Behaviorism vs. Cognitive Psychology and Related Theories (Lecture Notes)

Flashcards covering the key distinctions, concepts, and experiments from the lecture notes on behaviorism, cognitive psychology, Tolman, Hull, Skinner, and related ideas.

What is methodological behaviorism?

A research approach that manipulates environmental stimuli and observes changes in behavior, while avoiding speculation about internal mental states.

What is the main difference between behaviorism and cognitive psychology regarding the cause of behavior change?

Behaviorism attributes changes to external environmental factors; cognitive psychology attributes changes to internal mental processes (thoughts, memories, emotions).

What did Watson argue psychologists should not discuss?

Internal mental states or thoughts; psychology should focus on observable behavior only.

In cognitive psychology, what is commonly considered as the source of changes in behavior?

Internal cognitive processes (thinking, memory, beliefs) rather than solely external changes.

What is a cognitive map?

A mental representation of the environment that allows an organism to navigate, learned even without immediate reinforcement.

What did Tolman’s maze experiments demonstrate about learning and reinforcement?

Rats form cognitive maps; learning can occur without reinforcement and reinforcement mainly affects performance, not learning.

What is latent learning?

Learning that occurs without obvious reinforcement and is revealed later when motivation or reinforcement appears.

How did Tolman explain the initial maze trials where no food was provided?

Rats learned the maze layout (cognitive map) even without reinforcement; performance improved once food was introduced.

How does SR theory differ from Tolman’s view?

SR theory emphasizes stimulus-response associations formed by reinforcement; Tolman argues knowledge of the environment (cognitive maps) underlies learning.

What are intervening variables as described by Clark Hull?

Internal states (like hunger) that mediate between stimuli and responses and help explain behavior within an SR framework.

What is a reinforcer?

Anything that increases the probability of a behavior being repeated.

What was Skinner’s position on inner mental states?

Internal states are not denied, but behavior should be explained by environmental contingencies; internal events are understood as behaviors shaped by the environment.

What are the three contingencies in the behavioral framework described?

Environment, the organism (including cognition), and the behavior, each influencing the others.

What does Tolman say about reinforcement and learning in terms of cognitive maps vs motivation?

Reinforcement motivates behavior but does not solely determine learning; learning involves forming a cognitive representation of the environment.

What did the Bobo doll example illustrate?

Learning can occur through observation (observational learning) without direct reinforcement of the observed behavior.

What are the alternative approaches to behaviorism and cognition mentioned in the notes?

Biopsychology/neuroscience (brain-based explanations) and psychodynamic (unconscious urges/desires) approaches.