Chapter 12: Behaviorism

Behaviorism

The a school of psychology that was founded by Watson, insisted that behavior be psychology's subject matter and that psychology's goal be the prediction and control of behavior

Ivan sechenov

Wanted to explain all psychic phenomena on the basis of associationism and materialism

Ivan Sechenov believed

- Thoughts do not cause behavior

- Both internal behavior and external behavior are reflexive in that they are triggered by external stimulation

Sechenov's most important concept that he introduced was

inhibition

Inhibition: inhibitory mechanisms in the brain

- all behavior is reflexive

- saw human development as the slow establishment of inhibitory control over reflexive behavior

Ivan Pavlov received a Nobel prize in 1904 for

His work in physiology

What did Pavlov discover while working on the digestive system

The conditioned reflex

Why did Pavlov refer to these reflexes as "conditional"

due to them depending on something else

Conditioned reflex

a learned reflex

Unconditioned reflex

an unlearned reflex that is innate and is triggered by an unconditioned stimulus

Unconditioned stimulus (US)

a stimulus that elicits an unconditioned response

ex: showing food to a dog

Unconditioned response (UR)

an innate response elicited by the unconditioned stimulus (US) that is naturally associated with it

ex: a dog salivating when shown food

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

A previously biologically neutral stimulus that, through experience, comes to elicit a certain response (CR)

ex: hearing foot steps before feeding a dog food

Neutral stimulus

a stimulus that does not initially elicit a response

A conditioned response (CR)

a response elicited by a conditioned stimulus (CS)

ex: a dog salivating at a foot steps

Classical (Pavlovian) conditioning

a type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events

Excitation

Brain activity that leads to overt behavior of some type, according to Pavlov

Pavlov believed that all central nervous system activity can be characterized as either

excitation or inhibition

Cortical mosaic

According to Pavlov, the pattern of points of excitation and inhibition that characterizes the cortex at any given moment.

Extinction

The elimination or reduction of a condition response (CR) that results when a conditioned stimulus (CS) is presented but is not followed by the unconditioned stimulus (US)

Spontaneous recovery

The reappearance of a conditioned response after a delay following extinction

Disinhibition

The inhibition of an inhibitory process.

demonstrated when after extinction, a loud noise causes the conditioned response to reappear

experimental neurosis

The neurotic behavior that Pavlov created in some of his laboratory animals by bringing excitatory and inhibitory tendencies into conflict

First-signal system

Those objects or events that become signals (CSs) for the occurrence of biologically significant events, such as when a tone signals the eventuality of food.

Second-signal system

The symbols of objects or events that signal the occurrences of biologically

Reflexology

the study of the relationship between environmental events and overt behavior. a term Bechterev used to describe his study of humans

Association reflex

Bechterev's term for what Pavlov called a conditioned reflex

Tropism

The automatic orienting response that Loeb studied in plants and animals.

Radical environmentalism

The belief that most, if not all, human behavior is caused by environmental experience.

Behavior Therapy

The use of learning principles in treating behavioral or emotional problems

Law of recency

Things most recently learned are best remembered

Radical behaviorism

the belief that an explanation of behavior cannot be in terms of unobserved internal events

Methodological behaviorism

A brand of behaviorism which asserts that, for methodological reasons, psychologists should study only those behaviors that can be directly observed.

Four methods of research by Watson

observation

condition-reflex method

testing

verbal reports

Observation research method

Naturalistic or controlled

Conditioned reflex method

Research method based on Pavlov and Bechterev conditioning.

Testing method

taking samples of behavior and not measurement of "capacity" or "personality"

Verbal reports method

treated as any other type of overt behavior

Four types of behavior

Explicit (overt) learned behavior

Implicit (covert) learned behavior

Explicit unlearned behavior

Implicit learned behavior

Explicit (overt) learned behavior

talking, writing, etc.

Implicit (covert) learned behavior

increased heart rate caused by a feared stimulus

Explicit unlearned behavior

grasping, blinking, sneezing

Implicit learned behavior

glandular secretions and circulatory changes

Why was Watson forced to resign?

He was cheating on his wife with Rosalie Rayner

What was Watson's goal with objective psychology

To predict and control behavior

What happened to little albert?

He was conditioned to be afraid of a white rat

What else did little albert become scared of?

Furry objects like a rabbit, a dog