Personality Theoretical Perspective of the Approach According

¶ … Personality Theoretical perspective of the approach According to behavioral approach human behavior can be learned and unlearned. When a behavior is unlearned, new behaviors are learned in its place. This approach is primarily concerned with observable and measurable aspects of human behavior. Unacceptable behaviors are unlearned. This approach views development as a continuous process in which children play a positive role. This approach can be used in a clinical and educational set up.

Behavioral theorists posit that real things are things that can be seen and observed (Bustamante, Howe-Tennant, & Ramo, 1996). The mind, the id, or the unconscious, cannot be seen, but people's actions, how they react, and behave can be seen. From ones behavior inferences can be made about the minds and the brain. However, the mind and the brain are not the primary focus of investigation. It is what people do that is subject of study and not what they think or feel (Bustamante, Howe-Tennant, & Ramo, 1996).

Behavioral theorists do not look to the mind or the brain to understand the causes of abnormal behavior. They assume that the behavior represents certain learned habits. They therefore try to determine how these behaviors are learned. Under behavioral approach it is the behavior that is always studied (Bustamante, Howe-Tennant, & Ramo, 1996). Behaviorists are not interested in mind and its rarified equivalents like psych and soul. They therefore make inferences about the conditions that maintain and reinforce human behavior that is made from the study of animal behavior.

Behavioral approach is hinged on animal research which is a very important foundation. Behavioral researchers investigate mechanisms underlying the behavior of both normal individuals and those with mental illnesses. Application of behavioral model to mental illness is widespread in a variety of presenting problems (Bustamante, Howe-Tennant, & Ramo, 1996). Behavioral model is widely used in treating behavioral disorders and disorders of impulse control like excessive drinking of alcohol, obesity, or sexual problems. The approach is also very important in treatment of anxiety.

It is also occasionally used in managing severe mental disorders like the schizophrenia (Bustamante, Howe-Tennant, & Ramo, 1996). There are two types of learning namely: classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning is demonstrated when a neutral stimulus acquires the eliciting properties of unconditioned stimulus through the pairing of the unconditioned stimulus and neutral stimulus. In this regard behavior is controlled by association (Bustamante, Howe-Tennant, & Ramo, 1996). Operant conditioning is on the other hand demonstrated when the reinforcing consequences increase its future likelihood.

Aversive consequences follow response to decrease its future likelihood (Bustamante, Howe-Tennant, & Ramo, 1996). Theorists who have contributed to behaviorist theory A number of theorists gave their input into behaviorist theory. Some of the notable contributors were Walter Mischel, Albert Bandura, and B.F. Skinner. Pavlov is one of the pioneer behaviorist theorists. He was the first person who came up with the idea of conditioning. According to him behavior was reflexive. It took him some time to distinguish reflexive behaviors from instinctive behaviors.

Instinctive behaviors are at times thought to be motivated. An animal has to hungry, be sexually aroused, or have nest building hormones before the instinctive behaviors can occur (SparkNotes, 2013). Pavlov averred that there was no basis for distinguishing between reflexes and reflexive behaviors. Pavlov was more concerned with the nervous system and to be specific the cerebral cortex. Pavlov thought that learning of elicited responses in animals and conceptual behaviors in humans was due to mechanisms of classical conditioning. This has thus been proved wrong (SparkNotes, 2013).

None the less, his ideas were one of the greatest ideas of our culture. John B. Watson is considered one of the most colorful personalities in realms of psychology. He was behaviorism's chief spokesman and protagonist. He believed that mechanism had a thing in explaining behavior. He averred that the study of mind is the province of philosophy and that the mind is the realm of speculation and endless word games. He was categorical that the mind has no place in psychology (SparkNotes, 2013).

To him psychology has to be based on objective phenomena and ultimate explanation.