Sean is a high school student who is angry much of the time. He often vents his anger by swearing at his teacher. One day his teacher decides to extinguish Sean’s swearing by ignoring him whenever he swears. Yet over the next few weeks, Sean continues to swear as frequently as he always has. Three of the following are possible explanations as to why, from a behaviorist perspective, the teacher’s 'extinction' strategy is not working. Which alternative is the least likely explanation?

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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