Thoroughly discuss the following in your response:
1. What was the purpose, argument, or main focus of the reading?
The main focus of this article was to introduce the reader to theory of behaviorism by discussing the three types of behaviorism with background on the proponents of each type; by discussing the position of those who support the theory of behaviorism; and by discussing the position of those who find elements within the theory of behaviorism problematic.
2. What is the part, or section of the reading that most impacted you? Copy it into your reflection and add the page number. Explain the reason of your selection.
I think what was most interesting to me was the reiteration throughout the paper that behaviorism was based on external stimuli rather than internal, “mental” stimuli. I think this particular concept struck me as interesting because often times we think of “doing something” because we “want to” which, according to this article, is an internal mental process—“desire.” If behavioral theory is accurate, then in reality, we do something because there is some external force/stimulus acting on our person that is initiating our behavioral response. Is there a role for mental processes within this processing pattern? It seems to me that the mental process may be an intermediate step between the stimuli and the behavior. I’m not great at theory, but perhaps the stimulus triggers a mental reaction that influences behavior in some instances. I do think, however, that there are behaviors that occur with very little thought (instinctual perhaps) that may be purely external stimuli-driven. It is an interesting conept to ponder, let alone attempt to put into coherent written language!
3. How does this reading help you understand the intersections of technology and education?
I think that the following sentence helps identify how behaviorism is linked to technology and education: “Learning is what organisms do in response to stimuli.” In technology-enhanced education, learners are exposed to a modern, unique form of stimuli resulting in new and diverse learning experiences. In this instance, the behaviorist position that “the sources of behavior are external” seems to be appropriate where—in this instance—the behavior is learning. Technology in the classroom provides an alternate stimulus (from perhaps a teacher’s lecture, or student discussions) that could result in a unique learning experience that differs from non-technology-based learning.
4. Write at least two questions related to the reading that you would like to discuss with your classmates.
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Would you consider yourself a behaviorist, or an anti-behaviorist? Why?
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What do you think about the tenet of Behaviorism that states “The sources of behavior are external) in the environment), not internal (in the mind)”? This seems to be a theme that’s woven throughout the article that I find interesting and at times to be counterintuitive – how do you separate “mental events” from behavior for the purpose of study?