Behaviorism’s Influence on Professional Behavior: Guiding Educators Working with Young Children

QUESTION

Team Behaviorism – Section Lead: Other schools of thought that influenced development. Scenario: Using your knowledge of the development of this school of thought to guide the behavior of an educator working with young children.

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Week 8 Assignment: How Major Psychological Thought Informs Professional Behavior

Week 8 has a team assignment. You will work with your peers to examine how a major school for psychological thought informs professional behavior in a real-world setting. You will work on your project together on this discussion board throughout weeks 5-8.

WEEK 5

This week, you and your team will complete: 1. Assign roles to team members. Recommended roles are leader, editor, and section leads.

• The leader provides direction to the team and assures that team members are staying on-task. The leader writes the introduction and conclusion for the paper. The leader also compiles, edits, and submits the final paper.
• Section leads take responsibility for writing 1 of 4 sections of the paper:
  1. Major events that led to the development.
  2. Other schools of thought that influenced development.
  3. Cultural influences on development.
  4. How school of thought informs professional behavior.

Section leads should cite and reference their sources, and proofread and grammar check their work before submitting to the leader.

2. Choose a scenario.

Scenario A: Using your knowledge of the development of this school of thought to guide the behaviors of a supervisor.
Scenario B: Using your knowledge of the development of this school of thought to guide the behavior of advertisers.
Scenario C: Using your knowledge of the development of this school of thought to guide the behaviors of a therapist working with teenagers.Scenario D: Using your knowledge of the development of this school of thought to guide the behavior of an educator working with young children.

3. Decide who will do what research with the goal of having sources to share next week.

WEEK 6 This week, you and your team will complete: Share the resources you found last week. Determine if more resources are needed to complete the assignment. Decide how many pages each section leader will write.

ANSWER

Behaviorism’s Influence on Professional Behavior: Guiding Educators Working with Young Children

Introduction

Behaviorism is a major psychological school of thought that has greatly influenced educational practices and professional behavior, particularly in working with young children. This essay explores how behaviorism’s principles and concepts have informed the behavior of educators, allowing them to create effective learning environments and facilitate positive outcomes for young learners.

Major Events that Led to the Development

Behaviorism emerged as a reaction to the introspective methods of structuralism and functionalism. In the early 20th century, behaviorism gained prominence with the works of John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner. Watson’s “Little Albert” experiment and Skinner’s operant conditioning theory laid the foundation for behaviorism’s focus on observable behaviors and environmental influences. These events led to a paradigm shift in psychology, emphasizing objective measurement and the study of learning through observable behaviors.

Other Schools of Thought that Influenced Development

Behaviorism’s development was influenced by other psychological schools of thought, particularly psychoanalysis and functionalism. While behaviorism rejected the introspective methods of introspection, it was shaped by psychoanalytic ideas that unconscious processes could impact behavior. Additionally, behaviorism’s focus on stimulus-response associations drew inspiration from functionalism’s interest in the adaptive nature of behavior in response to the environment.

Cultural Influences on Development

Behaviorism’s rise was also influenced by the cultural context of the time. The early 20th century was marked by an emphasis on scientific rigor and objectivity. The industrialization and urbanization of society created a need for standardized education and efficient learning methods. Behaviorism’s emphasis on measurable outcomes and its alignment with scientific principles made it suitable for addressing these societal needs.

How Behaviorism Informs Professional Behavior in Education

Behaviorism’s principles have profoundly impacted the behavior of educators working with young children. Behaviorist techniques such as positive reinforcement, shaping, and modeling have been widely applied to create effective classroom management strategies. Educators use positive reinforcement to motivate desired behaviors, shaping to gradually shape complex behaviors, and modeling to demonstrate appropriate conduct. These techniques foster a supportive and structured learning environment that enhances students’ engagement and understanding.

Additionally, behaviorism’s emphasis on empirical observation and measurement has led educators to collect data on students’ behaviors, progress, and outcomes. This data-driven approach allows educators to tailor instruction, identify learning difficulties, and adjust teaching methods to individual students’ needs.

Conclusion

Behaviorism’s influence on professional behavior in education is evident in the strategies educators use to foster learning and development among young children. By drawing from behaviorism’s principles of observable behaviors, conditioning, and environmental influences, educators can create effective teaching methods, facilitate positive behaviors, and provide tailored support for students’ academic and personal growth. Through the application of behaviorism’s tenets, educators contribute to the creation of nurturing learning environments that empower young learners to reach their full potential.