behaviorism
TRANSCRIPT
von Osten’s goal: prove humans and animals have similar mental processes
Clever Hans, the clever horse
Used experimental approach 2 groups of questioners
Group 1 knew the answers Group 2 did not know the answers
Hans only answered correctly when questioners knew the answers
Clever Hans, the clever horseAn Investigation
Conclusion: Hans was receiving some type of information
from questioners Hans had been unintentionally conditioned by his
owner
Impact: Scientists more skeptical of mental processes
in animalsBut… Provided proof that animals were capable of
learning
Clever Hans, the clever horseAn Investigation
Edward Lee Thorndike (1874–1949)
Believed psychology should study behavior, not elements/conscious experiences
Developed a theory of learning Puzzle boxes
Measurements: errors time
Trial-and-error learning
Connectionism Association between stimuli and responses
Connection more likely to form if followed by a reinforcement
Response-units simplest elements of behavior
Theory of Learning
Law of effect: behavior that produces a good outcome
becomes associated with a certain situation;
when the situation recurs, the behavior is likely to occur again (“stamping in”)
likewise, a behavior with a bad outcome is less likely to occur again (“stamping out”)
Formal Laws of Learning
Intended to study for the priesthood
Read about Darwin, chose to study animal physiology
Total dedication to research, unwilling to deal with everyday problems
Pavlov’s life (1849-1936)
1904 Nobel Prize for work on digestion
Experimental Results
Salivating to the food in mouth is innate: unconditional reflex
Salivating to the sight of food is learned: conditional reflex
Conditioned reflexes
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Influences on Psychology
Shift of associationism from subjective ideas
objective physiological responses
Provided Watson with a new method
Toward a science of behavior
Background 1892-1923: structuralism dominates, then first
supplemented and finally replaced by functionalism
1913: behaviorism declares war Protest against both structuralism and
functionalism 1924: Watsonian behaviorism preeminent in
US
Three stages of behaviorism
1913-1930: Watsonian behaviorism
1930-1960: Neobehaviorism Hull, Skinner
1960-present: Sociobehaviorism return to cognitive processes Bandura, Rotter
Watson’s Life (1878-1958)
Family: poor, father drank, frequently unemployed, ran off with another woman when Watson was 13
Personality: Delinquent as a teen At 16, enrolled in university to become
minister Very ambitious but insecure
Watson’s Life (1878-1958)
Academic career: 1903:
youngest person at University of Chicago to receive doctorate (age 25)
married one of his students 1909:
Chair of psychology at John Hopkins Editor of Psychological Review
Watson’s Life (1878-1958)
Academic career: 1914: behavior: an introduction to comparative
psychology Argued for acceptance of animal psychology Described advantages of animal subjects Discussed importance of ridding psychology of the
remnants of philosophy 1919: psychology from the standpoint of a
behaviorist Most complete account of behaviorism to date Argued methods and principles of animal research are
appropriate for study of humans
Watson’s Life (1878-1958)
Overview Watson credited the work of others as
originators of behaviorism Saw himself as bringing together the emergent
ideas Goal: to found a new school
Watson’s Life (1878-1958)
1920: Scandal Affair with student
Rosalie Rayner Watson forced to resign
Moved into advertising
Watson’s behaviorism
Dealt solely with observable behavior Rejected mentalistic concepts and terms such
as consciousness and soul, declared introspection irrelevant
Desired practical applications
Goal: prediction and control of behavior
Reactions to Watson’s Behaviorism
Initial reactions Behaviorism was not embraced
1920s University courses in behaviorism The word “behaviorist” appeared in journals McDougall: issued a public warning against
behaviorism Other forms of behaviorism emerging
The methods of behaviorism
Only accepted methods Observation, with and without instruments Testing methods Verbal report method Conditioned reflex method
Behavior = individual stimulus-response units
The subject matter of behaviorism
Responses can be explicit or implicit Explicit
Overt, directly observable behavior Ex. blinking, knee jerk
Implicit Behavior that occurs internally, but Has a physical manifestation and Is potentially observable through the use of
instruments Ex. glandular secretions
Instincts
1925: eliminated the concept of instinct Denied inherited capacities, temperaments,
talents Children can become anything one desires
with the correct training
Seemingly instinctive behavior is actually a socially conditioned response
Emotions
Emotions Physiological reactions to stimuli, different for each
emotion Implicit behavior
Only unlearned emotional response patterns:
• Rage Love• Fear
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Watson & Little Albert
Albert conditioned to fear a white laboratory rat Each time he reached for the rat,
Watson made a loud clanging noise right above Albert
Albert’s fear generalized to anything white and furry Including rabbits and Santa
Claus Study demonstrated
conditioned (learned) emotional responses
Behaviorism’s popular appeal
Watson called for a society based on scientifically shaped and controlled behavior Free of myths, customs, and convention Provided hope for a new, better society
Emphasis on childhood environment and minimization of heredity Implied emotional disturbances in adulthood
due to conditioned responses during earlier years
Famous Watson quote
"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 beggarman and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors"