Behaviorism

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/behaviorism

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the theoretical focus?Emphasis on observable, measurable behavior rather than internal mental states
2. What is the core learning processes?Classical conditioning (association) and operant conditioning (reinforcement and punishment)
3. How did Ivan Pavlov help start behaviorism?Pavlov showed that dogs could learn to salivate when a bell rang, proving that a neutral sound can become linked to a natural reaction.
4. What is operant conditioning and who studied it?Operant conditioning is a learning method where actions are shaped by rewards or punishments, and B.F. Skinner studied it using a special box to see how consequences change behavior.

Stimulus-Response (S-R): The basic unit of behavior analysis, where a stimulus elicits a specific response.
Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): A stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response without prior learning.
Conditioned Stimulus (CS): A previously neutral stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus, triggers a conditioned response.
Reinforcement Schedule: A rule stating which instances of behavior, if any, will be reinforced, affecting response rate and resistance to extinction.