Wednesday, June 4, 2014


The difference between Cognitive and Behavioral learning views is complex and often misunderstood by myself including others. Early theorists like B.F Skinner believed behavior is the result of what is learned from experience. He believed that environmental influences control people. Albert Bandura believed behavior is learned from experience but feels people are more goal-oriented and have specific intentions and purposes. He argues the basis for learning is through observing others


Behavioral learning theories: explanations of learning that focus on external events as the cause of changes in observable behaviors.

Cognitive view of learning: a general approach that views learning as an active mental process of acquiring, remembering, and using knowledge.

As author Anita Woolfolk (2013) points out "According to the cognitive view, knowledge is learned, and changes in knowledge make change in behavior possible. According to the behavioral view, the new behaviors themselves are learned. Both behavioral and cognitive theorists believe reinforcement is important in learning, but for different reasons. The strict behaviorist maintains that reinforcement strengthens responses; cognitive theorists see reinforcement as  a source of feedback about what is likely to happen if behaviors are repeated or changed-as a source for information."

So what does this mean?
Reinforcement so that I understand it defined the effect that it has on behavior, it can either increase or decrease behavior. Commonly used example is by using praise. We reinforce a desired behavior from students with praise with the premise that the student will likely perform the same actions again.

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