BehaviorAL theories

Beliefs of Behaviorists Observable behaviors, (not cognitive actions,) are the proper subject matter for Psychologists. Organism’s behaviors are responses to environmental stimuli. As individuals differ in their experiences, they will acquire different behaviors, and subsequently, different personalities. Changing environmental conditions can influence a person for the better. Therefore, personality is not static – it can continue to change. Idiographic approach – studies the individual without presuming that each person will be affected or respond the same way to the same environmental stimuli.

John Watson “Father” of American Behaviorist Theory Focused research on classical conditioning – Pavlov’s experiments Believed in the importance of environment & nurturing in the growth of children. Children are passive beings who can be molded by controlling stimulus response associations. “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 beggar-man and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations,and the race of his ancestors” (From Behaviorism,by John Watson, 1924)

B.F. Skinner Research on Operant Conditioning & Negative reinforcement – behaviors are dependent on what happens AFTER the response, not before. Operant Behavior. “All we need to know in order to describe and explain behavior is this: actions followed by good outcomes are likely to recur , and actions followed by bad outcomes are less likely to recur.” (Skinner, 1953)

REINFORCEMENT POSITIVE REINFORCER – Increases the frequency of the behavior when it is presented, (eg. rewarding good behavior with food or money). NEGATIVE REINFORCER – Increases the frequency of the behavior when adverse stimuli is removed, (eg. Rewarding good behavior by removing an unpleasant task like washing dishes or homework). *Note – negative reinforcement is NOT a punishment

PUNISHMENT Punishment is an unpleasant stimulus that suppresses behavior. Often used for “quick results” but psychologists recommend reinforcement instead due to weaknesses of punishment. WEAKNESSES OF PUNISHMENT Does not suggest an alternate, acceptable form of behavior. Suppresses behavior only as long as the delivery is guaranteed. If parents are inconsistent, children learn how to “get away with murder.” Punishment may be imitated as an appropriate way of solving problems.

Albert Bandura Learning is also acquired by observation and imitation. People are free thinkers, capable of free choice and self regulation. Children gradually become more selective in what they imitate. Modeling is the process through which observational learning takes place. Models are likely to be people close to and/or looked up to by the subject. ie. parents

HUMANISTIC THEORY Founded on the belief that all human beings strive for “Self- actualization” (the realization of our potentialities as unique human beings.

ABRAHAM MASLOW

Carl Rogers - Person centered perspective. Everyone is looking for “self-actualization, but we often suffer from conflict between what we value in ourselves and what others value in us. Two sides to every person: Organism: whole of a person (incl. body). Strives to be everything it can be. Self: image of who you are and what you value. Develops based on observing how others react to us. Negative reactions cause us to develop “conditions of worth” – beliefs that we are only good/worthy if we behave in certain ways. Lead us to start denying aspects of our organism. Greater gap between our two selves = a limited and defensive person Treatment – Unconditional Positive Regard – when others value us in our entirety, we will begin to do the same, eventually self & organism become one, and we will become fully functioning