Cognitive Psychology, Behaviorism, & Social Cognitive Theory

Introduction

Today, we are going to explore how people learn & think! You might not realize it, but your brain is constantly working to understand the world around you. Scientists study this in different ways, and we're going to focus on 3 big ideas: cognitive psychology, behaviorism, & social cognitive theory. 

 

Here's a quick rundown!:

Cognitive Psychology is all about how our brain helps us think, remember, & solve problems.

Behaviorism is the idea that we learn by rewards & consequences.

Social Cognitive Theory is all about learning by watching others. 

 

 

 

Task

For your assignment, you will break into groups of 4 & create a presentation using Google Slides explaining Cognitive Psychology, Behaviorism, & Social Cognitive Theory & the differences between these 3 ways of learning. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Process

Step by Step Instructions for Group  Project!

 

Step 1: Assign Roles

Each person in your group will have an important job. There will be a presenter, a designer, & 2 researchers. 

Presenter- This person will speak in front of the class & explain the slides.

Designer- This person will make the slides look presentable with colors, pictures, and unique layouts.

Researcher 1- Helps find information about cognitive psychology & behaviorism.

Researcher 2- Helps find information about social cognitive theory and compares all three. 

 

Step 2: Research Your Topics

The 2 researchers will search for facts, examples, and simple explanations. While researching write down key points and interesting examples to help the team.

https://kids.kiddle.co/Cognitive_psychology

https://kids.kiddle.co/Behaviorism

https://kids.kiddle.co/Social_cognitive_theory

 

Step 3: Create Your Google Slides

The designer will put slides together based on what the researchers found. Keep slides simple. Use short sentences, bullet points, & pictures. Use AT LEAST one fun example for each theory to help explain it. You may also use YouTube videos to help explain your topics as well. 

 

Step 4: Practice

The presenter will go over the slides with team. Everyone should proof read the slides to make sure the explanations are clear. 

 

Step 5: Present to Class!

Stand up as a group & let the presenter explain each slide. The designer will be in charge of clicking through the slides & the researchers must be prepared for any questions that may be asked. 

 

Bonus: Be Creative!!!

You can add jokes, role-play scenarios, or even act out examples to make your presentation exciting! Let's see who can make the most creative presentation!

Evaluation

Grading Rubric! Follow this rubric & you will be guaranteed an A!

https://www.canva.com/design/DAGkhz7UFls/IB7_QGBglUGpPpz5A7DZUA/edit?ui=eyJBIjp7fX0

 

Conclusion

Higher-Level Questions:

 

  1. How does technology affect the way we learn today? Does it fit better with cognitive psychology, behaviorism, or social cognitive theory?

  2. Can you think of a time when you learned something using all three theories? Which one helped the most?

  3. Why do you think people learn differently? What might make one person learn better through watching others while another person learns best through rewards?

  4. What are the benefits and drawbacks of each theory? Is one better than the others, or do we need all of them?

  5. Can behaviorism be used to change someone's habits? How do rewards and consequences shape our choices every day?

 

Food for Thought:

-If schools only used one learning theory to teach kids, which do you think would work best? Why?

-Imagine you’re a teacher. How would you use these theories to make learning fun and effective for your students?

-Think about social media—do we learn by watching others online? How does social cognitive theory play a role in that?

-If you could invent a new way to teach kids, what would it look like? Would it be based on one of these theories or something totally new?