John Watsons Approach to the Study of Psychology - Coursework Example

?BEHAVIORISM: JOHN WATSON’S APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF PSYCHOLOGY Introduction John Broadus Watson (1878-1958) was an American psychologist who developed the school of behaviorism as the basis for learning, using pioneering experimental studies on animal behavior (Bootzin 1991). In 1913 began publishing a series of publications outlining his behaviorist approach which emphasized the role of environmental stimuli in determining behavior (Glassman & Hadad 2009). Watson stated in his characteristic assertive style, “'Give me a dozen healthy infants, well formed and my own specified world to bring them up in and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select - doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief and yes, even a beggar man and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations and race of his ancestors” (Watson 1930: 104). He added to the above statement with the words “I am going beyond my facts and I admit it, but so have the advocates of the contrary and they have been doing it for thousands of years” (Watson 1930: 104). The request was more for its publicity value, only to express Watson’s basic belief in behaviorism, that children are mouldable, and that it is their environment and not inherent qualities such as talent or temperament that determined their destiny (Harris 2009). Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to examine Watson’s approach to the study of psychology based on the above quote, and support the answer with evidence. J.B. Watson’s Theory of Behaviorism in the Psychology of Learning The process of learning from experience forms the basis for changes in behavior. Watson’s major work Behaviorism, 1930, revealed his confidence in his theory’s validity even though he lacked experimental support (Glassman & Hadad 2009). Watson’s theory of behaviorism greatly influenced three central elements. These included the emphasis on observable responses and environmental stimuli; the rejection of mentalistic concepts not rooted in direct observation; and the focus on learning and experience as key to the understanding of human behavior (Glassman & Hadad 2009). The behaviorist views psychology as a purely objective experimental branch of natural science. The theoretical purpose of behaviorism is the prediction and control of behavior. Introspection is not a key aspect of its procedures; and the scientific value of its data is related to the extent of its willingness to be interpreted in terms of consciousness. The behaviorist finds no differentiation between man and animal (Watson 1930). “Watson’s writings and ideas were a lever that moved the world” (Glassman & Hadad 2009: 114). Until the mid-1950s behaviorism became the main force in psychology, especially in North America. The theories of learning are based on different concerns and various approaches to data gathering and science building. Behaviorists are primarily concerned with objective, discernible events in relation to stimuli, responses, and reinforcers. Besides Watson, other psychologists who have attributed behaviorism to learning include “Skinner, Pavlov, Guthrie, Thorndike and Hull”, according to Lefrancois (2011: 362). Skinner’s theory aligns with that of Watson’s behaviorism. Although the overall approach of behaviorism became influential, most researchers did not accept Watson’s extreme viewpoint sometimes known as radical behaviorism. Even B.F. Skinner who continued Watson’s work commented “a shortage of facts is always a problem in a new science, but in Watson’s aggressive program in a field as vast as human behavior it was especially damaging” (Skinner 1974: 6). Horowitz’s (1992) study revealed that “a survey of a nonrandom sample of current developmental psychologists revealed no consensus with respect to Watson’s legacy to developmental psychology”. Although the impact of Watson’s use of an objective methodology in developmental psychology has a continued effect, it is not necessarily acknowledged. His extreme environmentalism has been abandoned. Watson’s interest in understanding the principles of learning is found in the ensuing work of Skinner’s and Hull’s followers. “The influence of its underlying premise about the importance of environment and of learning is to be found in such work as studies of the effects of intervention programs” (Horowitz 1992: 360). The researcher suggests that through the continued rejection of a Watsonian emphasis on learning as an essential process in development and behavior, the possible costs to the field should be considered. Ivan Pavlov in his research with dogs in laboratory conditions, established the principles key to classical conditioning. This was a type of learning that would be applied to human psychology by psychologists such as Watson and Skinner. He found that the dogs has started relating the footsteps with the food they would be given. They started to produce saliva at the sight of the food, and at hearing the approaching footsteps of the experimenter (Avis 2009). B.F. Skinner’s Behaviorist Theory of Operant Conditioning B.F. Skinner’s theory of elicited behavior is related to operant conditioning or behavior modeling. This is the reflexive action made by an animal involuntarily. An example is the animal salivating at the sight of a lever in an operant chamber, because by the voluntary action of pressing the lever the anticipated food is received. Elicited response is an important aspect of operant conditioning. This behavioral learning theory underscores a situation in which a stimulus such as food for the pigeon or rat, and a reinforcer such as a light are used by the researcher to create an animal behavior or response such as pressing a lever, by which the animal receives food. Hence, the purpose of “B.F. Skinner’s operant conditioning is to achieve behavior shaping, or behavior modeling, so that the animal is rewarded for following a particular path or set of actions that is desired by the behavioral scientist” (Leonard 2002: 62). Thus, Skinner believed in reinforcing responses rather than conditioning them (Harris 2009). B.F. Skinner used his operant conditioning and behavior modeling approaches in the domain of societal uses of behaviorism. “B.F. Skinner called for a radical behaviorism that could potentially change society” (Leonard 2002: 159). By radical behaviorism, Skinner expressed that principles of reinforcement could be applied to human institutions for the betterment of society. This radical behaviorism believed that environmental events in society could be confirmed and manipulated to control human behavior for making people happier and more productive members of the society. “Skinner’s behaviorism is radical because it rejects any attempt to study scientifically mental events, such as asconsciousness and motivation” (Leonard 2002: 159). According to Skinner, environmental events that can be observed and measured, the response of the organism to the events, and the consequences of the organism’s behavior are significantly compelling subjects worthy of scientific analysis. In the context of environmental events in society as seen above, Skinner’s radical behaviorism is the same as Watson’s theory of behaviorism. Watson, the founder of behaviorism had noted that since consciousness cannot be reliably studied, it should not be studied at all. Behavior being observable, should be the only factor that should be studied. According to Watson, the study of epistemology or the nature of knowledge, and the study of consciousness should be left to the philosophers. To Watson, Skinner, and the behaviorists that followed them the millennia of study on epistemology and knowledge was not useful, despite the time and scientific effort that had been involved. “Thus, behaviorism is a radical approach to the study of psychology and how animals and people learn” (Leonard 2002: 159). The predominant criticisms of behaviorism concern its mechanization of humans, and lack of accounting for mental events such as thinking, feeling, and understanding. The behavioristic as well as cognitive models continue to influence psychological theory and practice, along with the more biologically based approaches. Behavioristic theories include an important set of methods “for treating behavior problems and emotional disorders as well as for changing behavior in classrooms” (Lefrancois 2011: 362). Nurture or Environmental Basis of Human Behavior The importance of environment or nurture is emphasized by some scholars, who believe that individuals think and behave in particular ways because they are taught to do so from various factors and sources in their surroundings during their growing up years. This is the nurture theory of human behavior, which supports Watson’s (1930) theory of behaviorism (Lefrancois 2011). Skinner identified the use of rate as unique to his theory of operant conditioning and subsequent radical behaviorism. “In behavior-analytic theory the world is characterized through categories of transaction with behavior” (Todd & Morris 1995: 86). They are sets of contingent relations or correlations between events or patterns of events over time. Secondly, psychological process is considered to be interaction between behavior-environment. It does not include phenomena that form form the basis of the interaction. Skinner acknowledges the importance of physiologically based explanations of behavior, requiring that physiological interpretive terms should be supported by experimental observations. Rate is an abstraction, and interpreters of human action ignore directly perceived events, and instead appeal to impalpable entities, such as mental or presumed physiological processes causing overt behavior. Therefore, “Skinner’s persistent criticisms of mentalistic explanation have continued to inspire controversy” (Todd & Morris 1995: 86). Research conducted by various scientists including Plomin and Asbury (2005) reveal evidence that both heredity and the environment are crucial factors. Nature and nurture complement each other in their contribution to individuals’ learning and development. Although substantial genetic influence on several behavioral traits are being increasingly accepted, there is also evidence of the importance of environmental influence and important clues about the working of the environment. A great deal of developmental action is at the border between genes and environment. Therefore, it is essential that genetic research includes measures of the environment, and environmental research enhanced by collecting DNA (Plomin & Asbury 2005). Conclusion This paper has highlighted J.B. Watson’s approach to the study of psychology in learning through his theory of behaviorism which related to the influence of the environment on an individual’s learning and behavior. Watson’s theory of behaviorism greatly influenced three core factors including observable responses and environmental stimuli, the avoidance of mentally-oriented concepts not related to direct observation, and an emphasis on learning and experience as essential to comprehending human behavior, according to Glassman & Hadad (2009). The evidence indicates that several other psychologists have followed in Watson’s footsteps, such as Pavlov and Skinner. Skinner’s theory known as radical behaviorism emerged from operant conditioning, in which the reinforcement of the stimulus for ensuring learning and related behavior, was emphasized upon. These theories are found to focus on the environment and its effects on an individual’s learning. However, later psychologists rejected Watson’s theory of behaviorism, producing evidence to the effect that both environment and heredity played important roles in learning. Behaviorism has helped in developing systematic and scientific knowledge about human behavior. It also helped to establish other schools of psychological thought against the basic principles of behaviorism. In diverse fields such as education, management practices and parenting, behaviorism continues to have a strong impact. Bibliography Avis, P. (2009). Psychological perspectives. Cape Town: Pearson South Africa. Bootzin, R.R. (1991). Psychology today: An introduction. Edition 7. New York: McGraw- Hill. Glassman, W.E. & Hadad, M. (2009). Approaches to psychology Edition 5. The United Kingdom: Tata McGraw-Hill Education. Harris, J.R. (2009). The nurture assumption: Why children turn out the way they do. Edition 2. New York: Free Press. Horowitz, F.D. (1992). John B. Watson’s legacy: Learning and environment. Developmental Psychology, 28 (3): pp.360-367. Lefrancois, G.R. (2011). Theories of human learning: What the professor said. Edition 6. The United States of America: Cengage Learning. Leonard, D.C. (2002). Learning theories, A to Z. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. Plomin, R. & Asbury, K. (2005). Nature and nurture: Genetic and environmental influences on behavior. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 600 (1): pp.86-98. Skinner, B.F. (1974). About behaviorism. New York: Knopf. Todd, J.T. & Morris, E.K. (1995). Modern perspectives on B.F. Skinner and Contemporary behaviorism. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. Watson, J.B. (1930). Behaviorism. Edition 6. The United States of America: W.W. Norton. Read More