The behavioral, cognitive and humanistic approaches in psychotherapy are all applied in the development of the social cognitive skills of an individual during his learning process. The behavioral approach focuses on the sequence of stimulus and response action of a learner. In this approach, learning happens when there is a change in the behavior of an individual. For instance, Pavlov demonstrated that more experienced dogs salivated when they see their master feeding them and even if their master arrived without food. Such response (i.e. salivation) is called classical conditioning in which, older or more experienced dogs associate the sight of their master feeding them with salivation (Taylor, 2014).
Unlike the behavioral approach, the cognitive approach on the other hand puts emphasis on the idea that learning occurs after the information has been processed. In this approach, the thinking process of a person is given weight rather than the observed behavior. According to Piaget, a child grows along with his cognitive structures. There is a mental map that links the concepts in response to the experiences that happens within a child’s surrounding environment to develop their conceptual reasoning. Further, the child goes through several developmental stages where his concepts on reality and how such operates are also built. Thus, the evidence of learning is seen through the assimilation of learning in the existing cognitive structures of the child (Taylor, 2004).
The Humanistic approach focuses on the aspect of learning as a combination of both the cognitive and affective fields of a person. That is; self-determination is the key in which learning takes place. Both the reflections and experiences of an individual from real life practical problems facilitate the learning process (Taylor, 2004).
Works Cited
Taylor, L. “Educational Theories and Instructional Design Models. Their Place in Simulation.” Nursing Education and Research, Southern Health, 2004. 27 Nov 2014. Web <http://michaelstreets.com/sites/all/libraries/Documents/Educational%20Theories%20and%20Instructional%20Design%20Models.pdf>.
