Ch 1 Vid 3 Methodological Behaviorism

Structuralism

A school of thought in psychology that sought to understand the structure of the mind through introspection.

Functionalism

An early perspective in psychology that emphasized the purpose of mental processes and behavior in terms of adaptation to the environment.

Behaviorism

A theoretical perspective in psychology that focuses on observable behavior and the environmental events that influence it.

John B. Watson

An influential psychologist who published 'Psychology as the Behaviorist Views It' in 1913, criticizing the validity of consciousness and advocating for behaviorism.

Introspection

A method used in psychology to examine one's own conscious thoughts and feelings, criticized by Watson for being subjective.

Nativism

The belief that certain skills or abilities are 'inborn' or hard-wired into the brain, which Watson rejected in favor of learning as the basis for behavior.

Methodological behaviorism

A form of behaviorism that focuses on observable behaviors without considering internal mental states.

SR Theory

A theory proposed by Watson suggesting that learning occurs through the pairing of stimuli (S) and responses (R).

Little Albert Experiment

A controversial study conducted by John B. Watson where an infant was conditioned to fear fuzzy white objects.

Parsimony

The principle that the simplest explanation for a phenomenon is preferred, emphasizing simplicity in scientific explanations as advocated by Watson.