A non mentalistic view of Psychology Early Behaviorism A non mentalistic view of Psychology
The main founding influences: Animal psychology's move from mentalism (the Clever Hans phenomenon) Ivan Petrovitch Pavlov(1849-1936) Edward Lee Thorndike (1874-1949) John Broadus Watson (1878-1956)
Clever Hans
An intelligent horse? Clever Hans was a horse trained by Wilhelm Von Osten, a retired mathematics teacher It was established that there was no fraud A grad student, Oskar Pfungst, demonstrated that the horse had been unintentionally conditioned by its owner.
What did the horse learn? Clever Hans picked up UNCONSCIOUS physical cues people who knew the answer gave, cues to start tapping his hoof, and cues to stop. Still a pretty clever horse!
Is this how ESP works? Try this site: How does it work? http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/pickover/esp2.html#aleph1
How does knowing this lead one to behaviorism? Main
Who influenced Pavlov? The physiological work of William Beaumont (1785-1853) An expanded concept of reflex to explain higher functions of thinking, willing, judging -pioneered by Sechenov (1829-1905) The ideas of Descartes (1596-1650) about reflexes
Pavlov’s work: Work on the digestive system. Nobel price in 1904 Notices “mental secretions” -anticipated responses of the animals becoming familiar to the setting. Studied these “mental secretions” -they become what we know as “conditioned reflex”.
Important concepts Pavlov brought us The whole notion of conditioned reflex Concepts of generalization, differentiation, excitation, inhibition, higher level conditioning Concept of experimental neurosis
Conditioned reflex Pavlov A neutral stimulus (ex: bell) is associated with an stimulus (ex: food) that creates a reflex response (ex: salivation) Eventually, the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus and triggers the response. This is an EXCITATION type of mechanism Pavlov
Generalization Pavlov The subject responds not only to the original conditioned stimulus, but to others that resemble it. This is an EXCITATION type of mechanism Pavlov
Differentiation Also called discrimination Inhibiting PART of the generalization response so that the organism salivates for example to tone 1, and does not salivate to tone 2
Differentiation (2) Pavlov The organism learns that food NEVER follows tone 2, so it INHIBITS its conditioned response to it. This is an INHIBITION mechanism Pavlov
Experimental neurosis Start with a normal differentiation between, for example two tones. Make the differentiation more and more refined so that the difference between tone1 and tone2 is smaller and smaller When the organism can no longer tell the difference between tone1 and tone2, experimental neurosis results (after a time)
Why experimental neurosis? Because of the conflict between the EXCITATION process and the INHIBITION process. (Similar conditions can be created with other kinds of conflict: ex: approach-avoidance)
Applications? Main
Pavlov today? Visit the Pavlov Institute of Physiology in Russia
Edward Lee Thorndike (1874-1949) Started in animal psychology, studying puzzle boxes Then applied the principles to human learning
Who influenced Thorndike? William James (read him, studied under him, James even hosted his chicks) McKeen Cattell drew him to Columbia where he continued his research After graduation, applied his research to educational psychology
Cats, chicks and puzzleboxes
Puzzle boxes First random behaviors Certain connections get stamped in or stamped out depending upon their consequences The time required to solve the problem decreases as trials progress.
Laws of learning Law of effect. Law of exercise An act with produces comfort is more likely to recur when the situation recurs. The opposite is true for an act that produces discomfort Law of exercise The more often a response is used in a situation, the stronger the connection
More about Thorndike A Thorndike site: http://www.psy.pdx.edu/PsiCafe/KeyTheorists/Thorndike.htm
Thorndike's timeline 1874 The birth of Edward Lee Thorndike 1897 Applied for graduate program at Columbia University 1898 Awarded his doctorate 1899 Instructor in Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia 1905 Formalized the Law of Effect 1911 Published "Animal Intelligence" 1912 Elected President of American Psychological Association 1917 One of the first psychologist admitted to the National Academy of Sciences 1921 Ranked #1 as an American Men of Science. 1934 Elected President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science 1939 Retired 1949 Thorndike died
John B. Watson (1878-1958)
Who influenced Watson? Reacts against Wundt and James -and their followers such as John Dewey-- though he studied at the U. of Chicago Infuenced by Loeb (tropisms) and Henry Donaldson (white rat neurology) -studied the myelinization of white rat nervous system & consequent changes in the complexity of their behavior. Pavlov
Watson's career Started at the U. of Chicago Then went to John Hopkins for the next 12 years (1908-1920) Was fired because of an affair w/ Rosemarie Rayner (married her later) Went into advertising and did very well there
Watson’s main contributions Official founder of behaviorism as an independent and valid approach to psychology Is a radical behaviorist Introduces the notion of conditioned emotional response (little Albert) Peter (Mary Cover Jones): precursor to behavioral therapy Three emotions: fear, rage, love -all emotional life built on those Applies this to advertising
The End