Behaviourist Learning Theory is based on principles of Behaviourism, which were developed during the half of the first half of 20th century. Learning was understood as a process, which created a permanent change in behavior as a result of experience. Behaviourism was established as an alternative to introspective methods of understanding psychological processes involved in learning. This approach was considered unscientific and subjective as learning outcomes and process could not be accurately observed or measured. Behaviourism grew out of the premise that learning is a process influenced by changes in the environment and resulting in changes in behaviour. As such learning can be understood hy observing the context and environment and subsequent behaviour. The dominant theory was that both humans and animals learn in the same way through conditioning, by responding to stimulus and modifying behaviour accordingly. In this way learning analysis became observable and scientific as opposed to a subjective description of invisible and internal processes.

The basic assumptions of behaviourist learning are as follows:

• Behaviour is a product of environment.

• Internal process cannot be observed or measured scientifically and should be excluded.

• Learning is a form of stimulus response and described through the relationship between observable events.

• Learning is a process which results in a change in behaviour.

• Learning is evident when certain events coincide

• Humans and animals learn new behaviour in the same way.

[9:40 PM, 12/15/2020] Hosham Linguistics: Early research on behaviourist learning focused on animals conditioning variations in behaviour by eliciting responses to controlled stimulus in a closed environment. Later research and experimentation began to look at human learning to determine if the same theories could be applied. Notable pioneers in developing behaviourist learning theories include: Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936). John Watson (1878-1958), B. F. Skinner (1904-1990).

Pavlov proposed a theory of classical conditioning, which implies that learning or changes in behaviour occur when neutral stimuli are paired with behaviour at a specific time to associate the stimulus with the behaviour. By studying the salivation reflex of his dog.

Pavlov found that he could trigger the reflex through a new and unrelated stimulus. Thereby proving learning on the part of the dog. The presence of food made the dog salivate. Pavlov associated the ringing of a hell and other stimuli with the presence of the food, Finally the dog became conditioned to respond to the new stimulus alone and would salivate without the presence of food. During this research, which became known as classical conditioning, he made several important discoveries, which are still used to describe learning processes. These include acquisition. extinction, spontaneous recovery generalization, and discrimination

Acquisition refers to the initial learning of a conditioned response. The weakening or disappearance of a conditioned response in the absence of an unconditioned stimulus is extinction. If the conditioned response returns after a short period of time, this is known as spontaneous recovery Generalization is the ability to associate responses with other types of unrelated but similar stimuli. In contrast being able to distinguish between different and irrelevant stimuli is discrimination. Based on these elements. classical conditioning became a dominant theory explaining how all organisms are able to adapt to their environment and learn new behaviours.

Watson further developed Pavlov's theories proposing that psychology focus on being able to predict responses to various stimuli and completely disregard internal process of learning. Watson's main premise is that all human behavior could be explained or understood through conditioned responses. Many of his studies were controversial and even considered unethical. In particular was his experimentation and observation of an 11 month infant known as "Little Albert". These studies established Pavlov's original theories as applicable to human learning and had a profound influence on modem psychology in particular areas concerned with therapy and emotions. In a very short period of time Watson was able to condition irrational fear of otherwise neutral or pleasing stimuli. When a cute stuffed animal was associated with loud noise, "Little Albert" became afraid of the toy. This learned fear was generalized to other stimulus and included all small animals and white fluffy objects, which would under normal conditions, be harmless or pleasing to a child.

These experiments and theories are significant in that they provide a model and framework for objectively studying internal process such as learning.

Skinner extended these theories to include more complex elements of learning that went beyond basic reflexes and tried to explain higher cognitive and social phenomena. He explained this type of learning of involuntary responses or behaviour as operant conditioning. Operant conditioning is a non reflexive behaviour that is learned in order to operate on the environment to produce a reward (positive reinforcement) or avoid a punishment (negative reinforcement). Working on the premise that classical conditioning works with the environment to elicit behaviors that allow an organism to adapt, survive or evolve, Skinner wear one step further and conditioned behaviour that was irrelevant to an organism's wellbeing or survival. His experimentation with pigeons teaching them to play ping pong or walk in a figure 8 showed that learning is not necessarily a product of innate ability, biological tendencies or natural instincts designed to keep us safe. Previous theories supported the idea of behaviourism as supporting the ideas of natural selection and survival of the fittest and that organisms have a higher propensity to learn behavior that allows them to flourish and survive. Skinner was able to challenge this by teaching animals uncharacteristic behavior. However in consideration of higher cognitive process, social influences and biological predisposition, Skinner's model of learning was inadequate as it failed to consider the essential internal processes involved in learning that classical behaviourists ignored as unscientific. Chomsky was one of the main opponent to Skinner's theory, particularly as it applied to language learning. He concluded that essential factors influencing language learning, acquisition and subsequent proficiency were innate and that all languages had an underlying universal grammar that enabled all humans to learn and produce an infinite number and variation of intelligible language regardless of culture, background or experience. In this way linguistic theory of learning, a human propensity for language; Universal Grammar could account for the diverse variation and creativity of language in a way that behaviourism could not.