Transcript History: Unit 7 - Behaviorism: Modern Applications

History: Unit 7 Behaviorism: Modern
Applications
Chat until class starts
Unit 7 Assignments
• Reading: Chapter 11 in your text, A History of
Modern Psychology. Read the information on the
Albert Bandura website.
• Seminar: Attend the seminar or complete
the option 2 assignment
• Discussion: Read the case study and
answer the discussion questions regarding
this case. Provide 2 responses to other
student posts
• Unit 7 Project: Complete the paper and
submit to the Unit 7 project dropbox.
Three Stages of Behaviorism
1. Prior to 1930, Watson popularized Behaviorism.
2. Neobaviorism (1930-1960): The work of Tolman,
Hull, Skinner, and others. They agreed that
psychologists should study learning, behavior can
be explained by the laws of conditioning, and
psychology should adopt the principle of
“operationalism.” Basically, operationalism
believed the science should use valid operations
and precise measurements to measure different
concepts.
3. Sociobehaviorism (1960-1990): The work of
Bandura, Rotter, and others considered the role
of cognitive processes and focused on
observation.
Neobehaviorism & Edward Tolman (18861959)
Personal
 Ph.D from Harvard and in Germany under Gestalt
psychologist, Koffka.
 Became interested in Watson’s Behaviorism and rejected
Titchener’s introspection
 University of Berkeley professor
Research and Theories
 Purposive Behaviorism – He agreed with Watson that we
should objectively study behavior. He believed that goals
and purpose determine behavior.
 He believed intervening variables influenced behavior.
 Organisms develop “cognitive maps” (mental
representations) of the environment (Leahey, 2004).
 Behaviorists, such as Watson, didn’t agree with the role of
the mind influencing behavior.
Neobehaviorism & Clark Hull (1884-1952)
Personal
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Ph.D from University of Wisconsin
Influenced by Pavlov’s theories
University of Wisconsin and Yale professor
Contracted polio at age 24
Invented a machine for calculating correlations
Research and Theories
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Embraced mechanism and viewed research participants as
machines
Hypothetico-deductive method focused on experimental tests to
determine if your conclusions were correct
Law of Primary Reinforcement – When a response to a stimulus
causes a reduction in that need, you will repeat this same stimulusresponse association (See notes below for an example).
Neobehaviorism & B.F. Skinner (1904-1990)
Personal
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One of the most influential psychologists.
Little success as a writer, so he pursued his interest in psychology.
He read about Watson and Pavlov.
He earned a Ph.D. from Harvard and became a Professor at Harvard
He developed a program for behavioral control of society, promoted
behavioral modification techniques, and invented an automated crib
for infants.
He was a celebrity and wrote 2 best selling novels about
Behaviorism. The books were Walden Two (1948)and Freedom and
Dignity (1971)
Research and Theories
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Skinner’s Behaviorism focused on investigating responses. He was
concerned with describing behavior, but not interested in explaining
underlying drives or motives. He was not interested in mental events.
He believed psychologists should focus on observable behavior.
B.F. Skinner, page 2
Research and Theories, cont.
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Operant conditioning – A behavior that occurs in response to a stimulus.
This is learning from your consequences. If you are reinforced, you will be
more likely to repeat a behavior. If you are punished, you will be less likely
to repeat the behavior.
Skinner noticed rats will increase their pressing of a bar if they are
reinforced with food.
In the real world, we are reinforced at varying rates and times, which
Skinner called “schedules of reinforcement.” For example, slot machines
provide intermittent reinforcement. You keep playing because you don’t
know when you will receive a reward. Pay checks are fixed reinforcement
because you receive a check every two weeks.
Shaping involves rewarding closer and closer approximations of the
behavior. This is used to teach complex behaviors. If you are teaching your
child how to play baseball, you might reward him/her for holding the bat
correctly. Once this is mastered, then you would focus on stance and
holding the bat right. Eventually, the child will learn to put the behaviors
together and learn how to swing at the ball.
B.F. Skinner, page 3
Research and Theories, cont.
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Behavior Modification – Using positive reinforcement to encourage
behavior. Skinner found that positive reinforcement is more
effective than punishment. Currently, we use behavior modification
techniques in prisons, schools, and many other places to
encourage positive behaviors and discourage negative behaviors.
Walden 2- Book in which Skinner described a mechanistic society
in which people’s behavior was shaped and guided by using
positive reinforcement.
Criticisms: 1) He didn’t take into account cognitive factors (e.g.,
drives, motives); 2) he could not train some animals to do
something contrary to their instincts; and 3) some behaviors are
inherited.
Contributions: 1) Popularized Behaviorism and Psychology, 2)
Many of his theories have been applied to different areas of
society, and 3) his goal was to improve society.
Sociobehaviorism & Albert Bandura(1925 -)
Personal
 Canadian who became interested in psychopathology of every day life
 Ph.D from Iowa and Stanford professor
Research and Theories
 After WW2, there was a renewed interest in cognitive factors. Bandura
addressed how cognitive factors influence behavior.
 Social Cognitive Theory – We learn without being directly reinforced. We
can learn from observing others. If others are reinforced for the behavior
(vicarious reinforcement), we might try to replicate their behavior.
 Self-efficacy – Feeling that you are competent to solve a problem. It’s a type
of self-confidence. People with lower self-efficacy don’t feel like they can
accomplish the task, so they may give up. People with higher self-efficacy
tend to accomplish more because they are more confident in their abilities.
 Bandura’s Behavior Modification: Believed undesirable behaviors can be
removed by observing others. For example, if you are scared of a dogs,
and watch a person pet a dog, then your fear would decrease, and you
might pet the dog.
 Applications of Bandura’s theory and behavior modification techniques in
clinics, businesses, and classrooms
Sociobehaviorism, Julian Rotter (1916-) and
Behaviorism Today
Julian Rotter
 Ph.D from Indiana University; worked as psychologist with the U.S. Army;
taught at Ohio State and University of Connecticut
 Developed the term “Social Learning Theory” to discuss a cognitive form of
Behaviorism, similar to Albert Bandura.
 Locus of Control – Individuals with an external locus of control believe
things are controlled by other people or outside factors. People with an
internal locus of control believe they can control what happens. For
example, if you have a job interview, a person with an internal locus of
control believes their performance will determine if they get the job.
Someone with an external locus of control believes they can’t control
getting the job, but it depends on the interviewer, luck, or other external
factors.
Behaviorism Today
 There are many applications of behaviorism in society today.
 In addition, most people agree that cognitive influences play a role in
shaping behavior.
References
Leahey, T.H. (2004). A history of psychology: Main currents in
psychological thought (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall.
Schultz, D.P. & Schultz, S.E. (2008). A history of modern psychology
(9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.