Behaviorism Essays (Examples)

Behaviorism Common Phobias and Common

Childhood phobias usually disappear before adulthood. However, those that persist into adulthood rarely go away without treatment." (Gersley, p. 1)

This imposes a considerable responsibility upon the mental healthcare community find ways of identifying the roots causes of phobias and altering the behavioral patterns that cause these phobias to become ingrained. Hickey (2009) indicates that these root causes are often of a traumatic nature and that subjects tend to engage in "persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma and numbing of general responsiveness." (Hickey, p. 1) This is dysfunctional behavior, Hickey indicates, that can manifest in other forms of cognitive and emotional dissonance. It is thus that the preliminary review of literature presented here above helps to reinforce the rationales stated above for the engagement of such a study.

Accordingly, the research proposed here should initiate first with a more comprehensive review of available literature and a more exhaustive…… [Read More]

Behaviorism in the 20th Century System of

ehaviorism in the 20th Century System of Psychology

ehaviorism

The purpose of this work is to provide an outline of ehaviorism, which, is a major system of psychology in the 20th Century. Further the work will provide a substantive treatment of the supportive and critical perspectives associated with the system. Finally this work will include the applications of dualistic activity vs. monistic passivity, source of knowledge: self-generative vs. sensory and mentalism vs. materialism.

John roadus Watson was the founder of ehaviorism and held that:

"Psychology as the behaviorist views it is purely objective experimental branch of natural science. Its theoretical goal is the prediction and control ob behavior. Introspection forms no essential part to its methods nor is the scientific value of its data dependent upon the readiness, which they lend themselves to interpretation in terms of consciousness. The behaviorist, in his effort to get a unitary scheme of animal…… [Read More]

Behaviorism Activity Written -- Behaviorism Essay Context

Behaviorism

activity: Written -- Behaviorism Essay Context: Behaviorism a great impact Core Knowledge Planning Objectives philosophies. In assignment, expand discussion earlier activity fully articulate behaviorism impacted philosophies.

Behaviorism and its influences

According to E.D. Hirsch, the content of education does matter when educating children. Contrary to the notion that students merely need to 'learn how to learn' and subject matter is irrelevant, Hirsch's concept of Core Knowledge is that certain aspects of cultural literacy are essential for students to function in an academic context. Hirsch based his theory upon what he had noticed as an educator, namely that "knowledgeable students, it turned out, could far more easily comprehend and analyze difficult college-level texts (both fiction and nonfiction) than their poorly informed brethren could" despite similar levels of intelligence (Stern 2009). Familiarity, in other words, does not simply breed contempt, but also is a critical component of knowledge.

Core Knowledge is…… [Read More]

Behaviorism History Development and Current

Skinner also proposed a full social model of an ideal society based on his principles of behaviorism.

The growth of cognitive psychology (aided in no small part by advances in neuroscience and medicine) has served to both discredit many behaviorist claims and to bolster the theory in the eyes of some through an incorporation of cognitive theories (Graham 2010; Mills 1998). Focusing explicitly on how the mind processes, stores, and retrieves information -- exactly the kind of "mental states" rejected by early behaviorists -- cognitive psychology at first seemed directly opposed to behaviorism (Graham 2010). There has actually been an incorporation of the two theories by some, however, where cognitive processes join other influences on behavior (Mills 1998).

In modern applications of behavioral theory, certain philosophical elements and conclusions have become especially important. In one emerging view of behaviorism, the concept of a teleological view is increasing important, and a…… [Read More]

Behaviorism During the Previous Months

This interest was initially dispersed, being higher among some children and lower for the angrier and more depressive children. Still, with sustained efforts, the second category of children also registered an increase in its interest towards education. From the theoretical standpoint, this change can be explained by the efforts to stimulate children education. These efforts were directly made by the interns and the volunteers at the summer program, and they were indirectly supported by the children who were more eager to learn. The stimulation to learn not only directs the children towards an increased emphasis on learning, but it also stimulates their future social position. This stimulation effort is necessary and welcomed in summer programs for all children, since lacunas in educational stimulation can exist in any household, regardless of socio-economic status.

"Children of high stimulating home environments scored higher in social adjustment that those from a low stimulating home…… [Read More]

Behaviorism -- Advice Columns With

Unlike in the first article, we can see that Phillips' advice (or behavior) is consistent with the reader's. The reader's liberal view on online dating was reinforced by Phillips', particularly when she said "Joining a dating site is nothing to be ashamed of, and I have known several online matches that have led to happy marriages" (ibid, par. 4). Hence we can say that the consensus being painted in this article is towards the popularity and normality of online dating in today's time and age.

Case 3: A year and half ago, before turning sixteen years old, the reader has decided to set some dating guidelines which involved being in a relationship with someone who is not controlling and would treat her well. She also decided to defer her first kiss until she finds someone special. However, she is faced with the fact that most people her age are already…… [Read More]

Behaviorism and Constructivism Using the

8-10)

Kohn's belief of behaviorism

Kohn's belief is the most controversial since he believes that the other behaviorist theory is not entirely correct. For example, he believes that arrogance is an individual's authority as well as status and the willingness, eagerness to enforce an individual's theory through the exertion of control on other persons as outlined by others (Curran,1998)

Criticisms

It contradicts Darwin's ideas of natural selection-Darwinsm does contradict skinner's theory of operant conditioning. This is because Darwin believed that humans are constantly in a process of improving themselves in order to gain control of themselves (self-control).However "to increase self-control means to increase liberty" or rather free-will is a concept denied by Skinner (Dahlbom, 1984, p. 486)

Constructivism as a learning theory

Constructivism's meaning changes in regards to one's perspective as well as position. In the domain of education, various philosophical interpretation of constructivism exists. There is the personal constructivism…… [Read More]

History of Behaviorism and Psychoanalysis

history of behaviorism and psychoanalysis. The writer explores the changes the field has undergone since its inception as well as some of the people who were important to those changes. There were six sources used to complete this paper.

Throughout the last fifty years there have been massive changes in the field of therapy. Two of the most common approaches to therapy are behaviorism and psychoanalysis. Each of the approaches has followers who believe that it is the best approach. Each of the approaches has commonalties and differences in their foundations. Each approach was developed to answer need in the clients that the therapists treated and to address the questions of human nature and its reactions to various life events.

EHAVIORISM

While behaviorism has been credited to John . Watson, it was Edward Thorndike who started the ball rolling at the turn of the century. He worked at several experiments…… [Read More]

Philosophy of Behaviorism for Centuries

Within its strict perspective of humanity, there is no room for free will; actions are automatic responses to prompts from one's surroundings. It goes without saying that behaviorists do not allow for mankind's soul; this does not rest well with most, particularly with theologians and religious leaders. Naturally, such perspectives on humanity are not acceptable to many. What's more, behaviorism is harshly reproached for its inability to generalize behavior. True, it may predict specific actions but behaviorism does not even attempt to contemplate general behavioral patterns.

Despite its limitations, behavioral psychology is deeply embedded in mainstream psychology. Most notably, the experimental practices espoused by behaviorism are currently observed throughout the psychology field. In other words, its research procedures were recognized as objective and systematic; accordingly other schools of thought eventually adopted them. This respectable research practice undoubtedly facilitated psychology's standing as a true science.

Furthermore, behaviorist theories and practices are…… [Read More]

Personal Profile Interview - Behaviorism

My answer: Yes.

10. What do you feel was the strongest influence on your attitudes?

Interviewee: My mother and maternal grandparents.

My answer: My parents and siblings.

11. What role do you feel a person's race, gender, or ethnicity play when forming a person's personality and attitudes?

Interviewee: I think that culture can have a tremendous impact on a person's personality because it can help shape expectations and reasonable beliefs. However, every advancement in civil rights or culture has been because someone has defied expectations, and those people seem to credit a strong family unit for the strength to stand up to adversity.

My answer: I think they contribute greatly to a person's personality and attitudes when people are raised in a manner that seems to verify truths about stereotypes regarding their race, ethnicity, and gender. For example, watching the Katrina footage three years ago, so many of the poor…… [Read More]

Existentialism & Skinners Neo-Behaviorism Existentialism

The concepts of behaviorism have been very important and infinitely significant for the psychological treatment and cure of human beings, and have therefore been accepted as the foundation for 'pharmacological therapy'. According to neo-behaviorism, free will, or the idea of a person being completely responsible for his own actions or behaviors, does not exist at all, and this is in complete contrast to the existentialist theory which holds man responsible for all his actions. Neo-behaviorism states that all man's behavior is determined by his environment, wherein the main influences may be through association, or through the so-called 'operant conditioning', a theory propounded by Skinner, and animals upon which Skinner experimented showed that they demonstrated classic consequences as related to a typical behavior. (Behaviorism)

Skinner was responsible for much of the Behaviorist's theories, and his school of research was named 'Experimental Analysis of Behavior', or EAB. Skinner in fact takes a…… [Read More]

Traditional Learning Theories Behaviorism Constructivism

The whole language method of teaching reading, versus phonics instruction, is a common use of constructivist theory (Chen, 2010, Social constructivist).

Cognitive theories

As the structures of the human mind began to become better understood in the 20th century, cognitivism became a popular learning theory. It suggests that by understanding how the mind works, teachers are better able to enable students to learn. Assumptions of this approach include the idea that "some learning processes may be unique to human beings…[and] mental events are central to human learning and they must therefore be incorporated into theories of learning" (Ormond 1999). Learning is facilitated by making associations with students' previous learning experiences and skills. The learner is a highly active, involved participant in the learning process, because human minds and experiences can be so individualized. For example, understanding the rhythms of poetry and comparing them to contemporary rap song lyrics might be…… [Read More]

Perceptions Behaviorism - Cross Cultural

Unfortunately such misunderstandings commonly erupt into violence. One has but look at the conflict that has occurred in Palestine for thousands of years to understand that cultural disagreements and right to ownership is a constant source of behavioral and cultural tension among peoples. Multiple factors motivate such tribes to fight for what they believe is legally or rightly theirs, particularly religious and strong cultural beliefs.

Problems often ensue when one group is unwilling to compromise on their stand or on their values, cognitions and motivation for pursuing a particular claim. In the case of the Assam tribal feud for example, varying militia groups have become involved in the conflict, claiming to represent either the Karbis or the Dimasas. Unfortunately in many cases like this the innocent again often end up severely injured or dead. Most of the dead reported in Assam include women and children or the elderly.

In this…… [Read More]

Prejudice Behaviorism and Effective Combative

However, Crisp and Turner are quick to note that imagined contact is of course not meant to be a substitute for real contact, but more of a springboard towards building more cohesive race relations in a noticeably effective manner. "Encouraging people to mentally simulate a positive intergroup encounter leads to improved out-group attitudes and reduced stereotyping. It curtails intergroup anxiety and extends the attribution of perceivers' positive traits to others" (Crisp & Turner, 2009). Crisp and Turner spend a copious amount of time during the paper explaining how simply the act of imagining and how it can have a tremendous impact on people's perceptions and actions. For example, in a study they cite by Garcia and colleagues on the bystander effect, some participants were told to imagine they had just had dinner with 10 people. Others were told to imagine they just had dinner with one other person. Those who…… [Read More]

Behaviorism Reinforcement Punishment and Extinction

garbage is a terminal behavior that can be shaped by multiple methods like reinforcement (positive or negative) or punishment. The initial behavior is not taking out the garbage at all, except when nagged incessantly. The goal would be to create a terminal behavior that involves taking out the garbage on the person's own initiative. In this case, fixed outcome shaping would be more appropriate because the behavior should be reinforced consistently. The steps I would take to shape the behavior are as follows.

First, I would explain to the person that the target terminal behavior is to take out the garbage when it is full. This involves a degree of critical thought on the part of the subject, as the person takes initiative when the garbage is full. The goal is for the person to take out the garbage without being asked but it is critical to establish the goals…… [Read More]

Behaviorism and Moods

Behavior

Mood Diary Data Collection Grid

Time Mood Notes

I am Irritated Hungry, didn't sleep well

am Surprised Friend of mine stopped by & bought lunch at work pm Excitement/Happiness Getting off work early today pm Bored Work is dull, waiting to leave pm Irritable Lot's of traffic on way home/ended up late pm Tired Didn't feel like cooking, had cake for dinner pm Exhausted Going to bed early

Time Mood Notes

I am Aversion Hungry, didn't sleep well again. Feel nauseous

am Interest New job opening at work, considering pm Wonder Need some training classes, work is interesting pm Desire Decide I need to earn more pm Joy No traffic today! Pizza and beer for dinner pm Love ented romantic comedy, thinking of partner pm Anxiety Have a big presentation at work tomorrow

Day 3

Time Mood Notes

I am Distress Hungry, didn't sleep well. (do I ever?)

am…… [Read More]

Motivation in Behaviorism

Applied Behavior

Michael, J. (1993). Establishing operation. The Behavior Analyst, 16(2), 191-206.

Michael (1993) argued that the consideration of motivation, that he conceptually terms establishing operations, is substantive to the understanding of behavior. Michael offers the following definition of establishing operations: "…an environmental event, operation, or stimulus condition that affects an organism by momentarily altering (a) the reinforcing effectiveness of other events and (b) the frequency of occurrence of that part of the organism's repertoire relevant to those events as consequences" (1993, p. 191). A key point in Michael's position regarding establishing operations is that the difference between learned and unlearned establishing operations is of paramount importance in the ability of researchers and practitioners to "identify and control the various components of multiple determinations" of human behavior.

The multiple determinants to which Michael refers include discriminative and motivative variables. Discriminative variables refer to the availability of certain attributes to reinforce…… [Read More]

Philosophy of the Mind

Behaviorism and Positivism

Behaviorism basically believes in the laws of the observable. It is based on rational, scientific, factual data. "The behaviorist school of thought maintains that behaviors as such can be described scientifically without recourse either to internal physiological events or to hypothetical constructs such as the mind" (Wikipedia, 2010). Positivism believes in scientific method is the best way to explain human events and physical events. Behaviorism and positivism is working together mainly because the behaviorist believes that positivists' analysis of science is correct. "Positivism is based on pro-observation in comparison with other means of justifying scientific claims, and emphasizes verification" (Persson, 2010). Behaviorism and positivism are very similar because they both believe in science and observable, verifiable data.

In the early 1900's psychology was not based on pure science. It was known as a study of the mind, and there were not a lot of documented ways of…… [Read More]

Behavioral Theories

Behaviorism

Compare and contrast 2 different behavioral theories/models of your choice.

Behaviorism vs. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)

The father of behaviorism is widely acknowledged to be B.F. Skinner. Skinner attempted to develop an 'experimental' approach to human psychology, and based many of his foundational theories upon experiments with rats rather than humans. Skinner believed that operant conditioning was the best way to motivate individuals to adopt new behaviors, or to extinguish existing behavior patterns. "When a particular Stimulus-esponse (S-) pattern is reinforced (rewarded), the individual is conditioned to respond" (Operant conditioning, 2012, Instructional Design). The focus of Skinner was upon externalities, rather than upon internal motivations of behavior.

For example, when dealing with someone who was a compulsive over-eater, rather than focusing on the psychological reasons the person felt compelled to overeat, Skinner instead would focus upon creating an environment that would reward healthy choices (such as buying a new…… [Read More]

Historical Origins and Principals

Origins of Behaviorism

Behaviorism, Its Historical origins, principles and contribution to the broader field of psychology

Darwin (1809-1882) is the main scientist credited with evolutionary theory, and he was highly influential. In 1859/1985 he published The Origin of Species. This text proposed that evolution is inevitable and mechanical. He discussed the organism-environment adaptation, a precursor to the stimulus- response of behaviourism. He felt that his studies on plants and animals could be translated into human study. The human could be observed through anatomy and behaviour. This idea set the tone for behaviourism, "Animal behaviour became of interest to psychology as a result of evolutionary theory" (Mackenzie, 1977).

Children were studied as earlier versions of the adult species. Darwin expanded Haeckel's recapitulation theory and in 1877 he published A Biographical Sketch of an Infant. This was 294 pages of observations on children. Francis Galton (1822-1911) was Darwin's cousin; he continued the…… [Read More]

Radical Behaviorist Critique

adical behaviorism is a branch of psychological study that postulates that human "behavior" is at the integral part of psychological study. Unlike other disciplines such as cognitive psychology that concentrates on internal factors such as thoughts or rather obsessive preoccupations, behaviorism theory only considers the "observable" factors of the outside environment. In this paper, I analyze the strengths and weaknesses of radical behaviorism in light of cognitive psychological theory.

Skinner who relied on Behaviorist evolution advanced the theory that preceded philosophical argument that was presented by Watson. Fuentes (2000) traces the philosophical origin of the Skinner theory to empiricism and positivism. On the other hand, he argues out that its epistemological paradigm bear direct relationship to objectivism where reality dwells from without the individual, and knowledge is simply an illusion of reality (Fuentes, 2000).

Skinner's adical Behaviorism was anchored in the notion that learning is a product of change that…… [Read More]

Psychology Term Comparison of Three

In their book, Progress in Modern Psychology: The Legacy of American Functionalism, Owens and Wagner (1992) suggest that contemporary psychology reflects a common vision of the naturalistic framework that was first inspired by William James and later refined by John Dewey, James owland Angell, Harvey Carr, among others. In this regard, Owens and Wagner argue that one of the key contributors to early functionalism was John Dewey. In sharp contrast to the aforementioned structuralist approach which would analyze a situation into its continent parts, Dewey believed that sensation and the subsequent motor responses could not be legitimately separated, but rather comprised a more linear analysis that provided a coordinated response to a given condition (Owens & Wagner, 1992).

Behaviorism.

According to Zuriff (1985), behaviorism is not the science of behavior (consisting of findings, principles, laws, and theories that are formulated through the study of behavior) but rather provides a conceptual…… [Read More]

Marx Sartre Existentialism and Skinner

Humans had to learn to use freedom in a positive, rather than a negative fashion, said Sartre.

A modern manager, cognizant of such critiques, thus must try to create a workplace where a sense of connection to the product, place, and community is fostered. For example, at Google, workers are encouraged to use company time and equipment to pursue their own projects. Google is a place where workers can eat free meals, take free fitness classes, and combine work and pleasure. This creates a sense of togetherness, rather than fosters angst, alienation and exploitation. Skinner's concept of behaviorism, or rewarding positive behavior, is transformed so that giving back to the organization with creative input and ideas is reinforced. Google's mindset shows a sophisticated evolution beyond the concept of giving a worker a crude 'carrot' in the form a small bonus when he or she succeeds in fulfilling a mechanical objective…… [Read More]

Starting From 19th Century Psychology School of

Starting from 19th century psychology, school of thought of behaviorist shared commonalities and as well ran concurrently with the 20th century psychology of psychoanalytic and Gestalt movements, however it was different from Gestalt psychologists' mental philosophy in significant ways. Psychologists who had major influences in it were Edward Lee Thorndike, John B. atson, they opposed method of introspective and advocated to use of experimental methods: Ivan Pavlov, investigated classical conditioning, but he was not to the idea of behaviorists or behaviorism: B.F. Skinner, he did his research on operant conditioning.

During second half of the 20th century, it was widely eclipsed that behaviorism was due to cognitive revolution. Even though behaviorism as well as cognitive schools of psychological thought tends to disagree in terms of theory, they have gone a head to compliment one another within applications of practical therapeutic, for example, cognitive-behavioral therapy has shown utility in treating some…… [Read More]

Theories of Behavior Applied

Behaviorist and Cognitive Theory

Psychology took a center stage and significant change in the early 20th Century when the behaviorism school of thought became dominant. This was a major change from other theoretical perspectives that existed before hence rejecting emphasis on unconscious and conscious mind. Behaviorism strove to see that psychology becomes a more scientific discipline in that focus will be mainly on observable behavior. This approach to psychology whereby the elements of philosophy, methodology and theory are combined. The primary tenet of behaviorism as it was expressed by JohnB.Watson, B.F Skinner in writing is that the primary concern in psychology should be the behaviors that can be observed both in humans and animals and not the unobserved events which take place within the minds of individuals. This school of thought maintains that behaviors can easily be described scientifically without recourse either to any psychological events that occur internally or…… [Read More]

Post-Modern to Contemporary Psychology

Diversity and Psychology

There were two major developments that influenced the field of psychology and the professions' views regarding multicultural competence, emphasized in 2003. The American Psychological Associations' 2002 Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct and the Guidelines on Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice and Organizational Change for Psychologists published in 2003 both stressed the importance of moving from a mono-cultural school of thought to a multicultural perspective and that these 'new rules' acknowledge an appreciation of differences as well as an "understanding of the inherent ambiguity and complexity in psychological practice (Pack-rown & Williams, 2003; Manesse, Saito, & Rodolfa, 2004). Knapp and VandeCreek (2003) said of these new guidelines that they articulate a need for greater sensitivity regarding linguistic and cultural minorities. The development of the new Code of Ethics and the APA's positioning were purported to be in response to a long awaited recognition of the need for…… [Read More]

Psychological Work of John B Watson B F

psychological work of John B. atson, B.F. Skinner, and Edward C. Tolman, along with the impacts that these three had on society. This paper will also compare and contrast these three iconic psychologists.

Edward C. Tolman is said by author Bernard J. Baars to have been the "…only major figure" in the emerging field of behaviorism "…who advocated the possibility of mental representation" (Baars, 1986, p. 61). Baars writes that more than any other behaviorist Tolman "anticipated…the cognitive point-of-view… [and] thought it necessary to postulate events other than stimuli and responses" (61). Tolman has made significant contributions to psychology, including: a) the use of cognitive maps in rats; b) the "latent learning" he pioneered though the use of rats; c) the concept of "intervening variables"; and d) the discovery that rats don't just learn their movements "…for rewards" but rather they also learn when no rewards are given, backing up…… [Read More]

Behave Construct Cog Educators Are

This presents a challenge to educators who may have a classroom full of students who are cognitively at different levels. Educational programs that allow students to advance at their own pace, such as accelerated reader, or explore knowledge independently might be ways to encourage cognitive development in students.

Constructivism is closely tied to the cognitive approach in that constructive learning requires that the students are the primary agents in their own learning. In this theory, students must construct new knowledge on the framework of existing knowledge (Ertmer and Newby, 1993). It is literally a building of a larger knowledge base that students achieve individually. If a student does not have the prior knowledge for a particular skill or concept, then he or she will be unable to construct something new. According to Jean Piaget, the most well-known constructivist, learning has to be achieved by discovery. This requires students to be…… [Read More]

Psychological Perspectives - Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary psychologists therefore explain current human behaviors, especially instinctive ones, in terms of adaptive successes. A baby would feel safer in the secure space of a crib rather than an expansive lawn. A small fluffy mouse initially presents no threat, as our human ancestors likely preyed on smaller animals. Loud noises, however, can mean danger, so a child instinctively cries in alarm.

Cognitive psychology

Cognitive psychologists look at the internal mental processes that enable humans to learn skills such as languages, memory and problem solving. Notive cognitive psychologist Jean Piaget believed that humans go through different stages of cognitive development, and each stage should be marked by the acquisition of certain skills. In the Sensorimotor stage, which last from birth through two years old, babies learn to move and master their different senses. At the preoperational stage, from ages two to seven, a child should master motor skills such as…… [Read More]

CMC but You Move on

Theory of the self-monitored students and CSCL

Another popular theory associated with the concept of CSCL is the self-monitored student s (Benbunan-Fich, 2002

). Benbunan-Fich (2002

) in their study give students the chance to explore and discover their abilities and then guide through ways that they can polish them. In the case of CSCL, the students realize that they will need guidelines and principles in order to attain a set objective and is not hesitant in instigating the process of learning whether collaboratively or individually. This is usually possible only for the students who are extremely gifted. This theory of self-monitoring or self-regulating has had either a direct or an indirect impact on all related educational theories like the students behavioural theory and constructivism theory (Benbunan-Fich, 2002

Theory of problem-based learning and CSCL

Problem-based learning (PBL) is another popular theory that has had an effect on the CSCL setup…… [Read More]

Psychology - History of Psychology

Whereas the behaviorist and psychodynamic models contradict each other in their fundamental assumptions and focus, humanistic perspective does not necessarily contradict behaviorism or the psychodynamic approach, except that it considers both of those views as explanations of only portions of human behavior rather than all human behavior.

The Cognitive Perspective:

The Cognitive perspective broadens the study of human psychology even further than the humanistic perspective. In addition to considering all of the influential elements within the behaviorist, psychodynamic, and humanistic views, cognitive psychology also studies the combined contributions of knowledge, memory, previous experience, subconscious desires, external factors, and volitional thought on external behavior (Gerrig & Zimbardo 2005).

Cognitive psychology accepts many of the fundamental concepts of other schools of psychological thought, and much like the humanistic point-of-view, merely considers them incomplete explanations of human behavior rather than oppositional theories.

According to cognitive psychologists, even the most inclusive theories like humanistic…… [Read More]

Psychology Throughout Its History Psychology Has Undergone

Psychology

Throughout its history, psychology has undergone a number of evolutions. As the study of mind, the discipline has necessarily been subject to change as new research revealed information about the functions of the mind and its effect upon behavior. elatively simple conclusions drawn by those who are currently considered the founding fathers of psychology have been challenged and modified to become the various subdisciplines in psychology that we know today. Along with what can be considered the "mental" trends in psychology such as the behaviorist, psychoanalytic, the cognitive, and the evolutionary approaches, it has also been recognized that psychology has a firm basis in physiology.

In about 1913, the focus of psychology up-to-date profoundly changed as a result of work by the American psychologist John B. Watson. In an effort to bring more scientific merit to psychology, Watson advocated that the study of behavior should be used to draw…… [Read More]

Cognitive and Behaviorist Approach Comparative

Typical experimental research methods relied upon in the cognitive approach to psychology include measuring patterns of neural activity in response to specific stimuli and of the effect on external behavior of other internal processes such as hormonal activity.

Personal Preference

I my opinion, the cognitive approach to understanding psychology is more comprehensive than the strict behavioral approach. Because the behavioral approach limits the analysis to a relatively narrow focus on behavior that is externally observable, it seems to ignore significant causal explanations for those behaviors. Conversely, the cognitive approach does not necessarily discount the value of externally observable behavior within the overall framework of understanding the many contributing influences on human behavior.

Cognitive psychology also seems to have more unexplored potential for future development of the field by virtue of the relatively recent evolution of various new technological applications of medical imaging processes. Specifically, whereas the methods and materials relied…… [Read More]

Diverse Nature of Psychology the Human Mind

Diverse Nature of Psychology

The human mind is an incredibly complex tool. How it actually thinks and behaves is not always based on a single example, and thus there are clear elements of diversity within theoretical assumptions on how the mind works. Diversity is a crucial element to modern psychology and its various sub-categories. Modern psychology is heavily influenced by the extreme diversity found within its core concepts. There are a vast number of major concepts and sub-examples that differ enormously from one another and take their influence from other genres of study and the various findings of specific empirical research conclusions. Officially, there are four core "specialties," including clinical, counseling, school, and industrial / organizational psychology, although even these general topics are further diversified into more specific areas that highlight different findings and assumptions about man's position within modern society (Landrum 2010 p 13).

Therefore, there is great diversity…… [Read More]

Motivation of Behavior

Motivation in Behavior

a) What does Tolman's theory of animal learning tell us about the motivation for human learning?

Unlike John Watson, B.F. Skinner and the other strict behaviorists, or the ussian physiologists like Ivan Pavlov, Edward C. Tolman argued that the behaviorist theory that learning was a matter of stimulus-response (S-) and positive and negative reinforcement was highly simplistic. Although he rejected introspective methods and metaphysics, he increasingly moved away from strict behaviorism into the areas of cognitive psychology. In short, he became a mentalist without actually using that term to describe himself and concluded that all behavior was "purposive" (Hergenhahn, 2009, p. 428). All of his experiments with rats moving through mazes at the University of Berkeley proved to his satisfaction that behavior was actually the dependent variable, with the environment as the independent variable, with mental processes as intervening variables. Tolman summarized this basic theory, which he…… [Read More]

Speed of Mental Processes F C

Kenneth Kotovsky and Herbert A. Simon are concerned with the "Human acquisition of concepts for sequential patterns." Their goal is to understand how an individual can produce a serial pattern. The process is based upon a rule which was learned by the individual under discussion through induction. Their research involves the use of computer programming and formal languages. Its goal is to understand which problems are likely to be more challenging for the human mind. The program is presented in various types and its results are evaluated as being successful.

B.F. Skinner in "About behaviorism" presents his views regarding the human behaviour patterns. According to him, the manner in which people behave is deeply influenced by the environment where they live. One of the things which differentiates his view is the importance given to subjective factors, such as the individuals' personal thoughts and feelings (which the author considers to be…… [Read More]

Psychology it Has Intended to Be a

psychology, it has intended to be a branch of the sciences. For it to be considered science, psychology must not hypothesize without testing. It is unfortunate that the history of psychology is marked with failed hypothesis. For it to be ethical, it has to draw conclusions after a formal laboratory experiment with stringent protocol instead of retrospective studies that result from past occurrences.

Science share basic procedures and expectations, it tests theories and get results, those results can be tested by others and achieve the same results, this is a challenge with psychology. For instance, normal therapeutic treatments involve research, diagnosis and treatment, but many results are scientifically indistinguishable. There is limited distinction between research and treatment.

There are issues that play a fundamental role in evaluation of psychological theories. First, is whether the theory adequately and formally describes the framework that accounts for observed psychological and other empirical data.…… [Read More]

Theory and Criminal Behavior

Theories

Skinner's radical behaviorism has been used to provide explanations for a number of behavioral phenomenon including criminal behavior (Skinner, 1966). For instance, the crime of burglary offers an example of how antisocial behaviors are learned through reinforcement. Members of society that commonly engage in theft or burglary learn their trade via the reinforcing aspects of stealing. The need to steal may be initially activated by means of some form of need or desire to have material gain; however, for many individuals who habitually engage in thievery repeated stealing is positively reinforced by the tangible acquisition of goods provided by these activities. For many of these individuals this behavior is reinforced by the notion that it is easier to steal from others then to apply oneself, work hard, and take the chance on getting the lees than desired rewards. However, many habitual criminals actually put in as much effort into…… [Read More]

Psychologists Use Scientific Methods to Study Behavior

Psychologists Use Scientific Methods to Study

behavior and mental processes.

behavioral disorders.

unconscious mental processes.

the meaning of dreams.

Cognitive psychology can best be described as

the study of higher mental processes.

the therapeutic applications of critical thinking.

the area of psychology which attempts to reduce judgmental thinking.

a subspecialty of psychology based exclusively on observation rather than experimentation.

Who was a leading proponent of behaviorism in the United States until his/her death in 1990?

Carl Rogers

Skinner

Ivan Pavlov

Albert Bandura

Charles Darwin argued that ____ determines physical traits of survival.

A. cognition

B. genetics

C. environment

D. nurture

5. With what psychological approach is Sigmund Freud associated?

A. psychodynamic

B. humanistic

C. cognitive

D. sociocultural

6. Which of the following best describes a correlational study?

A. research that studies the naturally occurring relationship between two or more variables

B. research that explains the effects of one variable on…… [Read More]

Biological Psychology

Behavioral Psychology

The main link between the brain and the mind is through the nervous system. It processes information from various regions in the body and transmits it via electrical and chemical signals. The study of the relationship that the brain has on the mind, consciousness and behavior is called behavioral psychology. Decades ago, scientists would use electrodes to stimulate various regions of the brain to understand how it affected the body. Today psychologists use modern radiological techniques to understand mental processes and behaviorism in diseases ranging from Huntington to Epilepsy. (Nobus, 2000)

Although many interesting stories and interpretations have led to the evolution of biological psychology, a great contribution to this field was made by the famous psychologist, Signmund Freud.

Sigmund Freud was born in 1856 and spent most of his life in Vienna. From early on in life, Freud had a strong inclination towards human concerns, and even…… [Read More]

Adult Learning Fodor 1987 Offers

Second, it suggests that once an appropriate curriculum has been compiled -- one that produces the appropriate results -- then this very same curriculum should produce the same results every time it is employed properly. And third, it suggests that language itself cannot be conceived of as anything other than a response to an external stimulus; therefore, we, as teachers, should not be concerned with the internal, conceptual aspects of learning a language, and only with the observable, verbal responses that our teaching techniques produce. Of course, these stand as direct consequences of accepting the theory of behaviorism within the context of teaching ESL; however, my experience has shown that, if anything, the version of behaviorism that allows for consciousness is the most beneficial for developing an efficient and successful approach towards teaching.

Unfortunately for the theory of behaviorism, this phenomenon is not easily explained without the existence of internal…… [Read More]

Examining Different Learning Theories

Dominant Learning Theories

Excellence in the field of pedagogy depends on an understanding of the major learning theories and models along with an ability to use them when appropriate. Even if one doesn't agree with these major learning theories, it's still important to be aware of them as a professional. A strong comprehension of the major learning theories can also help to guide one's actions and choices as an educator, scholar or general pedagogue.

Behaviorism, for example, is a major learning theory which asserts that the bulk of learning that occurs in human beings is done through conditioning. This is important as it puts a lot of focus on the power of the environment and how the environment can shape a person's behaviors through the stimuli acquired. Behaviorism is a school of learning which pays very little attention to mental states, finding things like moods and emotions to be too…… [Read More]

Social Cognition Is the Study

Since we observe the responses of our peers and friends, we are very much attuned to how we interact with others, and how their succeed or fail. The theory of self-efficacy is fundamental to understanding social cognitive learning, because it implies that the process of using this theory creates greater confidence. Since individuals learn from their cultural environment, it is imperative to construct a positive enforcing messages through the educational process to ensure that individuals feel that they can accomplish any and all given tasks.

A contextual example of the social cognitive learning model can be seen in the case of student as in the provided example. As is a student who feels no self-efficacy when it comes to mathematics, despite numerous opportunities to learn from math, he has taken no opportunities to improve himself. When questioned he clearly asserts that he cannot learn math, something that appears counterintuitive from…… [Read More]

Behavior Therapy

Evolution and Development of Behavioral Therapy

The 20th century approach to psychology is notable because, while there was an emphasis on the medical approach to treating psychological disorders, there was also a focus on nonphysiological therapies that began to gain some credence in the medical profession. While nonmedical interventions were generally dismissed, "at least some nonmedical practices were no longer widely regarded by either professionals or the general public as quackery. An important contributor to the increased acceptance and status of nonmedical therapies was their enhanced relationship with science" (O'Donohue & Krasner, Year). These nonmedical therapies gained greater and greater usage in the mental health arena, and eventually came to be regarded not only as complementary treatments to standard medical interventions, but as "necessary components in the treatment of problems such as depression, attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia, and many of the anxiety disorders"(O'Donohue & Krasner, Year). One of the areas…… [Read More]

Development of Canine Behavior Genetics vs Environment

Canine Behavior: Genetics vs. Environment

The debate over nature vs. nurture as it applies to learning dates back over a hundred years. Certainly, during much of the 20th century, the distinction between learned and inherited behavior appeared much clearer than it does today. The concept that any type of behavior was either learned or merely developed without learning seemed a rationale and straightforward belief. esearch based on these expectations caused some scientists to conclude that rat-killing behavior among cats, for example, is a learned behavior rather than an instinctive one, that human fears are all acquired, or that intelligence is completely the result of experience. Learning theorists were arguing at this point that most behavior is learned and that biological factors are of little or no importance. The behaviorist position that human behavior could be explained entirely in terms of reflexes, stimulus-response associations, and the effects of reinforcers upon them…… [Read More]

History of Psychology Although the

An early influence on Gestalt psychology was the philosopher Immanuel Kant, who stressed that humans do not perceive the world as it is. Rather, they impose cause and effect relationships on it and therefore our perceptions are influenced by their experiences. Max Wertheimer was the strongest proponent of this approach. Gestalt psychology greatly declined when Nazis came to power in Germany and many scholars were forced to flee. In the United States, behaviorism was too strong to overcome, and many of its ideas were in opposition to Gestalt beliefs.

Humanistic therapy overlaps with CBT and both are very common in today's society. It emphasizes the growth and fulfillment of the self or self-actualization through self-mastery, self-examination and creative expression. Although the influences of the unconscious and society are taken into account, freedom of choice in creating one's experience is essential and is often referred to as self-determination. A humanistic therapist…… [Read More]

How Educational Theories Contribute to an IEP

Individual Education Plan

In education it is important to understand the pedagogy and historical philosophical perspectives on educational theories to fully understand the educational plan in a comprehensive fashion. Understanding this element of an education plan can provide insights to education that can have practical consequences on implementation. This analysis will provide a background into three of such theories -- behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. Furthermore, it will discuss how these theories may or may not be consistent with each of the thirteen disability categories under the IDEA and what challenges and obstacles may be present relative to these perspectives and an individual student's circumstances. It will further provide insights into how these theories may be relevant to different stakeholder involvement strategies in the individual education plan (IEP) for students. Finally, it will discuss how these learning theories can influence the style of instruction in the IEP.

Behaviorism

Behaviorism is a…… [Read More]

John Watson and His Contributions

Watson really created the field of behavioral psychology with his speech and his first book, and while it refined over the years with input from others, such as B.F. Skinner, it is essentially based on Watson's original ideas and studies, so he is the father of this type of psychology. His personal life derailed his career (the woman he had an affair with while he worked at Johns Hopkins was his lab assistant.) They later wrote a book together, and they conducted the Little Albert study together. He married her, but they divorced after having two children together. If his personal life had not interfered with his studies and work, he might have created even more foundations for behavioral psychology to build on. Before his problems, he was a respected member of the psychological community, and even became president of the American Psychological Association in 1915. His work was very…… [Read More]

Reciprocal Causation 5 the Writer's

Overall Description of Reciprocal Causation: 3 (the author should offer a more extensive and comprehensive definition of the term. In fact, the author repeats the word "reciprocal" in the definition of reciprocal causation. An ensuing sentence makes no sense either: "Each one of the these variables influences each other in a cycle that can start on any of the variables.")

Differentiating from Behaviorism: 1 (the author does not adequately define behaviorism, which makes the comparison between the two theories a poor one. The author mistakenly states that behaviorism is about "trial and error.").

Using Student as...to elaborate on reciprocal causation: 4 (the example used is too long and verbose. However, the author does address each of the three parts of the cycle in detail, and discusses how teachers could have intervened at various points in the cycle.)

Spelling, Grammar, and Clarity of Writing: 1 (Poor writing and grammar make this…… [Read More]

Getting Everyone Involved With the Team

Teaching philosophy tends to be very similar from person to person. However, it can also be very different from student to student that is preparing to be a teacher as well as the teachers who have complete their requisite teaching degrees. This is because what motivates these teachers can obvious vary from person to person and there are also a number of different theories and ideas out there that inform and influence the field of teaching. This obvious leads to a number of different perspectives and potential outcomes depending on the learning needs of each student and the overall dynamics that are present in a given learning environment. While the facets of each learning situation can vary, the ultimate idea behind teaching should be to use behaviorism as a way to get students to work and function together as isolation and people not jelling is the antithesis of what any…… [Read More]

Psychology Models Since Sigmund Freud

Therefore, it is necessary to account for the acquisition of habits.

Due to certain limitations of the behaviorism approach, there have been revisions to the theory over the century. For example, although behaviorism helped people to forecast, alter, and change behavior over time, it did not attempt nor intend to understand how or why the theory worked. The present-day social cognitive approach asserts that behavior is results from an ongoing reciprocal three-way relationship among the individual (cognition), the environment (physical context, which consists of the organizational structure and design, social context or other people), and the person's past behavior. This broader view, called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) incorporates the cognitive in addition to the behavioral approaches to therapy and view people "as active seekers and interpreters of information, not just responders to environmental influences" (Nevid, 2007, p. 484). Many psychologists now believe that behavior is understood best by studying the…… [Read More]

Psychological Perspectives Three of the

For example, behaviorism can explain the "fight and flight" response. Psychodynamics can shed light on some of the least understood aspects of the human experience: our dreams. Moreover, psychodynamics can help individuals understand behavior that is not motivated by stimuli but rather by instinctual desires. Finally, the humanistic perspective addresses the emotional and spiritual aspects of human existence and can shed light on the quest for individual expression, creativity, and spiritual awareness.

Each of these schools of thought can apply to certain populations better than others. For example, the humanistic perspective would be weak when trying to study infants or very young children but would be more useful to study adults. Similarly, psychodynamics applies more readily to adults than to young children. Behaviorism can apply to all populations in theory, but regarding stimuli-response, behaviorism can be best applied to understanding infant behaviors.… [Read More]

Promoting ESL in Work-Based Learning

Learning that is imparted through an educational institution or training company within the workplace setting in known as Work-based learning (WL). WL is administered by an external teacher in professional capacity and supervised by an employee of the company where WL is imparted. An exhaustive literature review indicates that it was only after Moser report's shocking revelations, regarding lack of literacy, language, and numeracy skills in one out every five adults in ritain that U.K took expedited policy actions to introduce WL. WL is relevant for all adult and young learners and more pertinent for instruction of English as a second language (ESL). Since medium of interaction and business transactions in U.K is English, instruction of ESL is essential for empowering vast percentage of population that does not have requisite skills to compete in labor market due to lack of language skills. Increased use of computers and multimedia in teaching…… [Read More]

Psychology and Its Many Subdisciplines

Psychology is a diverse discipline encompassing a number of different subject areas. These areas are tied together by the common idea of understanding the psychological processes that drive our behavior. This gives rise to a number of different disciplines, such as motivation, behaviorism and cognitive psychology. These disciplines can then be divided into an even greater variety of sub-disciplines (Tougas, 2010).

These different disciplines have some relation, but there is no one unifying thread throughout this. They are related because of their psychological nature -- they arise in the brain and can be explained by the brain. But ultimately, these are elements of what it means to be human. In that sense, there are similarities but only in a general sense. For the most part, the different psychological disciplines only have these loose ties. This diversity of study can help however. People who study psychology are exposed to a number…… [Read More]

Applied Behavior Analysis Methodology Functions

but, she learned this only functioned as a step on the way toward the wider process. Once more proactive strategies were resumed, techniques such as allowing Max to have a choice of which chores he could choose from helped, as well as did requesting him to complete chores within a couple days time, as opposed to now.

From here, more predictable requests allowed Max to anticipate what would be asked of him, and, eventually, gave him the ability to do a chore before having to be asked, thereby taking him away from the situation and setting which instigated the outbursts of anger. Also, by asking Max to complete a series of ever-so minor tasks, a pattern of success was established, making him more open to the completion of a more involved chore.

Overall, ABA in this context functioned on numerous levels, most of all as a means of simplifying the…… [Read More]

Behavioral Theory Influence on Personality

In case a reinforcing stimulus does not ensue as a result of a behavior, the probability of a repetition of such a behavior decreases. Again, if a behavior is followed by an aversive stimulus, the probability of a repetition of such a behavior decreases. The removal of an aversive stimulus by an experimenter results in a negative reinforcement. If an aversive stimulus, which follows a certain type of behavior, is removed, the chance of repetition of such a behavior increases. The operant conditioning behavioral theory may find applications in the educational sphere for understanding and manipulating the behavior of students. However, it may not always be possible for teachers to determine positive and negative reinforcements for every situation or behavior. (Davis, 2006)

Another behaviorist whose theories added to the understanding of human behavior and how it influences personality was Albert Bandura. According to Bandura, people may learn new behavior by…… [Read More]

Empowerment One of the Catch

What management does still exists must maintain an open door policy, so as to help lower level employees transition and communicate concerns but again managers are likely to have a clear idea that this is a behavioral manner of influencing actions. (Tyler, 1997, p. 323)

Though the transition to flat organisation may benefit most organisations, it is still a transitional situation that requires special understanding of employee empowerment as well as interactions. Smaller firms of coarse will find this transition easier while larger firms may need to create quasi-flat systems that better serve multi-factorial production systems and require the system to work together in a streamlines fashion, without one area of production causing unintended problems for another. Employee empowerment is clearly one of the biggest reasons why employees express happiness and comfort within a system and therefore create active retention and motivated work. (Weissberg, 1999, p. 46) a flat organisational…… [Read More]

Punished by Rewards Do You

The hold of behaviorism is emotional and cultural, and it has become such an invisible part of our educational system that we assume it is natural, rather than question its validity. Again, one returns to the idea of gold stars in the classroom -- it seems like they were always 'there' and no one ever introduced them as a 'learning theory.'

So why do we cling to our behaviorist beliefs? Several explanations are offered. Almost everyone alive today was educated and inculcated in behaviorism and a rewards system their entire life. Behaviorism is also superficially similar to the American system of meritocracy, where every person gets his or her just desserts and rewards also seem like a natural part of the capitalist system of exchange, of monetary transaction. The concept that 'I get this if I do this,' even the religious belief in heaven and hell, is a kind of…… [Read More]

Learning Can Be Categorized Into Three Distinct

learning can be categorized into three distinct groups: behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. Behaviorism refers to the student's interaction with the environment and focuses on the external aspects of learning and on that which encourages learning such as positive reinforcement on the one hand and punishment on the toehr. Cogntivism, on the other hand, focuses on attitudes, motivation, and ideas and refers to the brain's interaction with the academic environment and with subject taught. Finally, constructivism represents and describes the situation where the learner actively builds new ideas or constructs learning situations.

Other approaches include humanism (where the focus is placed on respecting and motivating the individual student as encouragement to learning) and social / situational (namely those situational / social constructs interact in shaping a student's motivation and classroom attitude.

Behaviorism

Behaviorism believes that external actions and manner dominate if not replace cognition. adical behaviorists believe that mind / cognition…… [Read More]

Mind in Theories Concept of

Additionally, Edward C. Tolman was essentially aiming to understand cognitive processes through the implementation of behavioral methods. Through his experiments using rats, Tolman posited the idea that behavior was not simply a reaction to a particular stimulus (Walker 1984). ather, he believed that the concept of the mind could make actual connections between various stimuli. His concept of latent learning illustrates how the mind can learn without having to express an explicit response to a present stimulus. Instead, the mind learns with less obvious reinforcement that can occur after the removal of the stimulus that triggered the learning in the first place. Essentially, the knowledge gained from latent learning is not always expressed immediately, and rather develops inside the mind through unconscious processes that are drawn upon only when the environment would require them. The mind holds on to these pieces of memory to assist in more overt learning later…… [Read More]