheel (article can be found at bottom of page) are all examples of behaviourism in the classroom.
Classical conditioning is legitimate but hindered by the need to have a pre-existing reflex reaction (Phillips & Soltis, 1998). Operant conditioning does not have this limitation and is therefore much more powerful as well as more versatile in the classroom (Halmi, 2003).
At
Home
Parents use behaviourism techniques at home in the likes of sticker charts, purchases for good behaviour, and anything that focuses on the action expectations of the child. This theory applies to friendships and relationships as well.
In this video, SuperNanny Jo Frost, works with a family to teach their son appropriate dinner time behaviours.
For
Personal Health
Behaviourism theory is applied to mental illness treatements and phobias in order to teach patients to react appropriately in various situations.
Research has found that using steps known as successive approximations help to treat phobias and anxiety related disorders.