Neobehaviorism

What is Neobehaviorism?

Neobehaviorism has roots in positivism, emphasizing objective data and minimizing speculation, with goals of predicting and controlling behavior.

What philosophical approach did Neobehaviorism draw from?

Neobehaviorism drew from logical positivism, which divides science into empirical (observable) and theoretical (explanatory) parts.

What is an Operational Definition?

An Operational Definition refers to defining terms in measurable ways to remove metaphysical speculation and facilitate laboratory study.

What does Physicalism refer to in psychology?

Physicalism refers to the development of a common vocabulary among the sciences.

What are the four main tenets accepted by Neobehaviorists?

1) Theories must align with logical positivism. 2) All theoretical terms must be operationally defined. 3) Animals should be used as research subjects. 4) The learning process is crucial for organism-environment adjustment.

Who was Edwin Ray Guthrie?

Edwin Ray Guthrie (1886-1959) was an American psychologist known for his work in the Psychology of Learning and for being president of the American Psychological Association in 1945.

What is the One Trial Theory proposed by Guthrie?

The One Trial Theory suggests that all learning is completed within a single exposure to a situation, based on Aristotle's law of contiguity.

How did Guthrie distinguish between acts and movements?

A movement is a specific response to a specific stimulus configuration, learned at full strength after one exposure, while an act is a response to varying stimuli and consists of many movements.

What principle did Guthrie reject in his learning theory?

Guthrie rejected the notion of reinforcement.

What is the Recency Principle according to Guthrie?

The Recency Principle states that whatever worked last in a situation will be repeated when that situation recurs.

What are the three principles that emerged from Guthrie's theories?

The principles are: 1) Principle of Association, 2) Principle of Postremity, 3) Principle of Response Probability.

What does the Principle of Association state?

The Principle of Association states that any stimulus accompanying a behavior or preceding it by less than half a second becomes a cue for that behavior.

What does the Principle of Postremity theorize?

The Principle of Postremity theorizes that a stimulus followed by more than two responses becomes associated only with the response closest to it.

What was Guthrie's main academic background?

Guthrie graduated with a BA in mathematics and earned an MA in philosophy, followed by another MA and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania.

Where did Guthrie spend his academic career?

Guthrie spent his entire academic career at the University of Washington, Seattle.

What was Guthrie's principal work?

Guthrie's principal work was 'The Psychology of Learning,' published in 1935.

What law of association did Guthrie accept?

Guthrie accepted Aristotle's law of contiguity but rejected the law of frequency.

How did Guthrie's view on learning differ from other theorists?

Guthrie believed that learning could occur in a single exposure, contrasting with other theorists who emphasized practice and frequency.

What is the significance of the law of contiguity in Guthrie's theory?

The law of contiguity is central to Guthrie's One Trial Theory, suggesting that learning occurs with immediate association between stimuli and responses.

What did Guthrie believe about the application of learning phenomena?

Guthrie strongly believed in the application of learning phenomena, emphasizing practical implications in psychology.

What major psychological association did Guthrie lead?

Guthrie was elected president of the American Psychological Association in 1945.

What does the principle of response probability state?

The chance of a particular response occurring at a specified time relates to the size of the stimulus for that response present at that time.

Who was Clark Leonard Hull?

A psychologist known for his contributions to learning theory and the development of the Hypothetico-Deductive Learning Theory.

What was the main work of Clark Hull?

The Principles of Behavior (1943).

What formula did Hull devise in his learning theory?

SER = SHR × D × V × K, where ER is excitatory potential, SHR is habit strength, D is drive strength, V is stimulus intensity dynamism, and K is incentive.

What does SHR represent in Hull's formula?

Habit strength, derived from previous conditioning trials.

How does drive strength (D) influence behavior according to Hull?

Drive strength is determined by factors such as deprivation of food or water, influencing the likelihood of a response.

What is stimulus intensity dynamism (V) in Hull's theory?

It refers to the varying influences of different stimuli on behavior.

What does K represent in Hull's learning formula?

Incentive, or how appealing the result of the action is.

What is Hull's concept of drive-reduction?

The idea that behaviors satisfying biological needs reduce cravings, thus reinforcing those behaviors.

Who was Edward Tolman?

A psychologist known for his development of purposive behaviorism and contributions to learning theory.

What was Tolman's educational background?

He graduated from MIT with a degree in chemistry and earned his PhD at Harvard.

What is purposive behaviorism according to Tolman?

A theory that emphasizes purpose and cognition as determinants of behavior, contrasting with reflexive stimulus-response behavior.

How did Tolman view Watson's and Thorndike's contributions to learning theory?

He believed they did not fully articulate learning theory and criticized Watson for overemphasizing stimulus-response connections.

What did Tolman think about reflexive behavior?

He considered behaviors governed solely by stimulus-response as reflexive (molecular behavior).

What is the difference between molecular and molar behavior in Tolman's theory?

Molecular behavior is reflexive and stimulus-driven, while molar behavior is purposive and considers cognitive processes.

What influenced both Hull and Tolman in their psychological theories?

Both were influenced by William James's Principles of Psychology.

What was Hull's emphasis in his research?

Experimentation, an organized theory of learning, and the nature of habits as associations between stimuli and responses.

What role does reinforcement play in Hull's learning theory?

Reinforcement helps form habits by satisfying biological needs, thus reducing drives.

How did Hull's health issues impact his life?

He struggled with lifelong health issues, including memory impairment from typhoid fever and mobility issues from poliomyelitis.

What was Tolman's criticism of the Law of Effect?

He did not accept Thorndike's Law of Effect, believing it oversimplified learning.

Where did Hull spend most of his academic career?

Yale University.

Where did Tolman spend his entire academic career?

The University of California, Berkeley.

What are intervening variables in psychology?

Intervening variables are theoretical concepts that intervene between environmental events (independent variables) and behaviors (dependent variables).

What is vicarious trial and error in the context of rats running a maze?

Vicarious trial and error refers to the process where a rodent ponders which way to turn at a junction based on its hypothesis about the maze.

What does expectancy mean in the context of a rat exploring a maze?

Expectancy refers to the belief that a certain action (like turning left) will lead to a specific outcome (like finding food).

What is a cognitive map as developed by a rat in a maze?

A cognitive map is a mental representation of the maze that the rat develops as it explores and learns the layout.

Who was B.F. Skinner?

Burrhus Frederic Skinner was an American psychologist known for his work in behaviorism and operant conditioning.

What educational background did B.F. Skinner have?

Skinner attended Hamilton College, where he majored in English, and later entered a graduate program in psychology at Harvard.

What is radical behaviorism according to B.F. Skinner?

Radical behaviorism is a perspective that considers feelings and thoughts as influential but not as causes of behavior, focusing instead on observable behavior and environmental influences.

How did Skinner's behaviorism differ from Watson's?

Skinner's behaviorism acknowledged the role of feelings, thoughts, and genetic endowment in behavior, while Watson's behaviorism did not.

What was Skinner's view on internal motives?

Skinner believed that internal motives were unnecessary for explaining behavior and that focusing on them detracted from understanding environmental influences.

What is the significance of the Skinner Box?

The Skinner Box is an experimental apparatus used to study operant conditioning by allowing researchers to observe the effects of reinforcement and punishment on behavior.

What is operant conditioning?

Operant conditioning is a learning process through which the strength of a behavior is modified by reinforcement or punishment.

What are schedules of reinforcement?

Schedules of reinforcement are rules that determine how and when a behavior will be reinforced, influencing the rate and strength of the behavior.

What is the premise of Skinner's book 'Walden Two'?

'Walden Two' presents a utopian community based on behavioral engineering principles, aiming for a better society through controlled behavior.

What was the impact of 'Walden Two' upon its second release?

Upon its second release in 1967, 'Walden Two' became a bestseller, particularly among the hippie community, leading to the establishment of similar communities.

What argument does Skinner make in 'Beyond Freedom and Dignity'?

In 'Beyond Freedom and Dignity', Skinner argues that belief in free will hinders the application of scientific methods to modify behavior for societal improvement.

What is Skinner's view on punishment?

Skinner viewed punishment as a logical consequence of societal beliefs in free will and argued for a technology of behavior that promotes cultural engineering.

What are token economies?

Token economies are systems used in institutions to encourage desirable behavior by providing tokens as rewards, though they remain controversial.

What is the deterministic view of behavior according to Skinner?

Skinner's deterministic view posits that the environment enforces behavior, suggesting that behavior is shaped by environmental conditions rather than free will.

How did Skinner view instincts in relation to behavior?

Skinner was wary of instincts, believing that researchers who focus on them often overlook the influence of the environment on behavior.

What is the role of genetic endowment in Skinner's behaviorism?

Skinner acknowledged that some behaviors are innate due to genetic endowment, but emphasized that environmental factors control the expression of these behaviors.

What did Skinner mean by 'functional relations' in behaviorism?

Functional relations refer to the connections between environmental conditions and behavior that Skinner sought to discover through experimentation.

What was Skinner's approach to studying behavior?

Skinner focused on laboratory experiments, collecting data to understand cause and effect connections between environmental factors and behavior.