Which theory attributes learning to responses to external stimuli such as rewards and punishments and was developed by Pavlov and Skinner?

• A. Cognitivism
• B. Constructivism
• C. Sociocultural theory
• D. Behaviorism

Answer: (D)

Learning as a change in behavior driven by responses to external stimuli and consequences. This view comes from Pavlov and Skinner. Pavlov's classical conditioning shows how a neutral stimulus can come to trigger a response after being paired with a meaningful stimulus. Skinner's operant conditioning explains how behaviors are shaped by rewards and punishments that follow them. This combination defines behaviorism, an approach that emphasizes observable actions and environmental influences on learning rather than unobservable thoughts. Other theories focus on mental processes, knowledge construction through experience, or learning through social and cultural interaction, where learning isn’t just about rewards and punishments. Therefore, the approach that attributes learning to responses to external stimuli such as rewards and punishments is behaviorism.