Social Theory: Behaviorism & Bioecological Theory

10/1 Lecture Notes

Learning Theory’s View of Child

• Child as “blank slate”

  • Children’s personality and behavior are shaped entirely by their experiences

Learning Theory’s Key Mechanisms

1. Classical conditioning

2. Operant conditioning

3. Observational learning

Classical conditioning

• We associate two stimuli (e.g., loud noise and white rabbit), that occur before the behavior (e.g., cringing in fear)

  • e.g. Pavlov’s Dog

  • Remember Little Albert video with the rabbit and loud noise!

Watson’s Little Albert Entertainment

1. Unconditional Stimulus (clang) —> UCResponse (fwar/cries, crawls away)

2. White rat

3. white rat —> UCStimulus (clang) —> UCResponse (fear/cries, crawls away)

4. CStimulus (white rat) —> CResponse (fear/cries, crawls away)

Operant Conditioning

• Changes in behavior are shaped by the consequences of that behavior

• We repeat behaviors that lead to favorable outcomes (rewards) and suppress behaviors that lead to negative outcomes (punishment)

  • Crying with mother’s return

  • Whining with treat or no whining with treat

  • Doing homework with praise

Positive/Negative Reinforcement, Positive/Negative Punishment

• Positive Reinforcement: Add satisfying stimulus

• Negative Reinforcement: Take away aversive stimulus

• Negative Punishment: Take away satisfying stimulus

• Positive Punishment: Add aversive stimulus

Observational Learning

• Children leave by observing a model

• Children learn by observing the consequences of a behavior

Critique and Contributions: Critique of Behaviorism

Cons

• Too narrow in focus in environment only

• Doesn’t consider children’s own contributions to their development

Pros

• Focuses on observable behaviors, so easily tested

• Explains individual differences (as product of experiences)

• Highlighted the importance of modeling

• Basis for many modern principles of child rearing and classroom management

• Basis of many forms of child therapy

• Spread to othert fields that influence children (e.g. advertising)

Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Theory: Bioecologial View of the Child

• Child in nesting doll

The Nested Systems

• Level 1: The Microsystem

  • Have DIRECT interactions with or impact on the child

• Level 2: The Mesosystem

  • Interactions BETWEEN elements in microsystem that have indirect impact on child

• Level 3: The Exosystem

  • Social systems that have INDIRECT impact on child

• Level 4: The Macrosystem

  • Cultural/social contexts that have INDIRECT impact on child because other systems are embedded in it

• Level 5: The Chronosystem

  • HISTORICAL or DEVELOPMENTAL events or changes that influence the other systems

Summary of Example: Motor Competence

• Microsystem

  • Parents encourage outdoor play

  • Peers lean into sedentary video game play

• Mesosystem

  • Parents invite over active friends more often

• Exosystem

  • Parent has flexible job that allows many playground visits

  • School committee decides to remove climbing play structures

• Macrosystem

  • Culture has early expectations and practices (e.g. West African)

  • Culture has laws designating recess time

• Chronosystem

  • Child has limited opportunities for movement early in development

  • Child moves to safer neighborhood where outdoor play is more possible

Critique of Bioecological Systems

Cons

• Too much context and not enough development

• General omission of specific biological factors

Pros

• Emphasized role of context and led to broader view of context

• Helps to unify findings to an overall framework