Theoretical Framework

This chapter presents and discusses theories that are applicable to our study. This theories
helps explain the concept behind the research and establish the relationship of the studys
variables.
John B. Watson derived much of his thinking from the work of Ivan Pavlovs animal
studies (classical conditioning) and applied it to human beings. In 1921, Watson studied Albert,
an 11 month old infant child. The goal of the study was to condition Albert to become afraid of a
white rat by pairing the white rat with a very loud, jarring noise. At first, Albert showed no sign
of fear when he was presented with rats, but once the rat was repeatedly paired with loud noise;
Albert developed a fear of rats. It could be said that the loud noise induced fear. The implications
of Watsons experiment suggested that classical conditioning could cause some phobias in
humans. Watsons coined the term Behaviorism which basically revolves around the principle
that human behavior is but a response to external stimuli. Behaviorism helps us understand and
explain the nature of any human behavior. It is rooted on what the developers of this movement
call as the stimulus-response model. Concepts of Behaviorism may be applied to the thought
that a students tardiness is always just a response to an external factor. According to John B.
Watson, in his development of Behaviorism, any human act or behavior can be explained
without having to study internal and mental processes and consciousness. All human behavior,
furthermore, is caused by external stimuli. Basing from this theory a student tends to get tardy
because it is provoked by an instructor who doesnt do any action like giving punishment to
those students who are frequently tardy that results in thinking of a student that it is okay to get
tardy because there is no consequence in their behavior.
Further supporting this experiment is the theory of Burrhus Frederic skinner who
believed that the best way to understand behavior is to look at the causes of an action and its
consequences that he called Operant Conditioning meaning roughly changing of behavior by the
use of reinforcement which is given after the desired response. Skinner studied operant
conditioning by conducting experiments using animals which he placed in a 'Skinner Box' which
was similar to Thorndikes puzzle box. Skinner identified three types of responses or operant that
can follow behavior: Neutral operant which are responses from the environment that neither
increase nor decrease the probability of behavior being repeated, second is punishment that is
designed to weaken or eliminate a response rather than increase it. The two types of punishment
are positive punishment involves the presentation of an unfavorable event or outcome in order to
weaken the response it follows and negative punishment which is also known as punishment by
removal that occurs when an favorable event or outcome is removed after a behavior occurs.
Lastly reinforcers this are responses from the environment that increase the probability of
a behavior being repeated. Positive reinforcers are favorable events or outcomes that are
presented after the behavior. In situations that reflect positive reinforcement, a response or
behavior is strengthened by the addition of something, such as praise or a direct reward. From
the skinners box, the box contained a lever in the side and as the rat moved about the box it
would accidentally knock the lever. Immediately it did so a food pellet would drop into the
container next to the lever. The rat quickly learned to go to the lever after a few times of being
put in the box. Negative reinforcers involve the removal of an unfavorable events or outcomes
after display of a behavior. In these situations, a response is strengthened by the removal of
something considered unpleasant. Skinner showed how negative reinforcement worked by
placing a rat in his Skinner box and then subjecting it to an unpleasant electric current which
caused it some discomfort. As the rat moved about the box it would accidentally knock the lever.
Immediately it did so the electric current would be switched off. The rats quickly learned to go
straight to the lever after a few times of being put in the box. The consequence of escaping the
electric current ensured that they would repeat the action again and again. In fact Skinner even
taught the rats to avoid the electric current by turning on a light just before the electric current
came on. The rats soon learned to press the lever when the light came on because they knew that
this would stop the electric current being switched on.
In relation with the problem tardiness, when a student goes to school early he/she will
learn things that the late students will miss which in return they have a higher grade than those
who are late and this will be encouraged to continue going to school early and when a student
tends to get tardy and was sent to get an admission slip or they will miss a quiz that results in
having a low grade in response to that unpleasant consequence that student will go to school
early for he/she doesnt want to get an admission slip or to have a low grade.