Personality 2 Psychology and Behaviorism

Introduction to Personality Psychology

• Focus of today's lecture: Understanding personality through behaviorist approaches, specifically classical and operant conditioning.

• Previous discussions revolved around Freudian and psychoanalytical approaches that were criticized for being unmeasurable.

Behaviorism and Personality

• Behaviorism emerged as a response to the unscientific nature of psychoanalysis.

  • Emphasizes observable and measurable aspects of personality.

  • Philosophically, it reflects the idea of the pendulum swing between different psychological theories.

Key Figures in Behaviorism

• John B. Watson: One of the founding figures of behaviorism. Famous quote regarding environmental influence on development.

• B.F. Skinner: Advocated for radical behaviorism, dismissing internal processes as unimportant to understanding behavior.

Classical Conditioning

• Definition: A learning process in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response.

• Pavlov's Experiment: Used dogs to illustrate classical conditioning, where the sound of a bell (neutral stimulus) was paired with food (unconditioned stimulus) to produce salivation (conditioned response).

  • Unconditioned Stimulus: Elicits a natural response.

  • Conditioned Stimulus: Initially neutral stimulus that, through association, elicits a response.

• Extinction: Process by which the conditioned response weakens when the conditioned stimulus is presented without the unconditioned stimulus.

Application of Classical Conditioning

• Phobias can be developed through classical conditioning (e.g., Little Albert experiment by Watson).

  • Fear responses are conditioned and can be unlearned (extinction).

  • Examples of application in therapy: Pairing fear-inducing stimuli with relaxation techniques (systematic desensitization).

Operant Conditioning

• Definition: A method of learning that occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior.

• Key Concepts:

  • Reinforcement (Positive or Negative): Increases the likelihood of a behavior by presenting or removing stimuli.

  • Positive Reinforcement: Adding a pleasant stimulus (e.g., praise).

  • Negative Reinforcement: Removing an unpleasant stimulus (e.g., relief from chores).

  • Punishment (Positive or Negative): Decreases the likelihood of a behavior by presenting or removing stimuli.

  • Positive Punishment: Adding an unpleasant stimulus (e.g., scolding).

  • Negative Punishment: Removing a pleasant stimulus (e.g., taking away privileges).

• Importance of Schedule of Reinforcement: Variable ratio reinforcement is highly effective and addictive (e.g., gambling).

Implications of Behaviorism

• Behaviorists argue that personality is shaped by cumulative experiences rather than innate traits.

• Behavior can be modified through controlled conditioning, implying a view against the existence of free will and a neutral stance on human nature (neither inherently good nor bad).

Ethical Considerations

• Discussion of the darker implications of behaviorism, such as behavioral manipulation in treatments or social engineering.

Conclusion

• Behaviorism offers valuable insights into understanding and modifying personality and behavior through conditioning techniques, providing a scientific approach to psychology that contrasts with more introspective methods.

• Next lecture will transition into humanist psychology perspectives, further exploring the evolution of personality theories.