Developmental psychology.pdf

264 Learning and Information Processing
Figure 10.4
Influence of Television. One
significant problem in evaluating the
influence of television lies in the
problem of finding children who do
not watch it regularly, who might
serve as control subjects, fvlost
children have regular access, and the
war is said to be an information war.
One countermeasure compatible with social learning theory would be to develop
equally compelling television heroes who do not model aggressive behavior. With
our knowledge of peer models, mastery models, symbolic models, and so forth, viable
alternatives could be made available. Another approach would be to use direct instruction
on television to counteract the influence of aggressive television models. With proper
effort, both television and films can be used to much greater advantage for all kinds
of learners (Gagne, 1980).
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
The behavior of the instructor is of paramount importance in any learning situation.
Teachers, coaches, parents, and business managers who are enthusiastic invariably engender
enthusiasm, just as discouraged and fearful mentors prompt these qualities in
their followers. The responsible agent seems to be the modeling process, but most
learning situations involve something more than opportunities for observing others.
Suppose, for example, you wanted to learn the chief geographic features of
Spain, or you wanted to instruct others on this topic. Beyond demonstrating the interest
and competence you wished to inculcate in your learners, what sort of teaching techniques
would you use? What activities would you assign as part of the learning process?
Two quite different perspectives are evident from previous chapters. One, emphasizing
conditioning, focuses upon the contribution of the environment; desired behaviors
must be supported through appropriate reinforcement. The other, emphasizing
cognitive processes, focuses upon the development of problem-solving capacities within
the individual. The question therefore is this: If learning takes place in these different
ways, what instructional strategies are appropriate for each mode of learning?
Programmed Approach
From the conditioning viewpoint comes the programmed approach, based on the view
that complex patterns of behavior can be developed through careful elaboration of
simpler responses. If the learning environment is carefully structured and the objectives
are specified for each unit, complex goals can be attained. The leader in this
approach is B. F. Skinner, who has contributed not only the basic research but also
some practical applications.