Page 31 - Ignite Change: Unleashing thought leadership - A roadmap to thougth leadership

Importantly, in behaviourism, the human (aka the learner) is seen as controlled by

external influences. Learning is about exerting the appropriate input, rather than
about the learner’s emotions, motivation or initiative. In a behaviourist learning

theory, learning is measured by a change in external behaviour, which is achieved
through repetition and reinforcement. Immediate positive or negative feedback, such

as verbal praise (‘Good job!’), will enable learners to behave in certain way, either
promoting or deterring behaviour.

Video
This Youtube video provides a succinct overview of the behaviourist

theory.

Cognitivism

Cognitivism, in direct contrast with behaviourism, “focuses on
what happens in the mind such as thinking and problem-

solving” (Reis, 2014). This perspective gained popularity

during the 1950s and 1960s. The rise of cognitivism as a
theoretical response to the growth of cognitive science, i.e.

“the interdisciplinary study of the human mind and intelligence”
(Thagard, 2018). Cognitivism views the mind as a ‘computer’,

and so views what happens inside the mind, such as memory,
knowing and beliefs, as ‘mental processes’ or ‘information Figure 10 Jerome Bruner
(https://en.m.wikipedia.org
processing’ (Ertmer & Newby, 2013). /wiki/File:Jerome_Bruner_1
936.png)

31