Eight-year-old Amy always seems to be in 'overdrive'—she has trouble sitting still for any length of time. Her teacher occasionally gives her short breaks in which she can get up and move around a bit as a way of releasing pent-up energy. Such breaks occur unpredictably, without regard for whether Amy is behaving appropriately or inappropriately at the time. Research indicates that such noncontingent reinforcement:

Behaviorism is a subfield of psychology that is still widely practiced and supported today. Some applications of behaviorist principles include: Operant conditioning: A basic of behaviorism, this states that behavior is controlled by rewards and punishments. Applied behavior analysis (ABA): A treatment based on behaviorist theories that states that desired behaviors can be taught through a system of rewards and consequences. Classical conditioning: A practice used in behaviorist psychology to transfer a desired behavior from one stimulus to another. Psychotherapy: Behaviorism is a common... Show more

Behaviorism is a subfield of psychology that is still widely practiced and supported today.

Some applications of behaviorist principles include:

Operant conditioning: A basic of behaviorism, this states that behavior is controlled by rewards and punishments.
Applied behavior analysis (ABA): A treatment based on behaviorist theories that states that desired behaviors can be taught through a system of rewards and consequences.
Classical conditioning: A practice used in behaviorist psychology to transfer a desired behavior from one stimulus to another.
Psychotherapy: Behaviorism is a common method used for psychotherapy. Psychotherapists use the concepts of Pavlov and Watson to teach people to manage anxieties, fears, and phobias. 

Here are some other applications of behaviorist principles:
Learning: Behaviorist theory says that learning is just the acquisition of new behavior based on environmental cues.
Classroom: Teachers can apply behaviorism by ensuring learners clearly understand the expected behaviors. They can also break the action into smaller steps, start with simple action, and gradually increase the complexity. 
 

Related Test: Human Learning Basics Practice Test: Behaviorist Principles And Theories

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