Behaviorism, which is also referred to as behavioral psychology is a theory of learning that has its basis on the idea that every behavior observed in human beings is acquired through conditioning. In this case, conditioning is a phenomenon that occurs through our interaction with the environment. Behaviorists believe that the manner in which we respond to environmental stimuli affects and shapes our actions. Therefore, it is possible to study behavior in an observable and systematic manner regardless of the internal mental state of the individual. Strict behaviorists go ahead to state that it is possible to train an individual to perform any task regardless of their personality traits, internal thoughts, and genetic background. You simply need to subject the individual to the right conditioning.
History of Behaviorism
Behaviorism came to light for the first time in a publication by John B Watson in 1913 called Psychology as the Behaviorist Views it. Watson is considered to be the father of behaviorism, and he summarized this concept using one quote: “ Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I will guarantee to take anyone at random and train him to become any type of specialist that I will select… regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race… (Watson, 1913).
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Simply put, behavioral psychology holds that all behaviors expressed by an individual are the result of their life experiences. Any person can be trained to think and act in a particular manner regardless of their background, as long as they are exposed to the proper conditioning. From the time it was introduced in 1920 through the mid-1950s, behavioral psychology advanced to become one of the most dominant school of thought and understanding in psychology. Some people suggest that the popularity of behaviorism was as a result of the desire of scholars to establish psychology as a measurable and objective science. Researchers were very much focused on creating theories that could be empirically measured and clearly described, while at the same time making contributions that would influence every fabric of human lives ( Chomsky, 1959).
Types of Conditioning
Classical Conditioning
Classical conditioning is a type of behavioral training where a neutral stimulus gets paired with a naturally occurring stimulus. It reaches a point that the neutral stimulus manages to evoke a similar response as the one caused by a naturally occurring stimulus, even in the absence of the naturally occurring stimulus. The learned behavior is now known as the conditioned response and the associated stimulus is known as the conditioned stimulus.
Operant Conditioning
Operant conditioning is sometimes referred to as instrumental conditioning, and it is a learning method that is enhanced through punishments and reinforcements. Through operant conditions, the individual manages to develop an association between a given behavior and its consequence. In situations where there is a desirable result from a given action, then there is a high likelihood of the action occurring again in the future. On the other hand, responses that come with adverse outcomes are very unlikely to occur again in the future.
Types of Behaviorism
Methodological Behaviorism
Watson’s article Psychology as behaviorists views it has for a long time been referred to as the ‘behaviorist manifesto’ in which all the principles of behaviorists are outlined. In this paper, Watson is against mentalist methods, and he clearly details his philosophy regarding what psychology is supposed to be: a science of behavior referred to as behaviorism. It is important to understand that while Watson is often considered the founder of behaviorism, he was not the first person to champion the objective methods of studying psychology, nor was he the first scholar to criticize introspection. However, it is after Watson’s paper that behaviorism gradually grew roots, and by the 1920s, Watson’s philosophy was recognized by well-regarded figures like the Nobel Laureate and philosopher Bertrand Russell.
Radical Behaviorism
Radical behaviorism was introduced by B.F Skinner, who was in agreement with the assumptions of methodological behaviorism that the aim of psychology should be to control and predict behavior. Skinner also recognized and appreciated the role of internal mental events, and he proposed that such private events should be explained when analyzing behavior.
One key distinction between radical and methodological behaviorism has to do with the extent to which environmental factors affect and influence behavior. Watson’s methodological behaviorism argues that the mind is a blank slate at birth and it can be filled with anything. On the contrary, radical behaviorism accepts the fact that all organisms are born with their unique innate behaviors, and it recognizes the role of biological components and genes in behavior ( Skinner &Two, 1948).
How Behaviorism is applied in the Contemporary Society
Behaviorism is a concept that is still evident in the modern-day classroom, where operant conditioning is applied to reinforce the behavior. For instance, a teacher may reward students who do well in a test or punish the student who fails or misbehaves by giving them detention.
While behaviorism was once the most dominant trend in the field of psychology in the mid-20 th century, it has now lost its traction to cognitive psychology, which views the mind as an information processing system, just like a computer.
References
Chomsky, N. (1959). Review of BF Skinner’s Verbal behavior Language, 35, 26–58. Google Scholar .
Green, C. D. Psychology as the Behaviorist Views it. John B. Watson (1913).
Skinner, B. F., & Two, W. (1948). Macmillan. New York , 15-17.
