Week 5 replies part one

Bryan Pruitt

Discussion Thread: Skinner, Bandura, Bruner, Maslow, & Rogers

From Yount chapters 6-12, choose one theorist to discuss (Skinner, Bandura, Bruner, Maslow, or Rogers.)

This author has chosen the theorist Carl Rogers for his work as a counselor, therapist, and educator. Rogers developed theories based on motivation and the fact that people require person-centered methods of instruction in their lives. A person-centered approach refers to the idea that counseling and education should revolve around the client or student (Yount, 2010). According to Cornelius-White (2013), the central hypothesis of the Person-Centered-Approach is that “individuals have in themselves vast resources for self-understanding and for altering their self-concepts, basic attitudes, and self-directed behavior; these resources can be tapped if a definable climate of facilitative psychological attitudes can be provided” (Cornelius-White, 2013).

Discuss this theorist’s unique contribution to the topic of Educational Psychology and Learning.

Carl Roger’s theory has uniquely contributed to the world of Educational Psychology in many ways. One of the primary ways involves how he transferred his counseling methods to the classroom. According to Yount (2010), Rogers developed his educational theory, highlighting his teaching principles and emphasizing the idea of learner-centered education. In Rogers’ view, teachers should trust students to do their work to the best of their ability and provide learning opportunities. To be effective, the teachers should be “real persons” before students and not present a facade. They should be sincere and transparent facilitators within their teaching. Teachers should respect their students as well as their students’ feelings and frustrations. Teachers should view learning from the student’s point of view and work to have the students take responsibility for their learning (Yount, 2010).

Using Yount’s “Discipler’s Model,” discuss what aspects of their research and writing that work well within a biblical worldview and which parts may be problematic.

Several aspects of Roger’s research and writing work well within a biblical worldview. To start, Rogers is known as one of the founding fathers of humanistic psychology; he grew up in a conservative, Bible-believing home. This aspect gave Rogers the proper foundational belief system that he would be required to reflect on in a Biblical worldview.

Compared to Yount’s Discipler’s Model, aspects of Roger’s research and writing that work well within a biblical worldview can be found when mentioning the Discipler’s Model’s right pillar. The right pillar encourages teachers to remove their masks and share fundamental aspects about themselves with learners. This pillar discusses the importance of openness and transparency, which can build a warm, trusting atmosphere in the classroom. This is similarly comparable to Roger’s theory of a learner-centered education. Rogers believes teachers should be “real persons” before students and not present a façade (Yount, 2010).

This author does not find Rogers’s research and writing problematic compared to Yount’s “Discipler’s Model, just differences. The problematic or different aspect is that instead of being Biblically based all around, like the Disciplers’ Model, Rogers’s research and writing points to changes in thinking, valuing, and relating to the student’s learning instead of being exclusively Biblically based. The Bible speaks about the significance of teaching children and the importance of teaching them with a solid Biblical foundation so they do not forget, as stated by King Solomon, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn from it” (Solomon, 990–931 B.C.E./2023; New International Version).

References

Cornelius-White, J. H. (2013).
Interdisciplinary handbook of the person-centered approach: research and theory. Springer. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-4614-7141-7

The Holy Bible: New International Version, 2023, Proverbs 22:6

Yount, W. R. (2010).
Created to learn: A Christian teacher’s introduction to educational psychology (2nd ed.). B&H Publishing Group. https://app.logos.com/books /LLS%3A9781433672811/references/page.iii

Quintarius Grigsby

YesterdayNov 23 at 12:05pm

Hello everyone!

B.F. Skinner Theory of Operate Conditioning

B.F. Skinner’s theory of Operate Conditioning is a form of learning is when behavior is demonstrated then motivation for behavior happens. Humans or other living organisms, such as animals receive a consequence after exhibiting a specific behavior. Operate Condition is based on a reward system put in place to influence learning. The consequence is either punishment or a designated reinforcer chosen by the teacher or instructor. Different types of reinforcement techniques are used to reward behavior based on a set or variable period of time. Skinner also created a box as an operate conditioning chamber to train animals to perform a certain desired behavior.

Contiguity (Aristotle) and classical conditioning (Pavlov) account for only a small percentage of learned behaviors. They describe how existing behaviors are paired with new stimuli, but do not explain how new behaviors are acquired (p. 181). Operant conditioning, on the other hand, emphasizes the acquisition of new behaviors as organisms operate on their environment in order to reach goals (p. 181). Responses from this specific technique are voluntary and emitted by animals and people and these responses are called operants. Skinner conducted most of his research with rats and pigeons and placed them each in different boxes to monitor their responses.

Reinforcement

What is reinforcement according to Skinner? Skinner states that, “Reinforcement is the process of using “satisfiers,” or reinforcers, to strengthen behavior. A reinforcer is any event that follows a behavior and increases the likelihood that the behavior will occur again (p. 182).” Skinner uses two types of reinforcers during his research: He uses primary reinforcers and secondary reinforcers. A primary reinforcer is a stimulus that reinforces without being learned and A secondary reinforcer, sometimes called a generalized reinforcer is a stimulus that was previously neutral but has, through conditioning, been associated with other reinforcers. Skinner called pleasant consequences for specific behavior positive reinforcement and unpleasant consequences he called negative reinforcement (p. 183). He states that a lack of training creates classroom misapplication.

Behavior Modification

One difficulty in employing operant principles correctly is the fact that many teachers seldom have the opportunity to learn how to manage behavior correctly (p. 185). Skinner also created reinforcement schedules, which is defined as the way that reinforcers are given has a direct impact on the nature of the behavior that is strengthened. Behavior Modifications are often used by parents and teachers to influence a child’s behavior, especially in a positive way. Behavior modification uses the principles of operant conditioning to accomplish behavior change so that undesirable behaviors are switched for more socially acceptable ones. Some teachers and parents create a sticker chart like in K-12.

Yount (2010) uses similar practices to influence education in his discipler’s model. According to Yount (2010) teachers help learners to be equipped a well-balanced emotion. This means positive attitudes themselves and others. Yount suggests emotional freedom, removal emotional barriers, and emotional growth. Yount described his model through a temple and each stone and pillar of his temple display a certain level of Christian Education. Both Yount and Skinner constructed methods to help improve Christian Education or education as a whole, especially behavioral management.

References

Skinner, B. F. (1938). Behavior of organisms. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1938.

Yount, R. (2010). Created to Learn. Nashville: B&H

Academic. ISBN: 9780805447279.