BEHAVIOURISM_-_lecture_1

PSY1610 - BEHAVIOURISM

Key Concepts

• Key concepts related to behaviorism include:

  • Positive Reinforcement: Rewarding a behavior to increase its frequency.

  • Negative Punishment: Removing a stimulus to decrease a behavior.

  • Operant Conditioning: Learning through consequences.

  • Observational Learning: Learning by watching others.

  • Modeling: Imitating behaviors.

  • Law of Effect: Behaviors followed by favorable outcomes are more likely to be repeated.

  • Classical Conditioning: Learning through association, as demonstrated by Pavlov.

  • Skinner: Known for his work on operant conditioning.

  • Thorndike: Pioneered research on the connections between behavior and consequences.

Historical Development of Behaviourism

• Central Tenet: A science of behavior is possible and should be psychology.

• Understanding early psychologists' efforts to recognize psychology as a science.

From Philosophy to Science

• All sciences have origins in philosophy, such as:

  • Astronomy and Physics: Emerged from philosophical speculation about the universe.

  • Key historical figure: Galileo, who fostered observation over assumption.

Philosophy Vs. Science

• Philosophy:

  • Reasoning from assumptions to conclusions.

  • Truth is absolute and deals with abstractions (God, harmony).

• Science:

  • Proceeds from observable evidence to conclusions.

  • Truth is relative and focuses on the natural world.

Biology: From Philosophy to Darwin

• Biology's shift from philosophy involved studying organisms directly.

• Charles Darwin's theory of evolution challenged traditional biblical views, creating controversy.

Psychology: Its Roots in Philosophy

• Psychology's transition from philosophy is relatively recent.

• Initially labeled a ‘science of the mind’; relied on introspection (examining one's own thoughts).

Challenges with Introspection

• Introspection is subjective and hard to standardize.

• Critiques led to the emergence of Objective Psychology and Comparative Psychology.

Voluntarism

• Founded by Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920):

  • Recognized as the founder of experimental psychology.

  • Proposed studying consciousness and behavior through Experimental Introspection.

Structuralism

• Developed by Edward Titchener:

  • Emphasized raw experiences over derived knowledge.

  • Relied heavily on introspection but was limited in scope.

Decline of Structuralism

• Criticized for being overly reliant on introspection and neglecting unconscious processes.

• Ignored Darwinian principles, leading to its decline.

Objective Psychology

• Movement towards objective methods due to dissatisfaction with introspection.

• Important figures included:

  • F.C. Donders

  • Gustav Fechner

  • Hermann Ebbinghaus

Comparative Psychology

• Evolutionary theory influenced psychologists to examine similarities between species.

• Studies on animals increasingly informed human psychology.

Functionalism

• Originated in the U.S.; coexisted with Structuralism:

  • Focused on the practical utility of consciousness.

  • William James (1842-1910) as a key proponent.

Early Behaviorism

• John B. Watson (1878-1958) as the founder:

  • 1913 publication, ‘Psychology as Behaviorist Views It’, established early behaviorism.

  • Stressed that psychology should focus on observable behavior.