Psychology: Behavioral and Cognitive Learning Theories Assignment

This assignment comprises several activities exploring learning theories from both behavioral and cognitive perspectives. The first part analyzes classical and operant conditioning through observed classroom scenarios, providing examples of how these theories manifest in real-world settings. It includes an examination of ethical considerations in the John B. Watson experiment on Little Albert and discusses practical applications for policymakers, administrators, teachers, learners, parents, and the community. The second part delves into Piaget's stages of cognitive development, evaluating their implications for teaching at each stage, and explores whether all individuals reach the formal operational stage. It also examines factors that may limit formal operational thinking. Furthermore, the assignment addresses memory and study strategies, suggesting effective methods for different grade levels. Finally, it prompts the creation of an advance organizer for a chosen topic, promoting the application of cognitive theories in the classroom.

NAME:
PROGRAM:
DATE OF SUBMISSION:
MODULE 2
ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY 4
Lesson 4
Exercise on the Uses of Learning Theories
1. Observe a group of people (students, teachers, others) undergoing
training or instruction or engaging in an activity. Note and list at
least three (3) instances where classical conditioning has taken
place. Explain why you consider such as examples of conditioning.
You may show Pavlov’s experimental procedure and explain the
contiguity principle underlying the classical conditioning theory of
learning (NOTE: PASTE PICTURES TO DOCUMENT THE ACTIVITY YOU
HAVE OBSERVED)
Date:
First Activity: The teacher enters into the classroom, all the
students get up to wish him. He hands over white sheets to all
the students of the class and asks each student to draw a
picture of what comes in their mind first whenever they think
of the chapter in literature they have studied. The time he
gives to all the girls are 20 mins (maximum).
Participants: The participants are all the students of the class
(fourth standard)
Examples of Classical Conditioning: The examples of classical
conditioning that is seen in the respective activities are
provided hereafter.
1. The teacher over here has given the children a typical
positive environment in the classroom where the children
are able to overcome any kind of anxiety, reluctance or
fear. The teacher in the particular scenario has presented
the students with an optimistic outlook and manner and has
told them that whatever they might draw, good or bad,
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would be accepted and acknowledged without any
reluctance or discrimination. Such attitude has conditioned
the students positivity in their mind and they have been
ready to give their best performance.
2. Tone: One of the most customary stimulus for the students
is the tone with which the tutor or the mentor addressses
the students. For making the classroom environment more
positive and serious. In the respective scene, the tone of
the mentor seems to be friendly and positive. The tone by
which he has addressed the girls is important to understand
the classical conditioning the students have been subjected
to. The tone of the tutor has made the class assertive and
interested to carry out the fun and frolic filled activity
based on the literature chapter that they have studied.
3. Ringing of the bell heraling time span: While the activity
was being given, the ringing of the bell at the beginning of
the activity heralded that it is the starting time. After 20
mins, the ringing of the bell again meant that it was the
time to quit the activity and submit the work to the teacher.
The stimulus that follows after the girls hear the ringing of
the bell also signifies that it is a quintessential case of
classical conditioning where the students have been
conditioned to believe that after the bell has rung, its exact
time to start or to stop. Therefore, it is one of the most
customary classical conditioning case that the classroom
has experienced in the respective activity.
Date:
Second Activity: The science teacher enters the classroom. All
the students get up to wish her. She instructs the children to
take their seats. She asks the children to take out their
classwork copies and write down five questions related to
“animal kingdom” that they find to be interesting and want to
know more about it. She gives the students access to internet
and 30 minutes time to cover the entire assignment.
Participants: The participants are all the students of the class
(fourth standard)
Examples of Classical Conditioning: the examples of classical
conditioning that is seen in the respective activities are
provided hereafter.
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1. Bringing a cane: The science teacher is highly concerned
about the discipline of the classroom. Therefore, in order to
keep the unruly children in a proper way, she brings cane to
the classroom. Whenever she enters into the classroom on a
daily basis, she brings cane with her in order to show the
students how serious she is in her disposition. By looking at
the cane, the girls are a little perturbed and a sense of fear
enters into their mind. This is a typical example of a
classical conditioning behavior in a classroom environment.
2. Bringing goldfish crackers to the classroom: The science
teacher knows the history of the class. She knows that
sometimes being harsh towards the beautiful children can
causse issues. She brings goldfish crackers with her in
order to psychologically lure the students to do the work.
When the teacher entered into the class with the goldfish
crackers with her, the students realized that they would be
rewarded for their assignment. So, a sense of positivity and
interest enters into the mind of the students and they
become enthusiastic to work.
3. Ringing bell for lunch: While the activity was being given,
the ringing of the bell at the beginning of the activity
heralded that it is the starting time. After 30 mins, the
ringing of the bell again meant that it was the time to quit
the activity for lunch and submit the work to the teacher.
The stimulus that follows after the girls hear the ringing of
the bell also signifies that it is a quintessential case of
classical conditioning where the students have been
conditioned to believe that after the bell has rung, its exact
time to start or to stop.
Date:
Third Activity: The English teacher enters the classroom. All
the students get up to wish her. She instructs the children to
take out dictionaries and find out 3 words that are completely
new and make five different sentences with the chosen three
words. She gives 45 minutes time to the students to complete
their work.
Participants: The participants are all the students of the class
(fourth standard)
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Examples of Classical Conditioning
The examples of classical conditionings are:
1. When the students get up to wish the teacher: it has
become a norm in the schools to wish a teacher whenever
he/she enters into the room. It is a quintessential example
of classical conditioning because the very presence of the
teacher makes the student realize the importance and
solemnity of the situation.
2. Bell that rings before lunchbreak: When the kids are hungry
during their school hours and if they like the food they must
be carrying that day, the sound of the ringing of the bell is
enough to cause them salivate in their mouth after the
classes are over and it is the time of break period. It is a
typical example of classical conditioning in teaching.
3. Bell that rings after the school is over: If the children are
tired and need to get back home to their parents, the
ringing of the dispersal bell alleviates their mood from drab
mood to a better one as they understand that they are now
free from the classes and have the fortune to go back to
their homes to their caregivers.
2. Read thoroughly about the experiment of John B. Watson on a baby
named Albert who was conditioned to fear a small white rat by
pairing the sight of the rat with a loud noise. Why was the
experiment ethically questionable?
Ans: The experiment of classical conditioning by John B. Watson was
ethically questionable and dubious because it did not protect the little
Albert (who was a nine month old infant) from psychological harm because
the purpose of the experiment was to induce fear and taking a human to
experiment it is completely immoral and goes against the principles of
humanity. Many theorists have also claimed that the infant was taken for
the experiment without his mother’s consent.
3. List some ways in which the following individuals can utilize or
benefit from classical conditioning as a learning theory.
a. Policy-Makers : The educationists and educational policy
makers can benefit from classical conditioning. They can
incorporate certain aspects of classical conditioning in
pedagogical skills in curriculums and syllabi. Certain subjects
such as mathematics and literature can be made interesting by
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adding some classical conditioning which the educational
policy makers can incorporate.
b. School Administrators: The school administrators should
know that classical conditioning in teaching reinforces
learning. Therefore, they should supervise that tutors are able
to provide classical conditioning in the classes among and
after the lessons.
c. Teachers: Tutors have the greatest responsibility in
providing classical conditioning in required fields before,
during and after teaching. They should study pedagogical
skills to understand what classical conditioning would be
befitting for the students and at what intervals based on the
type of classroom environment.
d. Learners: learners or students can benefit from classical
conditioning as it can provide the learners with special
emphasize on learning from the environment where they are
taught.
e. Parents: For the parents, classical conditioning suggests
that nurturing is more critical to development than nature.
Classical conditioning instills importance of people in our lives.
f. The Community: Classical conditioning provides a method
where the response to the stimuli becomes a process of self
protection among the children. Therefore, classical
conditioning is important to improve children’s development
and well being.
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ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY
5
Lesson 5
NAME:
PROGRAM:
DATE OF SUBMISSION:
1. Observe a group of people (students, teachers, others) undergoing
training or instruction or engaging in an activity. Note and list at
least three (3) instances where operant conditioning has taken
place. Explain why you consider such as examples of operant
conditioning (NOTE: PASTE PICTURES TO DOCUMENT THE ACTIVITY
YOU HAVE OBSERVED)
Date:
First Activity: The teacher enters into the classroom, all the
students get up to wish him. He hands over white sheets to all
the students of the class and asks each student to draw a
picture of what comes in their mind first whenever they think
of the chapter in literature they have studied. The time he
gives to all the girls are 20 mins (maximum).
Participants: The participants are all the students of the class
(fourth standard)
Examples of Operant Conditioning: the examples of operant
conditioning are:
1. Giving students positive reinforcement: A student who is
seen to work hard in the class while rest of the students are
goofing around, the teacher can shout out loud to make the
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students pay attention towards the child to explain them to
be like her.
2. Using punishment: The teacher says that students who do
not work properly will have 20 marks deducted from final
exam. Using punishmentn instills an importance and
urgency of the situation in the student’s mind.
3. Praising children: When children are doing their work
correctly, praising them would make their performance
even better by motivating them.
Date:
Second Activity: The science teacher enters the classroom. All
the students get up to wish her. She instructs the children to
take their seats. She asks the children to take out their
classwork copies and write down five questions related to
“animal kingdom” that they find to be interesting and want to
know more about it. She gives the students access to internet
and 30 minutes time to cover the entire assignment.
Participants: The participants are all the students of the class
(fourth standard)
Examples of Operant Conditioning: The examples of operant
conditioning are as follows:
1. Tone: The tone at which the teacher addresses the class
where she makes it clear that children will be rewarded for
proper performance is an example of operant conditioning.
2. Punishment: The teacher gives punishment to student by
giving them extra class after dispersal. It is an example of
operant conditioning that instills regret in the mind of the
students.
3. Rewards: Teacher gives rewards to students who remained
attentive throughout the class by giving them pens and
pencils.
Date:
Third Activity: The English teacher enters the classroom. All
the students get up to wish her. She instructs the children to
take out dictionaries and find out 3 words that are completely
7

new and make five different sentences with the chosen three
words. She gives 45 minutes time to the students to complete
their work.
Participants: The participants are all the students of the class
(fourth standard)
Examples of Operant Conditioning: The examples of operant
conditioning are:
Praises: The children are praised for their good work in the
class.
Motivation: Children who have been lagging behind have been
motivated by the teacher to work hard.
Rewards: Children who have actively done good work are
rewarded by giving them chocolate treats.
2. How can a learned behavior be eliminated? Give concrete examples
and show how this specific learned behavior can be weakened or
eliminated through conditioning
The learned behavior response tends to disappear when association
between conditioned and unconditioned stimuli is eliminated. For
instance, bad habits such as eating finger nails by children can be
eleminated if they are motivated through powerful speeches to not
carry out such mannerisms.
4. List three (3) ways in which the following individuals can utilize or
benefit from classical conditioning as a learning theory.
a. Policy-Makers: Policy makers can incorporate operant
conditioning in pedagogical skills in curriculum and syllabi
to make the classes more interesting for the children.
b. School Administrators: The school administrators can
incorporate operant conditioning in classroom
environment to make the classes more interesting for
the students.
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c. Teachers: Teachers should incorporate operant conditioning
in classroom in teaching skills to make the classes
more compelling.
d. Learners: learners can benefit from operant conditioning as
it can make learning experience more interesting,
intriguing and motivating.
e. Parents: Parents can benefit from operant conditioning
because when the students are given rewards for
positive reinforcement, the children become more
interested in their work.
f. The Community: operant conditioning will help the
community to make the learners get attracted to what
they might be studying or learning in school. It would
enhance the children and learning environment.
5. As a soon to be teacher, how can classical and operant conditioning
help you with the teaching and learning process. Explain your
answer
Classical conditioning will help my students to develop a natural
“self protection” while going through the teaching and learning
process of subjects. On the other hand, operant conditioning will
help my students to develop a motivational and positive
reinforcement while learning the curriculum. Both will help in a
holistic learning exprience of the children in the class.
6. What do you think is the most applicable learning theory (classical
or operant) to the kind of students that we have today? Defend your
answer.
In today’s generation, where most of the students lack motivation
and are always demoralized in terms of studies, the most applicable
learning theory would be operant learning theory as it will motivate
students by giving them positive/ negative reinforcement to learn
the subjects in a better way.
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PERSONAL LEARNING JOURNAL
Module 2
NAME:
PROGRAM:
DATE OF SUBMISSION:
1. The topic/issue I particularly liked and would like to explore more is classical
conditioning in preschool and school education. It has caught my attention
and interest because classical conditioning is a quintessential yet unique way
to carry out my pedagogical skills.
2. The questions I have in relation to the topics and issues are operant
conditioning and how it works in the classroom environment and what can be
the ways by which operant conditioning be made better.
3. The knowledge/insights I gained from this module and the activities are how
learning process in the classrooms can be made even better through proper
utilization o theories and approaches.
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4. With this learning experience I intend to provide my best ever possible
learning and developmental skills to educate my students in th classroom
environment.
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