Brief Overview of Behavioral & Cognitive Information Process Theories

Behavioral Learning Theory

The term “Behaviorism” was first coined by John Watson and the theory of Behaviorism was developed by B.F. Skinner. As per the theory learning is acquisition of new behavior through conditioning. There are few assumptions to be made in this theory. They are:

• Learning is manifested by change in behavior
• Environment shapes the behavior
• Contiguity and reinforcement are central to explain learning precess

1. Classical Conditioning
   It is associated with an involuntary response in which behavior becomes a reflex response to stimulus as in Pavlov's dog experiment.
2. Operant Conditioning
   Operant conditioning involves a voluntary action in which reinforcement of behavior is achieved by reward or punishment. Reinforcement includes both positive and negative reinforcements. Punishment could be either presentation of punishment or removal of punishment. Reinforcement increases likelihood of occurrence of the behavior while punishment decreases likelihood of occurrence of the behavior.

Cognitive Information Process Theory

Cognitive learning theories focus on how knowledge is acquired, processed, stored, retrieved, and activated. Information is sensed through five senses. Even though the capacity of sensory memory is large, most of its information remains between one and three seconds. After processing, these informations in sensory memory, it is available for further processing at short-term memory (aka working memory). Capacity of short-term memory is limited. The information stored in short-term memory can be transferred to long term memory by repeating them, by associating them with something else which is already in long term memory or by grouping bits of data into meaningful unit. Most of the information in short-term memory is forgotten due to interference from environment or by time decaying. Unlike short-term memory, capacity of long term memory is unlimited and once stored, the information will remain forever, but a bit of effort and time is needed to transfer information into long term memory. The most difficult part of it is retrieval of right information at right time.

Reference

• Wikipedia - Free encyclopedia
• R.E. Salvin, Educational Psychology, Allyn and Bacon, 2006, 6^th edition
• A. Woolfolk, Educational Psychology, Allyn and Bacon, 1999, 7^th edition
• A. Woolfolk, Educational Psychology, Allyn and Bacon, 2001, 6^th edition
• Woolfolk,A. (2010). Educational Psychology-Eleventh Edition: Pearson Education,Inc.,
• Youtube