Behaviorism, also known as behavioral psychology, is a theory of learning based on the idea that all behaviors are acquired through conditioning. Conditioning occurs through interaction with the environment. Behaviorists believe that our responses to environmental stimuli shape our actions.
According to this school of thought, behavior can be studied in a systematic and observable manner regardless of internal mental states.
Basically, only observable behavior should be considered—cognitions, emotions, and moods are far too subjective.
Strict behaviorists believed that any person can potentially be trained to perform any task, regardless of genetic background, personality traits, and internal thoughts (within the limits of their physical capabilities). It only requires the right conditioning.
Brief History
Behaviorism was formally established with the 1913 publication of John B. Watson’s classic paper, “Psychology as the Behaviorist Views It.” It is best summed up by the following quote from Watson, who is often considered the “father” of behaviorism:
“Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select—doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief and, yes, even beggar-man and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors.”
Simply put, strict behaviorists believe that all behaviors are the result of experience.
Any person, regardless of his or her background, can be trained to act in a particular manner given the right conditioning.
From about 1920 through the mid-1950s, behaviorism grew to become the dominant school of thought in psychology. Some suggest that the popularity of behavioral psychology grew out of the desire to establish psychology as an objective and measurable science. Researchers were interested in creating theories that could be clearly described and empirically measured, but also used to make contributions that might have an influence on the fabric of everyday human lives.
There are two major types of conditioning:
Classical conditioning is a technique frequently used in behavioral training in which a neutral stimulus is paired with a naturally occurring stimulus. Eventually, the neutral stimulus comes to evoke the same response as the naturally occurring stimulus, even without the naturally occurring stimulus presenting itself. The associated stimulus is now known as the conditioned stimulus and the learned behavior is known as the conditioned response.
Operant conditioning (sometimes referred to as instrumental conditioning) is a method of learning that occurs through reinforcements and punishments. Through operant conditioning, an association is made between a behavior and a consequence for that behavior. When a desirable result follows an action, the behavior becomes more likely to occur again in the future. Responses followed by adverse outcomes, on the other hand, become less likely to happen again in the future.
Outline two assumptions of the behaviorist approach
One assumption of the behaviorist approach is that we are born as a blank slate (known as tabula rasa) and we learn everything from the environment. This assumption believes that all humans, male and female, are born the same and it is the environment and social norms that shape our personality. With gender roles, behaviorism believes that men and women are born the same but it is the roles built into the environment that create the stereotypes that we see, for example certain toys bought for girls and boys and color differences pink and blue.
Another assumption of the behaviorist approach is that we learn through conditioning. There are two main types of conditioning these are classical conditioning (also known as pavlovian conditioning) and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning refers to learning through association. For example in Pavlov’s work with dogs they learned that the sound of a bell ringing was associated with gaining food, and therefore in the future salivated whenever they heard a bell ring, whereas Operant conditioning refers to learning through reinforcement. These are usually split into positive reinforcement (making your more likely to re-enact a behavior), negative reinforcement (also making you more likely to re-enact a behavior) and punishment (making you less likely to continue a behavior). For example in Skinner’s work with rats they were given positive reinforcements in the form of food if they pressed a lever, and as soon as they learned this they continued to press the lever for more.
