Behaviorism And Constructivism In Psychology: Theoretical Bases And Differences

Learning is the process by which the organism incorporates new knowledge or skills into its repertoire through experience. It is the way by which we acquire, generalize, contextualize or vary our behavior and our way of seeing reality.

There have been multiple theories and currents of thought that have dealt with the learning process, emerging different paradigms that have been opposing each other throughout history. Two of the most recognized have been and continue to be behaviorism and constructivism

Behaviorism and constructivism are two prominent theories in psychology that offer distinct perspectives on human learning, development, and behavior. While behaviorism emphasizes observable behaviors and external stimuli, constructivism focuses on the active construction of knowledge and understanding through cognitive processes. In this article, we delve into the principles, differences, and applications of behaviorism and constructivism in psychology.

Behaviorism: learning as an association

Behaviorism is a psychological approach that emphasizes the study of observable behaviors and the role of environmental stimuli in shaping behavior. Key principles of behaviorism include:

1. Stimulus-Response Associations

Behaviorists propose that behaviors are learned through repeated associations between stimuli and responses. Through processes such as classical conditioning (Pavlov) and operant conditioning (Skinner), individuals acquire and modify behaviors based on their consequences.

2. Reinforcement and Punishment

Reinforcement involves the presentation of rewards or consequences that increase the likelihood of a behavior recurring, while punishment involves the application of aversive consequences that decrease the likelihood of a behavior occurring. Behaviorists believe that reinforcement and punishment shape behavior by influencing its consequences.

3. Observable Behaviors

Behaviorism focuses on studying observable behaviors rather than internal mental processes or subjective experiences. Behaviorists argue that behaviors can be objectively measured, observed, and analyzed, making them suitable for scientific investigation.

Behaviorism is one of the best-known paradigms of psychology and has expanded the most throughout history, having had a notable influence on various dimensions of psychology such as clinical and educational psychology.

Born at a time in history when currents based on unverifiable theoretical assumptions predominated, behaviorism was born as an attempt to base knowledge of human behavior on empirical criteria that can be experimentally tested

This current explains behavior from the learning of behavioral patterns derived from the association between the different possible stimuli, in which elements that by themselves generate harm or well-being are linked with others by being in contact in space and time, the latter acquiring the characteristics of the first and causing the same reactions in the body. Subsequently, The individual can generalize these associations to similar stimuli and situations

Behaviorism therefore attempts to work from completely objective variables, so its methodology is based on the collection of information from experiments in which both the stimuli and the response are directly evident as physiological information or even observation.

Throughout the history of Psychology, there are numerous authors who worked in this current or who gave rise to it, some of the main ones being Pavlov, Skinner or Watson.

The behavioral model

Behaviorism maintains a strictly mechanistic point of view and proposes that behavior is governed by clear and invariable laws It is considered that the environment is solely responsible for human or animal behavior, leaving the individual as a totally passive entity that receives information from the environment and learns to act by associating this information or stimuli with adaptive responses.

The mind, although it is recognized that it is part of the learning process, is seen as an inaccessible element that cannot be known. The main elements to take into account are the stimuli, the responses, the association between the two and the possible reinforcements or punishments derived from the behavior finally carried out.

In classical behaviorism it is considered that In the acquisition of knowledge and behaviors the subject will be a passive and reactive entity, capturing the stimulation and linking it to the appetitive or aversive to end up responding accordingly. Learning is acquired through the repetition of associations between stimuli, so the educational focus will be based on training and repetitive memorization.

Regarding the world of education, The teacher or educator has a very important role, being the one who provides the information through the use of reinforcement or avoidance of punishment. Learning is considered to be established when the responses given by the individual are those considered correct to the stimulation given by the environment, having become accustomed to giving it in the face of appropriate stimuli.

Constructivism

Constructivism is a psychological theory that emphasizes the active construction of knowledge and understanding through cognitive processes such as perception, memory, and problem-solving. Key principles of constructivism include:

1. Active Learning

Constructivism posits that learning is an active, dynamic process in which individuals actively construct knowledge and meaning through interactions with their environment. Learners engage in sense-making, reflection, and inquiry to construct mental representations of reality.

2. Social Interaction

Constructivism emphasizes the role of social interaction and collaboration in learning and development. Social interactions with peers, teachers, and cultural artifacts facilitate the sharing of perspectives, negotiation of meaning, and co-construction of knowledge.

3. Scaffolding and Zone of Proximal Development

Constructivist educators employ scaffolding techniques to support learners in mastering new concepts and skills. Scaffolding involves providing guidance, support, and feedback tailored to learners’ abilities and needs, enabling them to progress within their zone of proximal development (Vygotsky).

Constructivism: learning as meaning creation

Although much of behaviorism is based on empirical data, mere association is not enough to explain how learning occurs and other phenomena such as the importance of beliefs, motivations and emotions in the acquisition of knowledge, being mental processes of the missed individuals. This would change with the arrival of cognitivism which would focus on analyzing information processing, and eventually constructivism as a different way of understanding learning.

Constructivism views learning as a process of acquiring and consolidating information based on the mental processes of the learner. The subject is an active element in this process, attaching information or modifying their mental schemes based on the experiences they live, trying to give the world around them meaning. As can be seen in its name, for this theoretical current, learning is achieved through the construction and reconstruction of structures whose foundations are previous knowledge, and whose element of union with new knowledge is the ability to provide them with meaning within the system.

Thus, if you learn, it is not simply because you acquire external information, but because by examining the characteristics of what is new, you will extract your own meaning from said information. Subsequently, what has been learned, what has been understood and what has been given meaning, can be generalized if

Furthermore, when learning, there are no single laws, but aspects such as the capabilities, level of attention and desire to learn of the person or entity that learns must be taken into account, as well as that the material to be learned must be adaptive. and useful for the subject in question.

The role of context in constructivism

For this current, the environment and stimuli are indeed important, but it is considered that what is essential is the interaction between the external and internal variables of the person. In learning situations What is known as an interactive triangle is taken into account, which refers to the interaction maintained between the characteristics of the learner, the material to be learned and the person or thing that transmits the information. These three elements will affect each other and will or will not allow the learner to acquire the material in a meaningful way.

The role of the instructor is not directive, but must provide a guide so that the learner is able to draw their own conclusions from reality. This guidance exercised contributes to the learning generating a shared and adaptive meaning towards the environment. Pertinent aid adjusted to each case must be provided so that whoever acquires knowledge can begin to do so and as they begin to master the material, these must be removed (in a process called scaffolding). In this way the individual can reach his maximum possible potential, going beyond what he can learn by himself thanks to the provision of external help.

Currently, constructivism is the predominant theoretical current when it comes to pedagogical practice, based on authors such as Piaget and especially Vygotsky.

Differences and Applications

While behaviorism and constructivism share some commonalities in their focus on learning and development, they differ in their theoretical perspectives and approaches:

• Behaviorism emphasizes observable behaviors, environmental stimuli, and reinforcement principles, making it applicable in areas such as behavior modification, therapy, and education.
• Constructivism emphasizes active learning, cognitive processes, and social interaction, making it applicable in areas such as problem-solving, inquiry-based learning, and collaborative learning environments.

As seen above, there are multiple aspects in which both theories differ. Some of the most notable are the following.

1. Active or passive role

One of the main differences is that while behaviorism sees the individual as a passive entity when it comes to acquiring knowledge, constructivism considers that in fact the most important thing when learning is the activity of the subject

2. The importance of interaction

Related to the above, while for behaviorism the most relevant thing for learning is the environment or environment as a set of stimuli to which the subject has access, for constructivism all the components of the process and not only what can be learned are necessary, being the interaction between person and environment that produces learning.

3. Different methodologies

For behaviorism, the objective of learning is to produce an observable modification of behavior, while constructivism considers that The achievement to be undertaken is to create new meanings, whether they are directly observable or not

4. The role of the educator

They also diverge in that while for constructivism The role of the educator or transmitter of information is that of guide and support For behaviorism the role must be hierarchical and directive.

5. Differences when teaching

The method of learning will also be different: for behaviorism the ideal is the continued repetition of the association between stimuli, producing more rote learning, while constructivism is based on creating meanings. from the union between the old and the new making learning meaningful for those who do it.

Common points between both perspectives

Although behaviorism and constructivism have many elements that differentiate them from each other, they share some aspects in common.

In both schools of thought, behavior is seen as a product of learning throughout life, focusing its methodology on practices that contribute to the acquisition and improvement of individuals’ adaptive capacities.

Likewise, due to the importance that learning has for both behaviorism and cognitivism, both paradigms have been applied on a practical level in the world of education and the training of skills and knowledge.

Finally, in both cases we work from data and constructs based on empirical data supported by experience.