[UFMS Digital] Psicologia e Educação - Módulo 2

Summary

In this lesson, Professor Ana Lídia Miranda explores key psychological theories related to human development and learning, focusing on inatism, empiricism, and behaviorism. She explains how inatism emphasizes genetic traits, while empiricism highlights the role of environmental influences in shaping learning. The video also delves into behaviorism, particularly Skinner's operant conditioning, which emphasizes reinforcement and punishment in modifying behavior. These theories are tied to educational practices, illustrating how they influence teaching and learning strategies. The content provides an insightful foundation for understanding how psychology and education intersect.

Takeaways

• 😀 Inatism argues that human development is driven primarily by genetic and biological factors, with minimal environmental influence on learning.
• 😀 Empiricism/Environmentalism views the child as a 'blank slate' shaped entirely by the environment and experiences, with learning occurring through external stimuli.
• 😀 Interactionism combines both innate biological factors and environmental influences, highlighting the dynamic and reciprocal nature of development and learning.
• 😀 Watson’s behaviorism emphasizes observable behavior as the core subject of psychology, rejecting the study of the mind and its internal processes.
• 😀 Skinner's operant conditioning theory posits that behaviors are influenced by reinforcements, which can be either positive (reward) or negative (removal of discomfort).
• 😀 Reinforcement increases the likelihood of a behavior reoccurring, while punishment seeks to decrease the frequency of a behavior.
• 😀 Extinction in behaviorism refers to the reduction of a behavior when it is no longer reinforced.
• 😀 Discrimination in behaviorism is the ability to distinguish between different stimuli and respond appropriately to each, while generalization involves transferring learned responses to similar stimuli.
• 😀 Skinner’s educational applications include the use of programmed learning machines and instructional designs that reinforce student progress through small, incremental steps.
• 😀 Behaviorism has significantly influenced educational practices, particularly through reinforcement-based techniques like rewards and grades to motivate learning.
• 😀 Despite its dominance in early psychology, behaviorism's influence has waned with the rise of cognitive theories and neuroscience, leading to new educational paradigms.

Q & A

What are the three epistemological conceptions of human development and learning discussed in the video?

The three epistemological conceptions are Inatism, Environmentalism (Empiricism), and Interactionism. Inatism focuses on innate genetic factors, Environmentalism emphasizes the role of the environment in shaping behavior, and Interactionism acknowledges the influence of both inborn traits and the environment.

What is the central idea behind the Inatist perspective of human development?

The Inatist perspective asserts that individuals are born with innate characteristics that are predetermined. These characteristics need only to mature over time. According to this view, the environment does not significantly influence the child’s learning or development.

How does the Environmentalist perspective explain human learning and development?

The Environmentalist perspective, also known as Empiricism, posits that the child is born as a 'blank slate' and is shaped by experiences and environmental stimuli. Learning occurs through the child being stimulated and corrected by the environment.

What does the Interactionist perspective emphasize in human development?

The Interactionist perspective emphasizes that human development is shaped by the interaction of both innate factors and the environment. It sees individuals as dynamic beings who continuously interact with their surroundings, including people and culture, which influence and are influenced by the individual.

How does the Behaviorist or Comportamentalism approach relate to educational psychology?

Behaviorism, as discussed by Watson and Skinner, views behavior as the primary object of study, focusing on observable and measurable actions. In education, behaviorism emphasizes the role of reinforcement and punishment in shaping behavior, aiming to modify and control student actions through specific learning strategies.

What is the main concept behind Skinner's Operant Conditioning?

Skinner's Operant Conditioning focuses on reinforcing voluntary behaviors. When an organism's behavior leads to a favorable consequence (like obtaining food or water), it is more likely to be repeated. The reinforcement strengthens the behavior, making it more likely to occur in the future.

What is the difference between positive and negative reinforcement according to Skinner?

Positive reinforcement involves adding a desirable stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior being repeated, such as giving praise for good behavior. Negative reinforcement involves removing an undesirable stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior, such as stopping an annoying noise when the desired behavior occurs.

How does the concept of extinction work in Skinner’s theory?

Extinction in Skinner’s theory occurs when a behavior is no longer reinforced. As a result, the behavior gradually decreases and may eventually stop entirely, depending on the strength and history of the reinforcement.

What is the educational application of Behaviorism mentioned in the video?

In education, Behaviorism is applied through methods such as programmed instruction and the use of reinforcement in structured learning environments. For example, Skinner’s teaching machines allow students to learn independently while receiving reinforcement for correct responses, progressing through material at their own pace.

Why did Skinner argue against studying the mind in psychology?

Skinner argued that the mind is not observable and therefore should not be studied in the same way as behavior. According to him, psychology should focus solely on observable behaviors and the environmental factors that shape them, in line with the principles of a positivist scientific approach.