NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
The Differences between Behavioral and Cognitive Perspectives of Learning Educational psychology is a science about peculiarities of human learning in educational institutions, the psychology of teaching, and the effectiveness of education and teaching. Educational psychology utilizes its theories within the limits of several perspectives: cognitivism, behaviorism, social cognitivism, and constructivism. However, cognitive and behavioral approaches are the most important. The aim of this paper is to examine cognitive and behavioral perspectives of learning, to discuss two major differences and one similarity between the two types.
As far as we know, behavioral perspective of learning implies that the behaviors we learn are influenced by weakened or strengthened external stimuli in our environment. In such a way, the process of learning can be influenced and modeled by creating a selection of positive or negative reinforcers (Hofstetter, 86). Behavioral approach is quite effective in some educational institutions. The teachers utilize applied behavioral analysis in order to influence students behavior. For example, they use a system of positive stimuli (rewards, praise, etc. ) to stimulate the process of learning and to enhance the students performance. On contrary, the teachers can use the system of negative stimuli like punishment, reproofs, or reprimands in order to show wrongness of students actions.
In contrast to behavioral perspective of learning, cognitive perspective assumes that the process of learning in influenced not by external but by internal stimuli. In such a way, cognitive approach tries to explain the hidden processes taking place in the learners brain. Cognitive perspective of learning examines the learner as an active processor of information, whereas behavioral perspective is based on active environment and passive perception of the learner. Cognitive perspective is more popular than behavioral perspective of learning because it is more flexible and more effective. Cognitive perspective of learning utilizes emotions, beliefs, memories, traits, and motivations in order to influence students behavior. In contrast to behavioral perspective, cognitive perspective is based on memory structures that are assumed to define how the learner perceived information, processes it, stores in memory, accumulates it, retrieves, etc.
So, what are the main assumptions of behavioral perspective of learning? According to behaviorist theories, the principles of learning can be equally applied to different learners with different behaviors. The process of learning is based on stimuli and responses. Cognitive processes are basically not taken into account because behavioral perspective is based on behavior change. The learners are influenced by external environmental reinforces. Teachers place high emphasis on behavior, as far as learners should be active respondents.
Repetition of stimulus-response habits (i. e. rewards, punishments) fix and strengthen knowledge retrieved in result of learning. Conclusion In contrast to cognitive approach, behavioral approach does not take into account internal cognitive processes because the behaviorists consider that mental capacity cannot be measured and behavioral perspective is based on identifying observable and measurable learners behavior. On contrary, cognitive approach is based on the realms of learners remembering (knowledge remember and recall), understanding (comprehension understand), and synthesizing (application use a concept in a new situation, analysis break something down into parts, interpret, synthesis generate something new applying the ideas, and evaluation make judgments about value, appropriateness, etc (Hofstetter, 89) ). Cognitive perspective examines the learner as active participant in the process of learning, whereas behavioral perspective assumes that learning is caused by changes in behavior.
In such a way, behaviorists consider learners to be passive processors of information influenced by external environment, utilizing the set of positive and negative stimuli. Cognitive perspective, in contrast to behavioral perspective of learning, denies the fact that learning occurs through changes in behavior, as far as cognitivists consider that the process of learning takes place irrespectively of behavioral changes. However, both perspectives assume that learning can be influenced by use of reinforcers (cognitive perspective utilizes traits, memories, emotions, etc. , whereas behavioral perspective utilizes stimuli and response methods). Bibliography Hofstetter, Fred T. "Cognitive Versus Behavioral Psychology. " McGraw-Hill textbook Multimedia Literacy. McGraw-Hill, 1997.
Free research essays on topics related to: cognitive perspective, mcgraw hill, cognitive processes, cognitive approach, process of learning
Research essay sample on Process Of Learning Cognitive Perspective
