This approach argues that it’s our environment that shapes our actions more than our thoughts and feelings.
Behaviorists believe that environmental stimuli shape our actions.
It only requires the right conditioning.
Verywell / Jiaqi Zhou
Simply put, strict behaviorists believe that all behaviors are the result of experience.
From about 1920 through the mid-1950s, behaviorism became the dominantschool of thought in psychology.
The two approach differ in their underlying assumptions about the causes of behavior.
They also differ in how they view the role of internal processes in shaping human behavior.
Methodological behaviorism aligns with Watson’s ideologies and approach.
This behavioral approach was created by the psychologistB.F.
Classical Conditioning
Classical conditioning is a technique frequently used in behavioral training.
In it, a neutral stimulus is paired with a naturally occurring stimulus.
Eventually, the lab coat alone elicited a salivation response from the dogs.
When an association disappears, this is known asextinction.
It causes the behavior to weaken gradually or vanish.
Factors such as the strength of the original response can play a role in how quickly extinction occurs.
Through operant conditioning, an association is made between a behavior and a consequence for that behavior.
Conversely, responses followed by adverse outcomes are less likely to recur.
This makesreinforcement schedulesimportant in operant conditioning.
These can involve either continuous or partial reinforcement.
Uses for Behaviorism
The behaviorist perspective has a wide range of applications.
It extends beyond research theory to fields such as education and mental health.
Education
Behaviorism can be used to help students learn, such as by influencing lesson design.
These approaches are often very useful in changing maladaptive or harmful behaviors in both children and adults.
There are a number of therapeutic techniques rooted in behavioral psychology.
Though behavioral psychology assumed more of a background position after 1950, its principles still remain important.
Other behavioral therapy techniques includeaversion therapy,systematic desensitization, token economies,behavior modeling, and contingency management.
Criticisms of Behaviorism
Many critics argue that behaviorism is a one-dimensional approach to understanding human behavior.
More recently,biological psychologyhas emphasized the role the brain and genetics play in determining and influencing human actions.
Thecognitive approach to psychologyfocuses on mental processes such as thinking, decision-making, language, and problem-solving.
In both cases, behaviorism neglects these processes and influences in favor of studying only observable behaviors.
But perhaps the greatest contributions of behavioral psychology lie in its practical applications.
Its techniques can play a powerful role in modifying problematic behavior and encouraging more positive, helpful responses.
Frequently Asked Questions
John B. Watson is known as the founder of behaviorism.
Behaviorism can be used to help elicit positive behaviors or responses in students, such as by using reinforcement.
Using tests to measure performance enables teachers to measure observable behaviors and is, therefore, another behavioral approach.
Behaviorism says that behavior is a result of environment, the environment being an external stimulus.
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